Ultracycling

And it continues:

I think he helps to stage the race after the race management's interest and drives its commercial errand. He gets angry and gets up. I continue in my rhythm. I feel strong but also sad. Not over my exchange with Pierre, but I've invested so much in a run, which to me is a huge disappointment. As time goes by, the strength disappears and sadness fills more and more. I am disillusioned and the meaninglessness becomes slowly overriding. The same does it on the rest of the team.

Before the final decision to stop during the race, we discussed it thoroughly in our little tremand team. We had previously considered For the same reasons, for example, when two riders with a media car's help in the 9th stage caused an outburst and ended up reaching a goal almost an hour before Pierre and I. With the incident on this 12th stage, the cup was overflowing. It was all through a hard physical race, of course, of course, I turned back on myself again and again. Nevertheless, it was frustration and mental stress to be included in an event where the sporting aspect was overridden for commercial interests that fought the most. I did not feel anymore, with dignity I could stand as a finisher in a race that so contradictory represented the values ​​that I think are important for sports; Fairness and equality. Likewise, I did not think I would invite my sponsors to be associated with an event that does not represent the values ​​they represent.

Total summaries made a number of conditions difficult to be over. A Russian rider as a favorite in a Russian race with a Russian organization proved like a bad cocktail. And saw the fact that the three remaining riders in the remaining field were sponsored by the same sponsor, Hilton hotels, which also accounted for a huge sponsorship for the race. And in addition to the fact that Pierre Bischoff was drawn as a full-length drawstring with the same sponsor in the back. It has been difficult that many riders should provide under these conditions.

And what does it tell me about the race? Participants and organizers. Compared to the riders who repeatedly interfered with the rules, I am anxious. Because there is a weak running management, you do not have to take advantage of this. Am I mad at Pierre? No, neither. In fact, I consider him a close friend. He fulfilled a role of earning the run as best as possible. He played a game, a game I was not prepared for and I was not willing to join. After the race, I have been called "naive" by the team responsible; That I should have known that such an event would occur as it did. Firstly, I see the opinion as an admission; That the running board has compromised a fair run of the race to weigh the part. To me it is of the utmost importance that a race is conducted sportally correctly and not with commercial or commercial interests as the primary. And then I am aware that there is a difference between the spirit of sport (fairness, equality, etc.) and the creativity of sport (you are governed by the rules wherever you can), but the responsibility of each race management and management must be at all times possible To maintain the conditions for fair settlement. It did not happen. Either the blind eye turned or the weight of the race was weighted outwards.

Two events after the race have meant a lot to me. Suddenly, they involved the same man; A key person from film production. During the course of the race, I have had a strained relationship with him, as I mentioned, that the media goes too close to the riders and compromises security and pushes them unnecessarily hard mentally.

As I at one time drive myself and am most frustrated, a media car comes up on my side for an interview. In the car, this person and movies are sitting me while an interviewer asks me questions. I honestly say I do not like the race and the concept about it that it's not a clean run and that it's all too staged. After not saying anything but just filmed, the person finally puts the camera off, looking up at me with a crooked compassionate smile and saying, "I think you're right, Peter. This is not a real race. This is a media race ". Compassion was strange, the confirmation was not.

Later that evening, Mads talked out of my team with the person again. He comes to Mads and asks if I'm okay. Mads replies, that's me, but I'm out of the race. The person answers: "It's a pity, he was a real racer - the only one here". The statement is not to be understood as being the only "pure" breed, but that I was the only one who was back in the race, who was not there for commercial reasons. And that comment is worth me more than a third place in a race whose values ​​I do not want to represent.

I talked to Pierre later. We did not agree with what best serves a competition like this one; His commercially oriented approach or my more "clean race" approach. However, it does not change that I still think he's a good guy, a friend and a great cyclist, definitely one of the best I've ever driven. But in this case he might be just professional enough to my taste ...

It has been very difficult for me to write this update. I'm still anxious, but I'm not bitter, and so I do not want to sound like that. I understand that RBTSE is a different event and a different bicycle race than I would normally participate in. That way, it can be said that there has simply been a bad match between what the race stands for and what I want To stand for. However, it has still been a great experience to participate in the course. Among the annoying experiences, I have also had many good. I always go to see new places and meet new people. I have seen a new continent, but most importantly I have met a lot of exciting and weird people, Russians as well as other foreigners. I will always take that as a great experience.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all who have supported me. It has meant the alien to me and the team. Also, thank you very much to the sponsors. Sometimes things do not go as expected. But it may also be in the cases you learn the most. I could write a lot about it, but it must be another good time.