Attersee to Vollererhof
The day’s stats at a glance:
- distance ~ 83 kms
- total ascent ~ 1266 metres
The first flogging was dished out by one Jose Sanchez, also known as the Smiling Assassin. The second flogging consisted of all the steep little hills at the end of the day, which might have been okay if Jose hadn’t given me a good thrashing in the first half of the ride. As it was, I really struggled up the last hill with only fumes left in the tank. It was actually a great day out and a great example of Pleasure and Pain! ????
Dianne and I waited for Jo and Jose with the idea that we’d enjoy some cruising and companionship, thinking that we would soon also be joined by Sharon. That plan worked okay for the first few kilometres – although Sharon had not yet appeared. But then Jose eased in front of Jo and a gap opened between him and Jo. I put on a bit of a push thinking that Jo would get onto my back wheel and bring Di with her.
Jose, however, had other ideas. He soon put the pedal to the metal and it was on for young and old. It appeared that the Silent Assassin had decided to have a bit of a workout. I struggled to stick to his back wheel but gamely persevered. He brought us close to a couple of fit young women who’d cruised past us when we were still meandering along with Jo and Di. As we got within about 300 metres of them a bit of a headwind sprang up and took the edge of Jose’s hot pursuit. I’d recovered a little on a bit of a downhill so I came to the front briefly and put all I could into bringing us a bit closer. Jose came around me again and the sporty lasses were almost within reach.He was gaining but not quickly. I pulled around him again and at my limit had just enough juice to bring us up to them. On a mission, Jose immediately came around again and I followed. We towed the ladies for about another five kilometres to a left turn onto the lakeshore and I was spent. Jose finally took pity on me and eased off the side of the road and I pulled in behind him and took my first photo of the day …
After a brief stop the pace was on again but this time I didn’t need to wait quite so long for Jose to take pity on me as he decided that this view was quite good too …
Meanwhile behind Jo and Di were doing the sensible thing. Here’s a photo that Jo took showing just how relaxed and enjoyable a start to the day they were having …
When Jose and I crossed from Attersee to Mondsee another nice view presented itself and my Chief Inquisitor decided another pause from the pressure was timely …
Meanwhile Jo and Di are just cruising because, of course, girls just wanna have fun …
We paused again when we got close to this impressive rock face …
I managed to hang on to Jose’s back wheel around the western and southern shores of Mondsee but when he started up the pinchy little hill between there and Wolfgangsee I dropped off like a lead balloon …
Mercifully, he eased back on the initial part of the descent to allow me to catch up and we cruised into coffee at Sankt Gilgen together.
At Sankt Gilgen we were treated to quite a spectacle. First we heard three loud blasts which sounded a bit like shotguns but much louder and more voluminous somehow. Our confusion was cleared away a few minutes later when a large procession came past the bäckerei where we were taking coffee, led by these gentlemen dressed in their traditional garb and lugging their fearsome-looking traditional weaponry …
Quite a substantial procession went past and then encircled around the pavilion in the small central platz for ceremonial proceedings. I took this photo from the upper floor of the bäckerei after visiting the facilities …
Knowing that there would be no way I could ride through the upcoming hills staying anywhere near Jose, I set off from Sankt Gilgen on my own. Mark, Tony and She Who Shall Remain Nameless had set off a few minutes before me. I thought that if I could catch them it would make the riding easier for all of us. With a lot of hard work the capture was made just before we were rolled down into the small town of Fuschl am See, where lo and behold another Corpus Chtristi Day parade was happening. I thought a group of girls and women of all different ages in their traditional dress was interesting so I took this photo …
I had been regretting not being more on the ball when the parade went past in Sankt Gilgen so I fumbled about with my phone until I was able to make this short video …
Once the parade had passed we continued on our way but within a kilometre I discovered my GPS device had frozen so I pulled over. After a bit of mucking about pressing buttons I decided to do a soft restart and luckily the course and all my data for the ride reappeared. The three riders I’d caught had by this time disappeared out of sight so I resumed riding on my own.
While I was pushing on solo, Di was riding with Jo and Sharon. Here’s an image of Di’s showing Jo pedalling away up a slight incline …
… and one of Sharon that took me back to last year’s Men’s World Road Racing Championships when reigning three-time world champion Peter Sagan was zigzagging across a bit of steep tarmac …
And here’s a photo of Sharon and David taking photos on a small dam we crossed …
By coffee at the 43 kilometre mark we’d done over half the total distance for the day but only about one-fifth of the climbing. This is what the profile looks like for the last part of the course …
Although we knew there was a sting in the tail for this day, it was encouraging to know it wasn’t all uphill to our hotel. I rode on after surmounting the high point of the day and was pleased to find myself arriving at the lunch stop at 64 kilometres just after the three who’d left me behind when my Garmin played up. Enrico had provided a beautiful spread …
… but I knew that if I put much in my stomach it would be most unhappy when I arrived at the tough finish less than an hour away so – after thanking Enrico for the great lunch he’d laid on and apologising profusely for not doing it justice – I had an energy bar, gulped a banana down, filled my bottle and jumped back on the bike.
A great bit of riding followed where the road wound its way alongside a narrow gorge and through a tunnel …
Just past the tunnel was a cafe and I had to stop to sit one classic machine alongside another …
After this twisty high section of road there was a very nice downhill and some flat riding before I had to encounter the last few hills to the hotel. Here’s a picture of some of that terrain showing the road switchbacking its way down a hill that’s steeper than it looks …
Before I knew it I was on the last couple of hills leading up to the hotel. And yes, there was a sting in the tail. The steepest bit of riding for the day came in the last kilometre. Here’s the previous profile but this time showing (from my Strava feed) the steepest section of road just 800 metres from the end …
Once I’d stowed my bike and checked in I was very happy to join Evan – who’d arrived almost an hour before me – on the terrace for a cool drink and a bit to eat. Here’s what the view looks like from the terrace …
Farewells, a happy birthday and a welcome
Enrico, who had been with the tour from Venice, was saying goodbye to go to work on another tour. He was a great guide and his language skills made interactions with hotel and restaurant staff work seamlessly. We were all sad to see him go. Hopefully we will bump into him again sometime. Enrico will be replaced by Bruno, a seasoned guide, great mechanic and wine connoisseur nonpareil. We look forward to tasting some classy wines under Bruno’s tutorship.
Mark, older brother to Francesca – both pictured below – was also about to leave us to return home to work and family.
Also leaving us at this juncture is Sam, who is returning home for a couple of weeks of R & R before rejoining us at the end of the tour. (No photo for you, Sam ’cause you’re coming back!) And we mustn’t forget the Electrified Ladies of New Zealand, who didn’t want their photos or names published on this blog. The dynamic of the tour will certainly change without the two of them powering effortlessly uphill past us with smiles on their faces while we labour over our handlebars with our tongues hanging out!
Meanwhile Francesca, who celebrated a birthday at this the midway point of our tour is rewarded by taking over the reins of the from Sam. Is it champagne all round tomorrow night Frannie?
Finally, it’s great to welcome Michael and Louise from Canberra/Sydney. They rode the first half of this tour last year and enjoyed it so much they’ve come back to do the last two weeks.