The Great Trial of Strength 1997

Trondheim - Oslo

The first riders who started late Friday evening.

Preparation

This year was a "annus horribilis" - everything that could go wrong (when it comes to cycling) went wrong. First, we had a very late spring. The first race in Trondheim had to be canceled due to snow on the roads. When the weather got good enough for cycling, my bike broke down. While changing to the smallest chainwheel, the chain popped off the chainwheel and something strange happened behind. The result was a broken replaceable dropout, a bent derailleur, bent chain, badly damaged spokes and a tiny hole in the frame. It took me 1 1/2 weeks before the bike was rideable again.

When the bike was rideable again, I had to attend to my own wedding. Even a hard bikeoholic have to make sacrifices. And only 1/2 week later I got sick. For almost three weeks I was unable to train. And when I got well enough to train again, about one week before the tour to Oslo, I had to attend to the "Eurofestival in Company Sport" here in Trondheim. So I got about one week with training, about 300 km riding before the tour. Not enough for a long tour like Trondheim - Oslo.

Since I already had payed the start fee in December last year, I desided that I would start but not finish. My goal was to get up to the mountain and, if the weather conditions was good and I still felt strong, continue a few miles down the Gubransdalen valley. My wife should take the car and meet me at the food station at Hjerkinn.

A different start

The weather forcast for the race was good, at least from the start. Nice and warm weather on the north side of the mountain, high chances for heavy rain showers closer to Oslo. But since I should not ride all the way down to Oslo, I was wearing a short team@internet jersey, cycling shorts, and gloves.

In the front bag I had food (white bread, bananas, chocolate, peanuts, jelly-men and sweet candies), sun lotion, money and a cellular phone. In my rear saddle bag I had a spare tires, tools and some extra clothes (which I was wearing while riding down to the start area). I had a camel bak with ice wather and two large bottles with lemonade. I was going to start at 08:00 am and I had to be at the start area at least 20 minutes before the start. My wife should take the car and drive after me later that day. Before she left she would call me on my phone.

I left home at 7:10 am on my bike heading downtown to the start area. On my way I saw the first group of riders. The first bikes was two recumbent "egg" bikes (I think it was one of these bikes that set a new record - a record the organizor will not accept as a new record). It did not take me much time to find some of the other team mates. This year our team was not the strongest. Three of our best rides join another team - they wanted to try to set a new personal record by riding with a stronger and faster team. Other riders have not been riding at all this year - they wanted to have a year off the bike (how do they survive?).

We started at 8:00 am and only a few seconds after the start I heared the sound of a puncture. I looked back and saw that it was not one from our team that got a flat. As usual the group of (up to) 80 riders split up into smaller groups right after the start. Soon after the start I noticed that some of my team mates was a few 100 meters ahead of me, so I pushed harder to reach them before the first climb. I felt strong and I did not have any problems with catching up with them. That was a good sign.

We found a good rythm and maintained a speed of 35 - 40 kmp on the flat sections. Some of the people I started with did not manage to maintain the speed, some lost us during the climb. With more than 30 people working in the pace line and no wind, I did not have any problem keeping up the speed. We caugth up with several groups of riders on our way up to the next climb.

After we passed the Soknedalen valley we began to get a nice tailwind. The speed on the flats increased to 40 - 45 kmp. Several riders did not manage to keep up the speed. Some of them got dropped while others remained at the end of the group. The rest of us had to work harder to maintain the speed. Soon before Berkåk I said to on of my team mates "What a good tailwind". I should not have said it, because soon after the wind changed direction and we got it from the front. The speed dropped, and I began to strugle more to keep up with the rest in the group.

Another problem I got soon before the Oppdal, was cramps. I began to get cramp in my right hip when looking back over my left shoulder. A very strange place to get it. I have never ever experienced cramps when riding, so this was a new experience. I guess the cause was the lack of training before this ride and that I was riding a bit too hard. I also had more pain in my neck than usually, so I decided to stop at the food station in Oppdal to get some massage.

All of my team mates (4 team mates) in my group stopped at Oppdal. One of them had big problems with his stomach. He could not eat anything, so he decided to stop at Oppdal. After all, he still had over 400 km left. I contacted the Red Cross and asked for massage. A young woman gave me a good massage on my hip and my neck. It felt like she know how to do it - it was very good. One thing I missed at the food station was Coke. Before I stopped, I dreamed about a cold Coke. The last time I remember they served Coke on this event must have been back in 1991. They had lemonade, sports dring, water and bananas (at least that is wat I saw). It seemed like the service at the (so called) food station was even worse this year than last year. If this continue, there will be only water at the food stations in year 2001!

15 minutes later I continued on my own. My team mates Leif Grimstvedt, Knut Mo and Ottar Rokkhaug had already left, while one did not want to continue anymore. It was hard to ride against the wind even down a slow descent. Even if the massage was good, the cramp got more and more annoying and painfull. When I noticed a large group of riders comming from behind, I slowed down and waited for them. When they had passed me, I increased the speed again and tried to follow them. But after a few minutes I began to get cramps in my legs and had to slow down a bit.

I also tried to look for my wife, but I assumed that she had passed me while I was at the food station at Oppdal. I thought about how it would be to do the climb up to the mountain with the cramps. The climb was more steep closer to the mountain, and I was already useing the 39x24 combination. From time to time I looked back to see if I could see our car.

Enough is enough

I had been riding 135 km when a car honked behind me. I looked back and I saw my wife. I waved with my hand when she passed me. Ahead of me was a large group of riders, and she was forced to drive behind them. I was not sure if she had understood that I wanted her to stop. After a few minutes she found a place to stop. And so did I - enough is enough.

I streched out for over 15 minutes to get rid of the worst cramps before I was able to change clotes. Every time I tried to lift up my foot, I got cramp in my leg. My wife had to help me with the socks and the shoes. I wondered how it would be to drive a car as long as I had problems with cramps, but it seems like the streching had helped enought for me to drive the car.

Knut and Ottar at Hjerkinn.
(Click on image to enlarge)

I wanted to take some pictures of the other riders, so we drove up to the mountain. We reached the Hjerkinn before Leif (picture of Leif at Hjerkinn), Knut and Ottar reached Hjerkinn. I took some picutres and spoke with them and it sounded like some of them was suffering. One said it this way: "My goal is reduced to finishing".

I hope that next year I will get more training than this year and that I can complete the tour to Oslo for the fifth time. Only time will tell if I will succeed.

Pictures from the tour

Ottar Rokhaug comming down to Dombås.

Image of Reidar
Reidar Nydal riding down the Grudbrandsalen valley late saturday evening. Note that Reidar is over 70 years old.

Image of starters
A few soldiers who rode on old millitary bikes using millitary uniforms, helmets and boots. I hope that they were allowed to wear a cycling shorts under the uniform...