Ski season opening in Bessans, France

Lack of snow everywhere was a bit depressing. Well, we were able to ski on the glacier several times, but it is still a glacier. We even went to the north of Finland in november to ski. But in generally rich on snow Levi the snow was missing. The whole week we had to drive for 1 hour to Muonio to ski on 2.5km artificial snow track with hundreds of other hungry-for-snow people. And running as a second training. Well, at least there was finnish sauna every day :)

Back in Lausanne, the snow was problematic. Last year I started to skin on 15th of november, two years before on 7th of november. Today is 7th of december and I still haven't skied. Well happy news, snow finally arrived and I will go skiing today :)

The FIS race in Goms was cancelled last weekend because of the snow absense. So I quickly decided to go to Bessans in France for season opening.

The classic race on saturday (10km, individual start, 4x2.5km) went very well for me. I was overall 26th with 2min20 from the best french skier Maurice Manificat (the winner). There were no snow in Bessans and we skied on the track with artificial snow. I was in general satisfied with the race though I had some problems with the kick on the uphills, but since the track was quite flat it did not matter that much.
Results

Second day (15km, individual start, 6x2.5km) was frankly a disaster. I tried both warm pairs and decided to go on the new one. To my disappointment the guys from behind (who are approximately the same level as me) passed me by before even the first uphill on the first lap. My skis did not glide at all comparing to them, I could not stay with them even for few seconds. As a result more than 6 minutes behind from the winner and only 48th.
Results

Well, at the end I am quite happy. Was my first race in Bessans and I liked it. The season is started. Snow came now. Motivation is back again. Let's rock this world!!!

10 km, classic race

Announcement: www.pistes-nordiques.org

www.pistes-nordiques.org prépare sa saison!

Malgré le temps magnifique ces jours-ci, on commence déjà a penser aux premiers flocons.
Pistes-nordiques.org est une carte en ligne qui présente les tracés de plus de 17'000km de pistes de ski de fond dans le monde entier. Il s'agit des pistes de ski présentes dans le projet OpenStreetMap.
Les possibilités offertes par pistes-nordiques.org
En plus des données des pistes (couleur de balisage, difficulté, type de damage), vous pouvez sur le site tracer le profil d'élévation d'un parcours librement défini.
Les propriétaires de sites disposant d'informations sur l'état des pistes peuvent également y faire figurer un lien localisé sur les tracés concernés, et disponible via le menu 'INFO-NEIGE'.
Comment ça marche
Une video sur YouTube vous présente les principales fonctionnalités.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO4wsj4LR_c

Le but
17'000 km, c'est déjà pas mal, mais toutes les pistes que vous connaissez ne sont probablement pas toutes sur la carte. Le but de ce site est aussi de donner envie aux skieurs à collaborer à OpenStreetMap afin de la compléter. N'hésitez-pas à cliquer sur le menu 'MODIFIER LA CARTE' pour en savoir plus.
Amicalement,Yves CAINAUD

http://www.pistes-nordiques.org

Rollerski: French championship and World cup

Will talk about two races I did recently.

First, French Championship (weekend - 27-28 of august).
French championship in rollerski took place in Besse (Super-Besse) in France of course :) Where one of the Tour de France stages was finished this year!

Two days, first day prolog - 3 km on rather difficult track, with the flat part against very strong wind. It was very hard for me. I don't know what happened, but I felt very bad after the race and during the race the last uphill was very hard and I felt I lost a lot of time there. In any case I lost around 42 seconds to the first and finished 25th with time 6:41.

Next day we had an uphill pursuit race. Since I lost 42 seconds to the first, I had to go in 42 seconds after the start of the first person. The start went fast. I went with number 24 (I had 25), we did not manage to get to the guys in front of us (though should do it). Thus we went together. The uphill in the beginning was quite easy: it was still an uphill but not too steep. Then a guy from behind joined us and we went together for some time. In the middle of the race we had 1-2 km of rather flat area. Two other two people reached us and we went 5 together on the flat. The group in front was in around one minute distance from us. They all got together (around 20 people).

Then we had a 1.5km of 11% uphill. The groups started to break. I went forward in our group and pulled a bit. I and number 24 (with me in front) managed to separate from the other 3 guys. Bug a young one (number 40) reached us and at the end of the uphill we were 3. Group in front was also stretched. We saw its end not far from us. After the finish of the uphill we had some flat area and then two other small uphills and finish. Number 40 went away from us. Number 24 sped up at the top of the second to the last uphill and managed to get some distance from me. We finished the same way, he was half a second in front of me. In general the second races went quite ok for me.

Results

World Cup took place in Germany (2-4 september) - Markkleeberg.
Strange name for Germany :)

Prolog (7.5km on Friday), Sprint on Satuday and Pursuit on Sunday.

Prolog I did very well. It was a time-trial and I was 7th overall, 16 seconds away from the best - russian Alexander Denisov. I was better than the current world cup winner and other strong rollerskiers. Honestly, I was very happy! It's probably my best rollerski race in the world cup up untill now. Third among russians, even brought points to russian national team.

Sprint as usually not my strength. I finished 17th, just after qualification and two russians just after me. Actually, we were happy. We didn't have to wait for 1.5 hours under the very strong sun and went to hotel to recover before the next Sunday's race :) Though I got a very nice comment that visually I went very good but did not work enough with my legs (it was un uphill sprint).

Next day we had the Pursuit based on results of the Prolog of Friday. I started 16 seconds after the russian winner. We had 5 laps to go with a rather "good" uphill, downhill and some flat area. On the first lap after the uphill I and a person just behind me (very strong sprinter in rollerski from France) joined the group in front. We were 8 people and we went quite fast the guys behind us were left far behind. Then we started to play "cats and mice", nobody wanted to go forward, we slowed down and guys from behind (4-5 people) started to come closer. On the last lap they went very close. Unfortunately for me, my pole was broken in the middle of the uphill, and untill the end of the uphill I had to go with one pole.
My group made an acceleration and everybody from the pursuers could not keep up, since they were very tired trying to reach us. So everybody from my group went forward, but our pursuers still passed me by well enough, so that I couldn't get back to them once I got my pole. So I was 12ths, but could be for sure in the first 8 (I felt very good before my pole was broken) and even fight for higher positions. Well, shit happens. At least now I have a lot of confidence in myself and I still have my 7th place in prolog.

Next race is next weekend: Transroller (uphill race and 25km masstart).

Results:
Prolog
Sprint
Pursuit

Engadin RadMarathon 2011 (Cycling)

Well, simply said - it was a challenge!

My first ever road bike race. A lot of cross-country skiing, running, swimming, even one mountain bike race ... but never road cycling.

Total distance - 211km
Total elevation - 3827m

Total time - 7h 01min 30,8seconds

Total rang - 50th

Average speed - 30km/h

My friend Valentin persuaded me to do it this year and I fell for it. It was worth doing! After the skiing season was finished I built my training plan specifically for this race.

Did my first intervals on road bike! I was afraid of climbing, so started to work on it. Went to Col de Mosses from Lausanne (1028m climb, around 5.5%), went around Geneva lake on average 35km/h (flat but 180km, took 5h05). Many times Col de Marchairuz (700m climb), almost every week Col de Mollendruz. During 5 days of job travel to Crete, cycled 4 days like in the training camp.

Actually was kind of prepared, but it was still long race. Could not even estimate how much time it'll take, so put around 8h when was registering. The best guys are around 6h20-30 minutes normally.

Hehe, even washed my bike completely :) And went to get some fun. We met with Valentin in Zernez, ate some pasta and went to the hotel. I guess Valya was sick of all my questions: how this, how that ... Well, it's his third time, I should get some experience beforehand :)

The full race profile is here.

Got up in the morning at 4:45, had a big breakfast and to the race start. 7:00. Start was quite sluggish. If we take Engadin ski marathon, everybody starts like crazy, but on a bike - people went slowly: it was real fun. First climb (just in the beginning is around 400m). I pushed quite hard - the plan was to get to the strong people and stay with them on the following flat area around Livigno. The plan was generally quite successful. Passed by a lot of people on the uphil. On the downhill I went with quite strong guys, then the other guys from behind caught us and we developed a huge peloton. I felt like in Tour de France. We went on flat on average 45-50km/h.

I actually thought before that it is very uncomfortable to go very close in the peloton, but it was nice experience. It is much harder in rollerski races ...

On the next after Livigno Forcola pass I was not satisfied with the speed of the guys in our peloton. Few guys left peloton even before. I can feel very well my speed during climbing (mainly due to Marcharuz climbs), so I just went forward and went with my own pace which turned out to be quite fast. On the second 2328m Bernina pass, I overtook a lot! of people. Actually I was impressed how good I felt on climbs (that was the thing I was afraid of). On the downhill we went with another racer and we got to one more in few seconds.

Then on flat we went three of us changing from time-to-time. There was a peloton behind again, we decided to slow down and way for them. In peloton we went again 45-50km/h, so it was a good decision to wait. Actually, now, after some analysis, I understand that I should have started at least in line 1 instead of two and work very hard on the first uphill to stay with much stronger guys, stay in peloton with them in Livigno and do the best to stay close to them at Forcola/Bernina passes and then get back to  Zernez with them. It could've been much faster. Anyway, we reached Zernez and went to the second, much harder part.

I again felt very well on Fluelapass and peloton stayed behind. I took over some guys. Was a nice feeling climbing. On the top of Fluelapass I gave two bottles (water for bottle with powder) and cola (for empty by now bottle) - I had only one bottle filled with a drink at start. Downhill from Fuelapass was a bit unfortunate for me. Was tired, decided to have a nap :) It was fast and on one very sharp turn I felt that my rear wheel started to glide, I managed to handle this situation. However, in few turns it happened again and I fell from my bike. Seems as the first hit went on the head and then I landed with my shoulder and my pelvis. Today I feel very well these parts and my neck hurts. ALWAYS WEAR HELMET. It might have saved my life. The helmet is broken and I already bought a new one (race was yesterday!).

Anyway, the race continued. On the straight downhill my speed was 78km/h, my personal record! By Davos I was alone, nobody in front/nobody behind. I was a bit confused, thought that I might go wrong way somewhere. Then a small peloton reached me and I went with them. The weather in the beginning of the race was very good, then it started to rain, we went in rails and I was a bit afraid on the slippery downhill, but it was ok.

Afterwards, there was a long climb to Albulapass with small flat area after 1/3. The sun started to shine again. I felt good. Objectively the speed was slower than previous climbs but I felt good. Some food to add to my pockets and cola into the bottle. I ran out of power-gels by then. On the downhill I felt a bit scary and there was a small gap between me and 3 people in front. Then just before the final flat road to Zernez I was blocked a bit by a truck and the gap turned into 100m. I was pushing 50km/h but the gap was only increasing, I had to slow down. Too bad ... Then I noticed a guy not far behind. I waited for him and we went together constantly changing. Speed was much faster then when I was alone.

We came together to the finish line. I think I could've beaten him in sprint, but I did not care. I felt as a small team in the last half-an-hour. I did not put any effort into sprint trying to finish in line with him, but lost 0.1 second :)

Overall
loved the race, road cycling is cool, very happy with my result!

Full results are here

Season wrap-up!

After I came back to Lausanne from Czech republic (after three very sucessful weeks for me!),
I got sick and had to stay in bed for a week. The form was lost and I could not recover and get back in shape again ... Unfortunately, had to skip two of Swiss Loppet races :(

First race I did after week of lying in bed was U-Games. After first two hills of 15km race I understood
that racing part was finished for me and I had only to slowly go till the end. Worst race of the season!

The next race (MARA) was kind of ok if we skip the part about my skis gliding. They just did not glide at all and in addition I had no kick in the uphills. Now after analysis of all my races I can say for sure that my klister classic skis ARE bad. All races of the season when the snow was wet, they just did not glide at all (starting from last Czech Republic race, U-Games, Mara, Glieres, SM) - I should definitely get rid of them). So I finished 4th in MARA but was unsatisfied by my performance, especially after very good classic race at Transjurasiennes (42km as in MARA).

Engadin was good. Despite the fact that I was late to the start (as usuall :)), I liked the race and I managed to push hard in the end to the 76 rank (last year it was 80, slowly improving!!).

Next two races are in France: Marathon des Glieres (classic 22km and skating 30km). Classic part was just awful. I have no clue why (skis were bad but not only them): still lost 8minutes on 22km!!!
Skating was better but not too much. 6 minutes to the first. Though in the beginning somebody fell in front of me and I did broke the pole while flying over him.

Swiss championship! Sprint, 50km classic and relay 3x10km (skating).
Sprint - fell in prolog on downhill, no chance to go further.

50km classic - well, it is a special talk! It is a tough race, tough wet conditions, hot weather, bad glide but at least good kick! Despite all preparations and food from our support team, I had first cramps after 35km. My triceps were hurting. Next was my latissimus muscles.  I was still able to go normally, just changed the technique a little bit to move the load from painful muscles. 5km before the finish I started to have cramps in my abdominal muscles and that was it! I could not push, I had to keep my body straight and push somehow with arms. Last uphill I got cramps in my legs as well. What a day! After finish I was standing for several minutes trying to stretch my painful body. My poles were lying on the snow and I could not get them, because I could not bend forward (had to ask for help :)). 2h42min (lost 26 minutes!!! to Dario)

I thought I am completely out of shape! However, next day was relay (3x10km) and I actually showed very good time. Had 4th time among second stage guys, lost 2min to the best guys on 10km, which not bad for me.

That's it! Ski season is officially closed for me! Two weeks of relaxation and start training again with all lessons learned!

Engadin