Enter Luxembourg
I pushed onwards; Vineyards, countryside and a city I’d never heard of (Metz). Before I knew it, I was crossing the border into a new country: Luxembourg. I enjoyed the scenes of the countryside for a bit and then grabbed a train for the city to rest my legs. All public transport is free within the country!
I enjoyed being a tourist in the city for a few hours, drinking some really good coffee and some tasty food. The city is pleasant and scenic, perched on a raised plot of land in between what seems to be a circular valley. There are lots of open green spaces for relaxing and I took a mini-siesta in a chair before continuing towards the countryside to meet my Warmshowers host. He was an interesting character, having over 30 classic bikes in his garage and excitedly telling me about Eroica, a collection of events where participants ride classic bikes for long distances and enjoy a festive and fun atmosphere of fellow “old bike” enthusiasts. It’s always fun to connect with new people, I always learn something new!
Unceremoniously, I decided to take a train to Belgium and hunker down for a few days in the city of Leige. I was worried about a developing saddle sore and felt fatigued from the constant travel. I wanted to be in tip-top shape for Steph’s arrival and the looming ultra race. The city surprisingly reminded me of Bilbao; a river snakes through it, surrounded by green hills, dark grey clouds, a bit dirty and rough around the edges. It wouldn’t be my top choice for a destination but it was a perfect spot to rest for a few days, catch up on work and life tasks, rest the body and prepare for the next stage.
In retrospect, I wasn’t a huge fan of the bike/train travel. Of course, it was fun to see new place and cycle in the mornings – but the afternoon train rides felt like a slog and pulled me out of the “bike tour” rhythm. If I had to use trains again, I would prefer to train for several days to get them out of the way and then enjoy a non-stop bike tour. I also realized that while I enjoy the relaxed pace of a bike tour, I yearned for the adrenaline, sense of urgency and camaraderie of an ultra.
Day 1: Pre-Party and Grand Depart
I arrived to Leuven a few days prior; it was wonderful to be reunited with Steph after nearly 2 weeks on the road. We had a blast exploring the quaint city, doing last-minute errands and getting settled in our neat airbnb loft. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the pre-raceday briefing!
Little did we know, but the ‘ultra’ started when we arrived the previous day! Great setting in the woods, camping, DJ playing techno beats, people hanging out. Awesome to see PPP to catch up, nervously discuss race and gear, etc. Great to have Steph there to be involved, get to know the rest of the crew and just feel more comfortable with what I’m doing (also a part of it).
The original plan was to stay at the Airbnb in Leuven, but it didn’t make logistical sense to go back and forth. In the end it was better for both of us to sleep at the campsite for the next day’s departure. It was albergue style in a shared room. Not great sleep, too excited! Challenging with gear all spread out between panniers, etc. Gear for race, gear for after, etc. But we figure it out and problem solve.
Always a thrill to start the race in the neutralized start. Everyone goes out guns blazing. Once again, before I knew it, I’m alone again! The dots start together and then spread out. I suppose the hard pushing groups stick together, it could be fun to try to keep up with a group, one of these days.
Alone for a while and really trying to minimize stop time. 1.5 hours no stop, 2 hours no stop, tried for 3 hours no stop – but needed to pee. Mentally, all over the place – “where am I, where is everyone? Are they ahead of me or behind me?” Questioning the point of it all, wanting to be with my ultra friends. Am I fast or slow?
Lower calf/upper ankle/achilles starting hurting. Nothing too painful, but noticeable. Caused worry. Was mentally feeling down, stopped for a break and stretch. Ran into James, Yoni and Alexander. So happy to see them, joined their group.
Lots of backroads country riding. Super lush through tunnel forests. Ferns. Felt like Pacific Northwest at times. Really cool bike lanes and narrow singletrack country “roads” in between farms / houses / along fences. Sometimes it seemed like someone’s private property. Big fields of mono-crops, random forests.
Cobbled climbs, rain. Never cold though. Put on a rain jacket and ya está. Found delicious food at a cafe shaped like a smoke stack. Asian style pasta. Just have to ask and you may get what you want. Nice to hang out with the crew in a warm area. I like the “get dinner, keep riding, find a bivy spot” style. It really helps to have an actual (preferably large portion) meal at the end of the day. Otherwise, you’ll get into a caloric hole and be eating Haribo like a madman (more on that later).
Did the cobbled climbs at night and some in the rain. Super steep, short and challenging.
Bus shelter for protection from Rain.
Found the perfect bivy spot and slept relatively well.
