Dalian update: Beijing & Jin Zhou reports

On the website of Roeltgen Cycling Team you can now read a report - in German - on my four racing experiences (Hangzhou, Jin Shi Tan, Beijing and Jin Zhou) in China so far. Hangzhou and Jin Shi Tan were already covered on this blog before. The duathlon in Beijing took place on the olympic circuit in Chanping, some 40km north of the capital city. Chanping is known for the Ming imperial tombs, which are located in the mountains there. A beautiful spot! And perfect for cycling, too. We arrived on Friday noon, and I did not waste time in getting on the bike for a four hour ride in the mountains. Those were my first real lengthy climbs of the season, after all! I discovered brand new roads, hardly any car traffic and the Great Wall frequently winding its way across the mountain tops. Certainly one the most scenic rides I have ever enjoyed.

The whole weekend was very hot in Beijing, with temperatures around 35 degrees. The Chinese people from the Dalian team seem to have more issues with that than me, though. As they were hiding in their hotel rooms, I went for another ride on Saturday afternoon as soon as we completed all formalities for the race the next day. The course for both the running and biking segment were hilly and contained one short but steep climb. I knew that would be to my advantage normally, and with the Hangzhou experience of a month earlier I was more relaxed prior to the start. However, as in Hangzhou, the Chinese competitors took off like bullets on the first 5km run. After 2,5 km I was well behind in 9th place (out of 50 participants, including also one Australian). But gradually I edged closer and closer to the frontrunners and I even managed to catch them just before we switched to the bikes. This time, however, there were some very strong Chinese riders as well. On the first climb I grabbed the lead, but behind me five guys were tailing me closely. On the second 10km lap I increased the gap to a safer margin and would retain it also on the final 2,5 km run. Second place went to a local Beijing resident, who turned out to be a nice chap and who wants to take me on some long rides in the mountains next time I am in the area.

In the triathlon event there were mixed results for the Dalian team members. Our star triathlete Chao scored a brilliant second place behind a Frenchman, but most of the others suffered too much from the heat.

Unfortunately, I still have not received pictures of the Beijing event. On my Picasa page are a few shots I took myself before and after the race.

Six days later I accompanied Shuang Shuang, the Holy Brother who runs the bike store and the team, and two other Chinese cyclists to a criterium race in Jin Zhou, 400 km northwest of Dalian. I was not in the mood for a short and flat criterium so far away, but they signed me up leaving me with no other choice but to join them. During the long four-hour car drive to Jin Zhou - and on the way back to Dalian afterwards - these Chinese guys talked non-stop about nothing else than cycling. I think about all new bike frame models and wheels were discussed, as well as the Tour de France, the teams, the riders of the past and present (CI-PO-LLI-NI!) and so on. So in China you also find people who are just as crazy ;-)

As we approached Jin Zhou, rain came down from the sky. Great. A wet crit. The event, organised by GIANT, was already underway and our A-race was scheduled to start after the lunchbreak. It was still drizzling when about 45 riders lined up at the start. Many of them I recognised from the race in Jin Shi Tan. A crit is really not my thing and in the wet all I was concerned about was not crashing and jeopardising the rest of my season. The course was dead simple: an L-shape with a strong headwind on the back strait. 10 laps for 30 km in total. After half a lap I went to the front and joined an early breakaway attempt of about six riders. The seven of us had a small advantage over the main group as we turned into the back strait for lap 2. As the wind blew in our faces, I signalled my companions to work together in short stints. But when I hit the front they all stuck to my rear wheel. In the spur of the moment I then swinged left and accelerated from the front and opened up a gap. I thought some riders would follow me in the breakaway attempt, but nobody did. I continued my effort rather conservatively at first in order not to blow myself up. A lap further, however, I noticed I had doubled the gap on the back strait so I decided to go for it. As of then, my advantage increased lap by lap and at the end of the race I took the win, 1'20" ahead of team mate Shuang Shuang, who won the sprint for second place ahead of the winner of the Jin Shi Tan race. This victory was a surprise, and I certainly did not expect to take it with a solo of more than 20km! Let's hope I can continue along this path in August.

Check a few pictures in my cycling and duathlon album on Picasa.

Duathlon & cycling competitions