The brothers Sindre and Kjetil J. Olsen will, together with 9 friends, cycle the 465 km distance and the 9600 altitude meters from Garmisch-Partenkirchen (DE) to Riva del Garda (IT) in August 2010. Sindre received this challenge from his brother Kjetil at his wedding day with Guri August 29th 2009.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Some photos

Lunch on Gampenjoch / Passo delle Palade (1518 m) on stage 3
Break on Etschtalradweg to Merano on stage 2
Curves on to Stelvio (1)
Curves on to Stelvio (2)
Cycling among apple trees on Etschtalradweg on stage 2
Panoramic view of Kaltern from Passo Mendola on stage 2
Strada del Vino on the way to Mezzolombarda on stage 4
View to Molveno and Lago di Molveno on the way to Riva del Garda on stage 4

Saturday, August 14, 2010

sindre entertaining with handflute

Flesjaa maniac with his cc on Riva Bar

Winner of the yellow yersey has the word

Award winning support vehicle driver

Celebration dinner at the receptionist's favourite restaurant

50 km into today's stage

Waiting for the "garage boys" in Rovero della Luna

Breaking news: 6 bikes locked-in in a garage in Kaltern...

...and the owner of the garage is out of the city. The hotel has arranged for a locksmith to come, but we're in Italy and it's Saturday so God knows when he will come. We're crossing fingers for things to go quick.

A new day has begun

Stage 4 is up and coming. We're about to go ahead for the last out of 4 stages on our way to Riva del Garda. Today we have around 103 km and 2000 climbing meters to overcome.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Enjoying the stage celebration at Die Lustige Krokodille in Kalter n

Lots of Italian contributions to Eurovision song contest. Arne Per has signed up for the next song on karaoke - in Italian... Only 11 hours to the 4th and last stage of Olsen Challenge 2010.

Enjoying lunch on top of Gampenjoch

...after a wet and cold climb of 1250 meters up here. Descenting to Fondo soon to start the climb up to Mendelpass. Really hope we'll see some sun soon as the weather is slowing us down (at least in the descents)

Morning has broken (and so did the skies in the night)

Stage 3 is coming up in a couple of hours. Late start this morning as today's stage is only 70 km long and "only" 2000 meters of climbing. Shortly after departing Merano we'll start the 1200 m climb up to Gampenjoch before we descent down to where the Mendelpass starts. After the pass we descent down to Kaltern where we'll have a nice evening.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Cycling through Etschtal radweg...

...on the way to Merano. After 175 km, 2900 climbing meters and almost 13 gross hours on the bike we reached Merano. This has been a record breaking day for all of us!

Breaking news: Mario fell in a curve and broke his bike

Luckily he came from the accident without any injuries. He will now be taken to Meran to find a bike repair shop. The photo below shows the curves we were cycling through down from Stelvio.

Four first to the top

Stelvio. 9 of 11 on the top, and the remainers will come soon

Lunsjpause i Glorenza

Nå starter vi mot Stelvio

On the way to Reisschenpass. short pitstop

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Weather forecast was wrong

It said heavy rain from noon. Unfortunately it started from early morning and doesn't seem to stop... Today we have the longest and highest stage with 168 km and 3200 climbing meters. If we're able to we're going up to Passo della Stelvio on 2750 meters above sea. Temperature forecast for top of Stelvio is 5 degrees...

Photos from stage 1

Finally in Prutz

125 km and 2300 altitude meters of climbing we finally reached Prutz in Austria. Highlight of today wa clearly the Piller Hohe on 1575 meters above sea level. Exhausting climb up there, but the panoramic view made it worth it. Enjoying a beer at the hotel's terrasse before we'll endulge ourselves in some local cuisine in an hour or so.

Lunch

90 km and 1380 altitude meters after Garmisch-Partenkirchen we are having lunch in Arzl in Pitztal. If it was not for the crazy owner of the restaurant it would be just superb.

After 1000 alt meters the riders got spread

Breaking news: Tord with first flat

Klar til start

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Feiring av vellykket prolog

11 timer til etappe 1

Dagen for dagen ankom rytterne GP og kl 15.30 var alle samlet på Mercure Hotel. Etter klargjøring av syklene og omkledning så var det klar for prolog over til Østerrike. Etter 39 km med gjennomsnittsfart på nærmere 33 km/t så vi oss vel fornøyde med prologen og takket gladelig ja til en Weissbier i Partenkirchen sentrum.

I morgen starter vi med frokost kl 08.00 før vi kl 09.00 setter kurs mot Prutz i Østerrike. Vi er klare!!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Kun timer igjen

Klokken tikker ned mot Olsen Challenge 2010. Onsdag 11. august kl 09.00 starter den 113 km lange ferden fra Garmisch-Partenkirchen (DE) til Prutz (AT), høyst sannsynlig i regnvær. Får vi se snø over 1500 meter? Uansett, samtlige ryttere rapporteres å være i storform og klar til dyst.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Monsen tar med pasta

Monsen meldte i ettermiddag at han medbringer nøtter og pasta på OC2010.

Rittledelsen velger å stille to spørsmål ved valget; 1) tror Monsen at "norsk" pasta er bedre enn hva han finner i Italia (som vi kommer til relativt tidlig på andre etappen) og 2) hvordan skal han varme pastaen? Medbrakt primus kanskje?

Vi avventer svar fra Monsen på disse to sentrale spørsmålene.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

OC2010 glossary

Arrière du peloton: From French, literally the "rear of the peloton" (main group of riders).

Attack: To quickly accelerate while riding in a pack, or in smaller numbers, with a view to create a gap between yourself and other riders.

Autobus: A group of riders in a stage race (typically non-climbers and suffering domestiques) who ride together as a group on the mountain stages with the sole intention of finishing within the stage's time limit to allow them to start the next day. Also known by the Italian term gruppetto.

Á bloc: Riding or going "à bloc" means giving it all you've got, going all out, riding as hard as one possibly can (which can be dangerous for it leaves one in a state where recovery is needed, and therefore vulnerable to being attacked).

Blocking: Riders of one team who set a relatively slow tempo at the front of a group to control the speed, often to the advantage of one of their teammates who may be in a break.

Breakaway: Breakaway, or break in short, is when a small group of riders or an individual have successfully opened a gap ahead of the peloton.

Bridge: When a lone rider or smaller group of riders closes the space between them and the rider or group in front of them. This term is often used to describe when riders catch up with the main pack (or peloton) of riders or those who are leading the race.

Caravane: The team cars following behind the peloton in support of their racers.

Chicane: A sequence of tight turns, often s-shaped, usually most important near the finish of a road-race or during a criterium.

Counter attack: An attack that is made when a break has been caught by chasers or the peloton.

Crack: When a cyclist runs out of strength or energy, they are said to have cracked. Compare with hit the wall.

Descender: A cyclist who excels at fast descents, often using them to break away from a group, or bridge a gap.

Domestique: A rider whose job it is to support and work for other riders in their team (literally "servant" in French).

Drafting: To ride closely behind another rider to make maximum use of their slipstream, reducing wind resistance and effort required to ride at the same speed.

Fred: An unskilled racer with aspirations to appear more capable than they in fact are, usually through expensive/high-end gear. The female counterpart is a Wilma. Another commonly used definition is a person who has outdated or mis-matched gear, doesn't care about technology, fashion or racing, etc.

Half-wheeler: A rider that rides half a wheel in front of another on training rides and group rides. No matter how much the pursuer speeds up to keep up with him/her, s/he stays that distance ahead. Usually these people are frowned upon and less desirable to ride with.

Hors catégorie: The French term primarily used in cycle races (most notably, the Tour de France) to designate a climb that is "beyond categorization", an incredibly tough climb. Most climbs are designated from Category 1 (hardest) to Category 4 (easiest), based on both steepness and length. A climb that is harder than Category 1 is designated as hors catégorie.

Jump: To aggressively increase speed without warning, hopefully creating a substantial advantage over your opponents. Also (more usually) denoting an attempt to bridge a gap from the peloton or gruppetto to a breakaway. For example: "he is trying to jump across".

Lanterne rouge: French for "red lantern", as found at the end of a railway train, and the name given to the rider placed last in a race.

Leech: A rider in a small group who does not share some of the workload by riding in the front where wind resistance is greatest, but instead conserves their energy by riding in the slipstream of one of the other riders. By analogy with leech an animal which feeds on the blood of other animals.

On the rivet: Describes a rider who is riding at maximum speed. When riding at maximum power output, a road racer often perches on the front tip of the saddle (seat), where the shell of an old-style leather saddle would be attached to the saddle frame with a rivet.

On your wheel: Phrase describing the condition of being very close to the rear wheel of the rider ahead of you. Used to inform the rider that you have positioned yourself in their slipstream for optimum drafting. For example: "I'm on your wheel".

Paceline: Group of riders riding at high speed by drafting one another. Riders will take turns at the front to break the wind, then rotate to the back of the line to rest in the draft. Larger group rides will often form double pacelines with two columns of riders. Sometimes referred to as "bit and bit".

Palmarès: A list of races a rider has won. (French, meaning list of achievements or list of winners).

Prologue: A short individual time trial before a stage race, used to determine which rider wears the leader's jersey on the first stage.

Pull: To take the lead on a paceline or echelon.

Queen stage: The most difficult stage of a multi-day road race, typically involving multiple low- or beyond-category climbs.

SAG wagon: Support motor vehicle following long races or recreational rides to pick up riders unable to complete the event. See also: food stop and SAG station. In racing events, typically the main group of riders will ride as a peloton and can be served by one or more SAG wagons trailing behind. In large recreational rides, there may be thousands of riders spread over much of the course, so ride organizers may employ roving SAG wagons to locate and assist stranded riders. In bicycle racing, another term for SAG wagon is broom wagon.

Sit-on and sit-in: To ride behind another rider without taking a turn on the front (thus tiring the lead rider), often in preparation for an attack or sprint finish. "Sitting in the wheels" is to take an easy ride drafted by the peloton or gruppetto. Often a strategic decision to save energy in 21 day stage race.

Soigneur: A non-riding member of a team whose role is to provide support for the riders, possibly including transportation and organization of supplies, preparation of the team's food, post-ride massages and personal encouragement.

Tête de la course: From French, literally "head of the race" - the leading cyclist or group of cyclists, when separated from (in front of) the peloton.

Wheelsucker: A rider who sits on the rear wheel of others in a group or on another rider, enjoying the draft but not working.

Robert posisjonerer seg i tête de la course med Fulcrum Racing 1

Rittledelsen gjennomførte i formiddag et kort intervju med Robert Lindberg om hans forberedelser og forventninger til Olsen Challenge 2010. Roberte hadde følgende å si:


Etter en god våroppkjøring har sommeren blitt brukt til å hvile seg i form. Dette har resultert i en noe høyere matchvekt og jeg har derfor måtte kjøpe et nytt hjulsett som takler mer vekt. Med Fulcrom Racing 1 kan jeg i alle fall ikke skylde på rullemotstanden opp bakkene.

Den siste uka har blitt brukt godt for å finne tilbake til storformen og jeg ligger nå helt i rute til å prikke formtoppen til dag 2 i Olsen Challenge :-). Gleder meg stort – selv om jeg egentlig ikke har peiling på hva som venter...

See you on top!

Stigningskart for Stilfser / Stelvio

Ole-Johnny har vært så oppmerksom å finne frem et stigningskart for Passo Stelvio / Stilfser Joch. Som man kan se så starter det rolig med stigning på ca 5,5% gjennomsnitt før det øker på opp mot hele 9,2%.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Monsens forventninger til OC2010

Forventningene er vel at dette blir en flott tur, men tror desverre jeg er svakest i feltet. For lite grunntrening, og for få mil på sykkelen. Turen nå nylig til Trollstigen var positiv. Dette blir bra!!

Utfyllende presentasjon av Mario

Som nevnt tidligere e navnet mario euskady castexs. Eg e då ikkje brannsupporter. Eg e 78 modell og dermed eldre enn de eg traff i militæret.

Utdannet kokk og pedagog og for tiden mellom jobber, noe som gir meg muligheten til å hoppe på dette eventyret med en dags varsel.

Eg e sammen med min kjæreste trine, gjennom (av /på) 7-8 år. Vi bor sammen med våre 4 planter i bergen. Trine e forøverig fra østlandet/trøndelag.

I treningssammenheng e eg tidligere fotballspiller på *^*&%¤nivå. Har ellers holdt meg aktiv siden den tid med mosjonering av typen joggesko og sykkel, typen racer, samt helsestudio. I senere tid begynte eg litt med klatring, selv om dette e en egenskap som ikkje vil være karaktariserende for mine sykkelkjøringsevner. Eg e ikkje kjent som noen stor syklist, men som en som kan holde et jevnt tempo lenge, og vil slite i en spurt fremover og oppover. Nedover derimot e eg fryktløs.

Eg har ikkje noe utpreget konkurranseinnstinkt, men eg vil stort sett gi alt det har. Til denne turen kjenner eg ikkje til formen og kvaliteten til noen av de andre syklistene, så d blir litt føle frem den første dagen og komme meg helskinnet i mål.

Eg har som sagt en everest 105 til 5999. Den ble kjøpt i høst og ble brukt til og fra jobb når været tillot det. bor tross alt i bergen. Har ellers holdt meg gående med jogging. Sykkeltreningen har eg måtte gjennomføre aleine, så hvor god formen og grunnlaget e e uvisst.

Eg vil gjerne benytte anledningen til å ydmykt vise takknemlighet ovenfor rittledelsen som gir meg denne fantastiske muligheten til å få denne opplevelsen.

Rittledelsen ønsker Mario velkommen som deltaker i Olsen Challenge 2010

Fyldig oppdatering fra Flesjaa


 Kristian Flesjaa kom med følgende uttalelse om hans formkurve og forventninger til OC 2010:

"Grugleder meg:) Formen er bedre enn for et år siden.."

SuperMario joiner OC2010

I siste liten valgte bergenseren og Brann-supporteren (tenke seg det) Mario Euskady Castexs å melde seg på Olsen Challenge 2010. Mario tjenestegjorde sammen med Sindre og Tord i Garden noen år tilbake og er vant til å ta en støyt når det måtte behøves. Mer informasjon følger.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Stilfser Joch (Stelvio Pass) inkluderes i etappe 2

Etter å ha vurdert formen til deltakerne på Olsen Challenge 2010 dithen at de fleste synes å være på en formtopp så har rittledelsen lagt om ruten på etappe 2 til å inkludere Stilfser Joch.

Stilfser Joch, også kjent som Passo dello Stelvio, er en kjent klassiker for alle alpesyklister. Det velrennomerte tyske sykkelmagasinet Roadbike kåret i sin augustutgave i 2010 Stilfser Joch til alpenes vakreste og mest utfordrende pass å forsere. Ikke så rart med tanke på at passet byr på  48 hårnålsvinger, 1808 meter klatring og 7,4% gjennomsnittlig stigning opp til toppen på 2 757 meter over havet.

Vi gleder oss!