1/2 way point in the year

I am a little numb... the past three months have been a flurry of activities and a blur of events (some if not all great ones), a quick trip to the US (as seen in digital imagery in my last post), our first fahrtechnik training in Pfronten/ Alps, and this past weekend our rival of a classic XC race in the small corner of Hochspeyer.

Our trip to the US was sparked by a request to help out a budding local roaster in Telluride, Tomboy Coffee Roasters. RC was one of the original roasters for the fabled brand Stumptown, and he continues to turn out some of the best beans I have had. We also spent some time visiting our good friends Mike and Soph (who graciously turned me on to Eastbound and Down, thanks to record on demand I caught all six episodes in three sidesplitting sittings). Mike also had a dinner one evening for a local magazine who will be featuring his home in Rico and a little on his catering business. It was an evening of good food, lots of laughs and a variety of spirits. Gunni was also on our itinerary this time around, we stayed with Dan and Cathy while trying to catch up with others and I was cut off premature in a mtb ride when some black clouds unleashed a spectacular showing of lightening follow by a downpour. Some fresh coffee the next morning at Mochas and getting zinged by Jerry (a local lifestyler that happens to be married to the proprietor), and we were off to Denver to have a short visit with my parents before flying back to the fatherland.

Back in Germany, I spent the following week reconning trails and a parcours for our riding technique class. We found a sweet hotel to work with down in Pfronten and I found some good singletrails, but still have a lot more riding to do before I can honestly say i know my way around. It is a tough job but someone has to do it...

This past weekend we organized our first mountainbike race. My cyclocross influence came through as we put together a power course with some sharp climbs, techy descents and fast fire roads. We spent a week pushing in some new singletrack , and what I think is a course with good fluidity and pace. Riders raved about the course, some not so much...but the feedback was 90% positive on the course. We have some dialing to do on the organization side, but all in all it was a great event that left all involved stoked on the sport. I even met an old racing buddy, Wolfgang who was still riding his Yo Eddy, still speced out exactly the way it was when I last saw it, not too mention it was super clean and pretty.

Today it is back to Fuessen and life on the land in Bayern...

Martin Schmidt = Sieger des Elite Rennens
Wolfgang charging his YoEddy down the fresh singletrack
Our brutal short steep climb on the backside of the course