Three peaks and in between
From Vienna to Nice by bike Well, actually quite unspectacular.
But I tilted here somewhere. Somewhere around here. Of course, I don't remember the details. Maybe here? We came down here from the Kühtai. That was a nice 120 kilometres day trip. I was probably a bit too relaxed on my bike and tilted somewhere
around here in this gouge that runs along here. And my bike stopped. And I flew over the handlebars
before I knew what was happening. And now I still have
some iron plates in my jaw and a torn jersey that remains. Quite funny, actually. No, it's not. I was lying in the helicopter,
they suspected a basilar skull fracture. And that was one of those moments where, suddenly,
nothing else mattered anymore. I had big goals in bike riding last year. And suddenly it was all gone in one second. I believe that
no matter how much you cycle or how much you think
that you are in control, you're never 100 percent in control. Yes, but you take that chance anyway. I fully realised what that meant only one week after the operation when I compared myself
to other patients in the ward and I saw that they were already
in a much better condition than I was. And that I wouldn't be able to eat
for quite a while. And only then did I comprehend what actually happened
and also how lucky I had been. 5 months after her serious accident,
Jana signs up for the Three Peaks Bike Race. Three Peaks Bike Race is a race
from Vienna to Nice passing three checkpoints. And they are not just anywhere.
That is where the name comes from. It's the three peaks, first the Großglockner,
then Col du Sanetsch in Switzerland and Mont Ventoux. Of course, there are
several other peaks in between. And everyone plans their own route. So, the race is a classic
solo, self-supported bike packing race. Three days until the start -Hello.
-Hey. ... between this one and this one. Before she starts, we practice adjusting the entire bike. So that she will be able
to adjust the gearing system and can repair a flat tire. The bicycle basics. I can't do more than that.
She has to do that herself. I really think
that if she has a flat tire... We still need to work on that a bit. But in terms of endurance, ambition
she is well prepared. She is strong mentally.
Physically too. On their nearly 2000 kilometres
long route through the Alps,
they overcome nearly 30000 meters in altitude. The rules are simple:
1. The cyclists have to plan their own routes.
2. No help from third parties.
3. Slipstreaming is forbidden.
4. There is no prize money. -Hi.
-Hi. I need a signature.
We are prepared. -Thanks.
-Good luck. The tracker that will hopefully signal
that I never stop. I was incredibly nervous yesterday. I was sick from anxiety. Five hours alone on the train,
and then I called some friends and I called home. And that calmed me down a bit. And then I arrived
at Dani's here yesterday. She messaged me in our Facebook group
if I wanted to sleep at her place. That had never happened to me
at any another cycling event. That was really cool. My nerves calmed down a bit as well. Yesterday I repaired my first flat tire. Yes, I think that I am ready now. So, basically what we need to check
is of course the handlebars. If there is any play in the wheel also. We are checking if there are
enough reflective tapes. Basically, the rider is ready to go. Everybody needs to have two sets of lights,
two front, two rear lights. Well, definitely
because of the security. And for example the reflective vest is
mandatory in France riding during the night. So, yeah. Safety first. So, I have a sleeping mat here. There is a lot of food in there,
like bars and nuts. Then I have some more food
that I can reach easily. Money and a mask. On one side there is even more food,
cake, nuts and raisins. And on the other side of my bag
there is all sorts of technical stuff. And here are reflectors for the night. Substitute lamps, lace,
biodegradable wipes. Tape for my hands
because they are definitely my weakness. I am going to tape them before I go. In the Swatbox there is
a lot of repair stuff. repair kit, mech hanger,
a piece of chain to stud the chain that hopefully won't break,
a minitool, too. Hopefully I'll never
have to open this box. In the back, I have a sleeping bag,
two cycling trousers, a jersey, my beauty case with toothbrush,
contact lenses and a lot of water. Light, navigation
and a GPS tracker in here. Yeah. But I always ask myself
why so few women start in this race. So, there are 120 starters,
seven of which are female. Yes, I am sure that many women
in their twenties or whenever would definitely be able
to cycle in this kind of race. I don't see any women. Yes, the girls are missing. In these races, I think that we pretty much
all go through the same motions and we pretty much all have
to overcome the same problems. You are going
to be in pain at some point, whether it is your butt
or it is your feet or it is your legs. It is summer here
and it is already really hot. So you are going to be really hot. And then at night, when you go down
a pass, you are going to be really cold. And you are going to be sleep deprived. And you are going to get desperate
at some point because it is so hot. It is going to seem
like it never finishes. So we all go through these pains,
you know, these phases. And we have to overcome them. And I mean, also hopefully
most of the stuff is going to be nice. Most of the stuff we are going to enjoy. And it is just doing the thing
that we love the most, which is ride our bikes. Day1 338km 2480hm
14 hours in the saddle Couldn't anymore. I would have
fallen asleep at some point. Now I want to sleep
for three or four hours. This is a decent spot.
It's already the morning. After I slept and grabbed
a coffee, we'll see how it feels. Right. Quarter to three
and close to five I was really tired. But now it just wasn't possible anymore. Besides, riding downhill I felt
that I couldn't concentrate anymore. And I want to avoid that. A while ago, I actually came across
much nicer sleeping spots. A hut with a well and stuff like that. But I didn't want to stop just yet. Shit, the contact lenses. 4 hours later... Now I'm already in a cycling mood again. I tried to avoid taking breaks
as much as possible. I stopped four times,
just went in somewhere really quickly, bought caffeine and sugar. I went to the toilet two times
and immediately rushed on. I didn't take a break.
And still, I paused for 50 minutes total. Yes, I am anxious to see
how this racing situation affects me. I want to try to not look at the others
for at least the first three days. I just looked at the tracking website. It was obvious
that I wouldn't be able to resist. I need a reason to keep going. Because during the last four hours,
while I took a break, things changed. But everyone has to sleep at some point. Of course, I would like
to finish in a good position. But first and foremost
I just want to cycle. It would obviously
be nice, if I did it well. Climb Großglockner So I don't really have a plan.
I didn't plan anything. I also didn't look at the weather. I'm approaching the first checkpoint. I'm so happy when I'm up there. Hopefully, the descent will be alright. And then I'll just see how it goes.
We'll see. The Edelweiß peak (2572 ma) I'm going to cry. Day2 170km 3509ma
Total 508km 5989ma It's not that bad, really. But I think I'm just done for today. Now I lost my fucking 80 euro taillight. I don't have another. I mean, I do, but not a proper one. I rode back to find it, after I had already spent half an hour looking
for a pizzeria in that Italian village. Oh boy. I just lost it somewhere.
Doens't matter. Going to buy a new one tomorrow. Today I just couldn't find my rhythm.
There was always something. Now I will search for a sleeping spot and
tomorrow I'll buy a taillight somewhere. Can't do anything about it, damn. After a long search, Jana finally finds
a sleeping spot. 5 hours later
she is up on her bike again, already. When you fall asleep blissfully
on your sleeping mat, it feels as if the day was 40 hours long. because so much has happened
and there were so many emotions. In one day, you go through
so many extremes, it's so densely packed. You wouldn't be able to cope if
every day was like one day of bike packing. I feel good. It's four o'clock. Yes, I guess I am going
to cycle until 10 o'clock again. Let's see how far I can go. But it's really fun today. Yesterday I considered giving up
because my knee was hurting so much. I thought I couldn't go on
because I was in a lot of pain. And today I'm like, "Yeah, man. Nice." I'm glad that I'm here. And it is good to know that
when things go to shit again, it'll get better. Yes. Nice. I'm excited. Checkpoint to Switzerland The most beautiful moments are
quite easy to explain, it's the feeling that you are exactly in the right place
at the right time and you wouldn't want to do anything
other than what you are doing right now. Which is sitting in the saddle and cycling. Those are
the moments that last for a while, they show you
that you're doing the right thing. It was so beautiful. I stopped for a short time
and looked at the map again, to think about whether
I'm still able to cycle up there. And then I thought afterwards
I could go to bed happy, on my mat. And now it was absolutely worth it.
I think that today was the best. I would like to lie somewhere
where there are no ticks. Not in the forest or the grass if possible. Not so close to the water
because then it'll get wet. Not so high up because then it gets cold.
A little shelter from the wind. And somewhere where I don't bother anyone, so something sporty or a church always works. Yesterday I did not think
that I could ride 300 kilometers today. And now the pass as well. It was super easy today. I mean, no. I mean it was exhausting. But cool. If every day is like this,
we can do this for two weeks. Which day is today?
The third. Good night. Day3 285km 3764ma
Total 792km 9749ma I put my shirt on backwards. Who cares, right? If my grandma and parents could really see
what I am doing here, the uncut version. I think that I am probably not
that storybook girly daughter, but rather someone
who has to be stopped sometimes. Often for my own good. I think the whole day I'm in a [whistles]. I have become slower. There is a storm approaching
from the direction where I am headed. That is nearly 1000 meters in altitude. So it takes me a while to get up there. I am thinking
if I should actually go up there now or if I should wait here because
a storm in a mountain is not nice. If I knew that it will stop,
then I'd just wait for a while. I think I'll just go.
I don't want to waste so much time. Oh no, now it's coming from there. The weather is changing fast. It's already four o'clock again. No, I'll go.
There is no thunder right now. And there is a house and up there is
another one, in case there's lightning. Then I'll just take shelter there. Yes, I'll just wait
this out for a bit, I think. I stood in the rain somewhere until midnight. I thought I was just sleeping
somewhere outside now. Then it started to rain
and thunderstorms and lightning. And then there was a rat on the floor. And then I thought:
Okay, no, I'm not staying here. Then I met a French guy. He gave me the hint:
Hey, there's an Ibis there. It's always open. You can always go there. I thought:
Okay, fuck it. I'll go stay there. I paid an outrageous
amount of money for it. At least I had a wash
and charged everything. I won't have to stop again
anytime soon, I guess. My legs are fine.
But my hands not so much. I cannot move this finger anymore. It's hard to describe,
I just can't move it. It's as if it weren't there. I'm going to ride up
the Col du Sanetsch now. Finally, on my bike again. I'm starting to feel
that my body is reaching its limits. Something always hurts now. It's either the knee or the wrist... Or the butt. At least, today I'm able to ride standing up
without my knee hurting too much. Which in turn is good for the butt. The GPS tracker
says I've reached the end. 1800 meters in altitude.
That has to be enough. Fuck. It started out easy. But then it got tough, my butt hurts. I'm going to put some lotion on it. Jana unknowingly missed the given coordinates
of the second checkpoint
(Col du Sanetsch, 2242m) by one kilometer. I went down
and while I was rolling downhill, I was worried I might have
missed out on one kilometer up there. My GPS track ended there, But I could still have gone to the lake. Now I'm afraid
I should have gone to the lake. But to ride back up there now... I do not know.
Maybe I'm overthinking it. I cannot look it up on the internet now. I don't have
the Race Manual with me either. I was at the top,
but I still have doubts now. Sorry, can you stop
for a minute? Fuck. We could have asked him. I went to the top
and it's Col du Sanetsch, so... And I don't know
if there was more to it. But I cannot ride back up
500 kilometers if I'm not even sure. No way. I'm going down. I might be overthinking it. Okay. I'm going. Damn it, this is so annoying. I should stop thinking about
what I cannot change anyway. My fingers are useless. I must say that even
thinking seems hard right now. Yesterday I felt the same,
when I was at the hotel, finally. I honestly had no idea
what to expect today. Because I didn't even think
about the route or anything. Uh, Ulrich has arrived in Nizza
There he is wearing flip-flops. Ulrich Bartolomeos reached the finish
in first place within 3 days 23 hours and 23 minutes) I envy him a bit. Congratulations. I didn't expect that
I would think about it that often. Quitting, and that I cannot do it. Or just any reason
why it might not work. I always thought that if I had to quit, it would be because of
my legs being to weak, but they're fine. I realize it's not always that simple. to stay fully motivated. I didn't expect that. I know that I am like that.
I only quit... when there is no other way. And you just don't
know when that will be. I'll be fine. This isn't normal. I feel my pulse in my fingertips
when I press them. It's even visible. What am I doing. It doesn't feel good, i don't know. Fuck. My Wahoo died. I'll have to... Okay, let's go. I don't want to, though. I want to ride up there. Yes, I'm doing a cycling race. -And where do you sleep?
-Somewhere outside Okay. You don't have a backpack? This here. Okay. I do that too. Oh really? Yes. I saw you and I said,
she has a good bike! So good. Are you sleeping here tonight? A few kilometers further. A lot happens every day. Yes. You want to sleep?
-Yes. So, good travel, good trip. -Thank you.
-Bye. Bye. -Bye.
-Au revoir! Day five 188km 4093ma
Total 1240km 20967ma I'll have to buy new lotion for my butt
or some kind of substitute. I'm worried about my butt. Unfortunately,
I can't do anything about it. But otherwise, I'm in a good mood. I'm so tired. I decided I'm going to
take a nap real quick. There's no use.
I'm getting slower by the minute. Let's see if there is a pharmacy here. The fun continues. Sometimes I ask myself
why I'm putting myself through this. It's crazy how basic
your problems become. But that is what it is about. You don't have to worry
about anything else, except cycling, eating and sleeping. It's going to be really tough. I will not be satisfied
if I just put my feet up and relax. I couldn't sleep at night. A little treat for myself, tea tree oil. This makes me so happy. Yay. Now I only need to find a loo and put it to good use. I've been thinking
a lot about my attitude towards the race.
I struggled mentally, yesterday. Because of that ten minute checkpoint.
Whether I should've rode down or not. And in the end, I thought, it doesn't change anything
about my performance, for me personally. It doesn't change anything
for me about what I'm doing here now. That's why I decided... And I'll actually do it now... I have decided I will no longer look
at anything to do with the race. I'll just cycle my route. I'll check my Instagram, But I won't look at
the Dotwatcher Report anymore. I won't look at
the leader board anymore. It wasn't my intention.
I didn't mean to cut it short or something. I just didn't know. And for me, it doesn't change anything. About what I do, how well I do it. It continues. Day six 289km 3137ma
Total 1529km 24104ma Shit. I dropped my contact lens
and now it's gone. That's unfortunate. I also wanted
to get up much earlier. But I just couldn't.
Three times I chose a later alarm. Actually, the plan was
not to ride in the sun for so long. But I will be riding around noon now,
because I just had to sleep. Descending from the peak I thought
about what I prefer, eating or sleeping? It's sleeping. When the alarm
went off for the first time today I thought, fuck the race.
I want to sleep all day. But then I slept
for another half hour and I was fine. So, I'll be riding today. There are still 420 kilometers left. That's something. I have a flat tire. I knew it. It had to happen. Shit. Away with you! I don't even remember
which way it goes, I'm too exhausted. Fuck off. Okay. Stay calm. Fuck. Shit. Fuck. This never happened before.
What do I do now? Let's continue. I'm really looking forward
to arriving in Nice later. I have no idea what it looks like. I have never been to Nice.
I don't really know how it will be there
or what awaits us at the finish line. As a finisher of the race, I mean. Or if there is anything at all. I dont know. But it's crazy just to arrive. Of course, I have
pictured this moment many times. Of how it will be. It's exciting. Okay. Let’s go. I took the wrong way. I can’t do it. Oh boy. Why?! I would like to know if anyone
is still on their bike at this point. 7 days, 1 hour and 17 minutes
Jana received a time penalty of 9 hours
for her unwanted shortcut.
She finished the Three Peaks Bike Race
as the third woman. Jana spends two more days in Nice
before going back to Innsbruck. On her bike.
