The Diasporal Alpen Challenge team
Our live blog for the BIKE Transalp 2024
A few days before the Start of the BIKE Transalp (start 14.7.24) we were able to speak to Mona and Philipp. How did the training go? How did it fit in with their studies? How did the accident happen? What do doctors say?
Strict training according to a plan is not generally acceptable
Philipp and Mona were satisfied with the training and the training plan from Stefanie Molnhauer (www.pro-formance.de). "I just enjoy it, it's a great balance to my studies and I don't really have any major problems balancing the two," reports Philipp. It was sometimes more difficult for Mona when the unit days were long.
Both agree that strict training according to a plan is not generally acceptable. Social life has to take a back seat and group rides rarely fit into the plan. "We really enjoy being out and about in a group," they say, but could only complete one or a maximum of two group sessions per week. It was easier to combine road bike sessions with a group ride than MTB training sessions. Most of the training rides therefore took place alone, often in pairs at the weekend. But that wasn't a bad thing.
After countless training sessions, the BIKE Transalp can come, it's time to put the training into practice in the competition.
Packing list for the BIKE Transalp
Between the stages, the Diasporal Alpen Challenge team will not be sleeping in hotels, but in a campervan provided by Sunlight. The question of who could drive the camper from the start to the finish of the stage was resolved within minutes, as both families shouted "here", expressing their interest in accompanying and supporting the duo on the BIKE Transalp. They will be travelling with two campers in total, so a spoon, salt or something else can be quickly passed from one hotel to the other on wheels and Mona and Philipp have one less thing to worry about.
For the seven stages, Mona and Philipp have brought the essentials for bike repairs and, of course, plenty of cycling gear. Particularly important for the summer of 2024: they are prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. They take as little as possible with them on the stages. Two bottles of drinks, three or four gels and one or two bars. A tube, cartridge, mini tool and chain lock are stowed in the bikes.
But now to the most important topic:
Hand broken
Well, it can happen that quickly. A training session on the Samerberg ended with a broken metacarpal. "It wasn't actually even a trail, but simply a gravel path with very, very loose gravel, where my front tyre slipped off. I went over the handlebars and landed stupidly on my hand," says Philipp, describing the accident. At first it was more my hip that hurt, then my hand at night. The decision was quickly made to drive straight home. Philipp's father is a trauma surgeon, so the examination and treatment went quickly. The doctors gave the green light for Philipp to cycle again just a few weeks later. Until then, training on the roller is the order of the day. He is worried about how painful vibrations and shocks will be. He is glad that his father will be there with his medical knowledge and expertise.
The injury welds us together
Philipp talks about how the injury has brought the Transalp team even closer together. And it shows the two of them once again that it's more about finishing each of the seven stages safely.
The two have now arrived in Ehrwald - the starting point of the BIKE Transalp - and are enjoying the tense anticipation of the stage race to Lake Garda. They are hoping for good weather, i.e. that the summer of 2024 will leave room for sunshine.
The challenge partner: Diasporal
Together with Magnesium-Diasporal, we, i.e. BIKE, are realising the Alpen Challenge. Magnesium-Diasporal is a brand of Protina Pharmazeutische GmbH. Protina develops, distributes and manufactures high-quality mineral preparations as medicines and food supplements.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
