Mazowiecki Gravel 2024!
15 June 2024. Race report.
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I started in my second Mazovian Gravel on 9:40 am on Saturday. Unlike a 250 km race of 2023, I chose the MG 120 format, as the distance is more proper for e-bikes (range!)
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Pictured: an extremely difficult pass under a railway bridge on the River Świder singletrack. (It was hard to visualize the level of difficulty in the pictures).
I was quite disappointed with the inclusion of "technical singletracks" into route plans for 120, 250, and 555 km races. The organizers had listened to my remarks after my March pre-ride, so they shortened and simplified that part. However, some 15 km of difficult and dangerous singletracks should not have happened at all. Rookies on the 120 km race got confronted with the terrain they were not used to ride. Riders in other formats had to ride that part at night, making it very dangerous; some riders experienced contusions. As for myself, my calf has been hurt by a traction-pin platform pedal (something that never happens on my rides). Enough to say: covering the 27 km from the start line to the end of singletracks took me as much as two hours and fifty minutes!
If I wanted to ride MTB, I would have joined the MTB (not Gravel) community!
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I was riding my e-bike slowly, and often had to get off the bike, walk or carry it. So I stopped for a rest by the 400 year old oak called Mazovian Bartek.
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A new, delicate gangway across River Mienia.
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Ha! That was fun! I had known I was expected to cross a River Mienia ford in Bykowizna. Riding, I yelled from a distance: 'Can you ride through the ford?!' to which the Lady Photographer yelled back 'Yes you can!', to which I rode into the water at high speed, roaring a patriotic song: 'See him riding his Chestnut mare, wearing a gray attire! Hey, hey, Commandante, my beloved leader!' I took this photo from the other bank, and you can see the photographer standing in water. Of course, my shoes and socks got soaked but the warm weather and WIND made my feet dry soon!
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The first pit-stop in Mińsk Mazowiecki. I had a delicious cake and a cup of coffee. It made my strength and good humour come back!
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And yes, friends. I actually hate riding the Mazovian version of "gravel cycling" but am fond of the camaraderie and good people in the community. We first met with Marcin on Graveloza group rides. This time, he brought his wife Wiktoria for racing together. Marcin has been an ultramarathon racer but his love towards his wife made him chose the shortest ride format, and riding rather slowly together with Wiktoria. (She rode an MTB for the race). As the couple left the pit-stop, I finished my coffee and started chasing them!
As the terrain had become a regular gravel and asphalt mix, I started racing! My Vado SL was like flying under these conditions! As I was passing one group after another, I was singing either patriotic songs or sea shanties to each group, changing the words to match the cycling
Like 'A Uhlan on a RACE (patrol), his SADDLE squishing his butt, and his shabby BIKE (horse) refusing to ride (walk)!'
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Steep objects never look that steep on photos! Well... What do we have the Walk Mode for?
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Pictured: White Vegetables Cream.
I should have bypassed the Czersk pit-stop to get a way better position in the race (half an hour can win you 40 places up or more!) but as an e-biker I would not be eligible to the final classification anyway. Seeing an attractive stand and two women waiting, I decided to try that stop. What happened next!
Meeting The Accident Witnesses Again!
One year ago, I had a bad crash on Mazovian Gravel race
north of Warsaw (the helmet saved my head!) Two cyclists witnessed my crash: 'A cyclist riding some 30 km/h rode onto a speed bump, crashed, and hit the curb with his head! As we approached him, he got up pretty quick, said he was OK, and restarted his ride! I have never seen something like that in my life! ALWAYS WEAR THE HELMET!' In fact, those two guys followed me to the point where my brother (who drove his car and was monitoring me on a GPS tracker) intercepted me, and ordered me to sit down on a bench. I suffered a mild concussion. After half an hour, I restarted the race and finished it.
Now, those two witnesses found themself
far south outside Warsaw and met me again in Czersk! Completely unbelievable!
The quality of the Czersk pit-stop
The friendliness, hospitality and care of the ladies serving the pit-stop were exceptional! The rider was welcomed with sweet cherries (still rare and expensive in the season). Then there were two kind of soup (meat or vegan), freshly pressed juice (tomato or sour cherry), cake, water, Red Bull... I can't remember what else. I was truly delighted, and expressed my awe and gratitude to those ladies!
I had a good luck!
I could see Wiktoria emerging from the steep climb up the Czersk Castle Hill on her MTB! I encouraged her loudly! As I was leaving the site, she asked me: 'Are you sure Stefan you took everything with you?' I reddened on my face and said 'A big thank you, Wiktoria!' I left my backpack with the race GPS tracker, a wallet and what else!
The finish line
I was slightly disappointed my arrival was missed this time, no welcome, no photo! Yes, I got my "finisher medal" from a little boy but spoke with the organizers only a while later, getting a bottle of "Finisher Beer". However, my brother Jacek and my friend Paul were still in the MG 250 race, so I decided to wait for them. I soon was met by Paul's wife Monika, so we waited together.
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My Welsh friend Paul, 3rd place Masters 250!
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Paul got his chest decorated, then fell to the ground! We thought he was about to die, so we rushed to help him! He was totally exhausted! (See his dirty legs: it should tell you something about the race difficulty!)
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My brother Jacek, 4th Masters 250 on his first race! He was just 2 minutes longer in the race than Paul! (43rd overall MG 250).
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Jacek (60) is the lover of the simple beer I think he valued the bottle of "Finisher Beer" more than the medal!
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Jacek met Peter at Graveloza rides and they took a liking to each other. This time, they formed a strong team together (MG 250 places 46th and 47th of 330 riders, of which 38 being Masters, or senior riders).
Late Return
We had excellent conditions for resting at Wawa Wake, the recreation area outside Warsaw. Food, drink, a bonfire, and we even got blankets when we rested in our loungers. We were waiting for the results and the decoration in the Masters 250 category as we were expecting Paul to get his medal. It became very late. Eventually, Jacek and I jumped onto our bikes and started pedalling vigorously towards Warsaw. We parted our ways in Wilanów, and I continued to the next Metro station. As I found myself in the City, I was confronted with a terrible fact: Neither the SKM or KM trains were operating at night! Ouch. However, I could recollect Warsaw Commuter Train WKD should operate past midnight! Rode to a WKD station and was lucky to catch the last train at 00:31!
Correction: I rode for 140 km (not 145) from leaving home to the returning.
@Chargeride: I had the actual charge of the batteries of 900 Wh, not too much as for fast 87 mile rides I guess?
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MG 120 and MG 250 routes. I was not interested with the MG555 race indeed