And so it was time Karolinertrampet, my 3rd 'långlopp' of 2013 up in Dals Rostock. I have been having trouble with my stupid neighbours again. Seriously, starting to drink on the patio at 00.30 is not okay in anyway way. So when I woke up on Saturday it was clear that I would need to spend the night at Kroppefjäll Hotel right next to the track if I would have any hope of arriving in a rested state. So my tjuvträning was punished by mosquito bites and I kind of got lost on at the last part of the lap and ended up back in the middle again. My general lack of energy was also a problem.

This race is 3 laps around a 10km track which has basically everything you would hope for in an MTB course. Last year when I did this race I had a complete energy collapse on Lap 3 because I got the idea that this distance should be a sprint. But my practice laps made me realize that this is anything but easy. The first part was all singletrack and then when you do get a break the uphills start. There are 3 significant climbs in the second part of the lap so that means conquering it 9 times. And the sections in between were also hilly.

I chose the 2nd start line just to get a good shot at maintaining some sort of position. Of course it went quick and the little hill after the start kind of stopped the group. So I did manage to pass a few but was also passed once it sloped downward. The pace in the group I was in was not super high so I was kind of wondering what was happening and made a few more passes just so I would not get stuck in a slow group. And then came the singletrack which I did at a constant yet slow pace no matter who wanted to pass. Being consistent at these sections was my race plan, especially since the track was muddy and slippery. Over in the second part of the lap the hills were already a challenge and I had a steady position in the field.

For Lap 2 I had someone from Uddevalla CK in my sight and was trying not to lose time. There was also someone just behind me who didn't seem to be so keen on passing. Last year I also had a shadow like this. There was one part of the trail where this little tree seemed to have this unimaginable attractive force because on both Lap 2 and 3 I fell in precisely the same spot at that tree. It was amazing because other parts of the trail were much more probably in terms of fall risk. But, no, that tree had something. And that fall led to getting passed both times. Actually the 2nd lap was one of those 'why am I doing MTB anyway???' kind of laps. 

So by Lap 3 I was thinking that my plan would be just to maintain my current position and I was lucky to pass several who had flat tires. I could just see the guy in front but the gap was too large. Behind me was quiet but my slow pace on the singletrack and falling at that tree meant that I was passed again. But on the section after that with the grusväg that sloped up I could see the guy who just passed me start rubbing his leg so I knew it was attack time. That was massive and successful and suddenly I was on fire and glad to be riding my MTB again. At the toughest of the 3 hills I passed a couple people who were walking up and but I lost one more position (someone else with a strong finish) at the muddy section after that. But by the last hill I was all in and it was only then I could feel an energy crash. So I saved that crash until I crossed the finish line.

This was good for a 37th position overall and a time of 1:54:11 which is definitely good in a group of 63 cyclists. The times were 6 minutes slower than last year so I basically kept consistent despite having a completely different race plan and feeling. Strange.


This race is really a hidden gem in that grey area between XC and marathon and I do like the 30km distance even if my performance doesn't necessarily show it. And the proper lunch at Kroppefjäll Hotel after made this a superb value for only 200kr!

As you can see I have been putting zero priority on writing here and 100% on actual training. And that led me to a fine time of just over 3 hours in Dalsland X-Country which gives me startled 15 in Grenserittet halfway through the field. So this season is going well.

But now for the real test of my Allebike Ipsum 26. The very first MTB race I did was Långa Lugnet the year it was in the World Cup. I had a Peak hybrid and no clue what it would be like nor any skill at all. After the first loop of 40km DNF was the only sane choice. Shortly after that I bought my Trek which was actually heavier than the Peak but still an actual MTB. It was 2008 when I tried Långa Lugnet again and I believe it was one year after Öijer's legend...wait for it...dary hopelessly difficult course. It wasn't much easier then and I was like 2nd last. The only one behind me was an american who was way back. I was even in contact with the motorcycle the follows at the back of the pack to check on everyone. But I finished the 65km in a truly pathetic 4:43:54.

So yesterday it was time again for Nya Långa Lugnet 61 km which was advertised as an easier variant on the past. Nja, not much easier if easier at all. This was part of Falun's new Scandinavian Outdoor Games which is a great concept. On Saturday I was in an MTB clinic on how to save time on långlopp races and Lars Bleckur guided us through some of the track with some tips here and there. We ended with the red downhill and everyone else in the group looked at me with my 26er and was shocked when I flew down the track full of confidence. What a freakin bike! So much better than my old one!

It was time for start and I was in HSport which is a silly class really but it got me just in front of the HMotion group. The start went around Lugnet and over to the first hill which is not exactly Mörksuggan like but it had many people stuck already. What the hell? It was a little speed bump compared to what was coming later. So the lefthand side and floated my way passed probably 50 or even more cyclists. The problem was I think I lost many of those positions shortly after that when the road turned to a very dusty gravel downhill and I couldn't see anything at all. The first loop went pretty fast but was also quite boring with all that grusväg. So I think that is how they made the race 'easier'. But I went out hard and would pay for that later on.

Back towards Lugnet there was an uphill singletrack I had seen before and it was a great one. There was also one point where someone was directing people to the left and there were all kinds of cyclists off their bikes. Öijer called this punkasten. So then it was down Mördarebacken on that useless slalom grusväg where I had zero grip and was basically stopped. I would see this one more time later. Then down to the ski stadium for a refill and a little drink of Squeezy gel.

Loop 2 was out towards north and was the shortest in actual distance plus I had already seen the first half the day before. But this is when it got pretty hilly and Falun hilly is even worse than Partille hilly once it gets going. Things were going well with the grusväg and the 26er but also during the 2nd loop the singletrack became longer and longer. There was one stretch that was like 2-3km and seriously tough. It was cracking me ever so slowly because this was what they call Dalateknisk with a lot of stones, roots and, in my case, off pist because I kept missing corners. So I was more than happy to finally roll down for the second and last food stop down at the ski stadium. I drank a lot of Squeezy gel this time but I left some just in case.

Loop 3 started with Lugnets blå/röd and a little sidetrack before the superb little hand-built trail which I had done twice the day before. Seriously it is wonderful! But after that it got serious and I remembered 2008. They called it VM-1993 spår and it is a nightmare of hills. Now...enter Allebike Ipsum 26...and Mr. Iskallt from Göteborgs CK. I don't think I made any friends at this point. Every single uphill I was passing people who were seriously dropping like flies in the last 15km. But I was getting even more iskall because, for once, I had no sign of leg cramp at all! There was one from Eskilstuna I was battling with for awhile because he was faster downhill but eventually he let me pass and gave up and I beat him by 6 minutes. There was also another group I had been with for awhile there and it was the same thing...I kept on going and left them behind. Now I was more confident on the singletracks so I kept my position fairly well give or take a couple. Then there was a sign saying '3 more hills to go' and I went mad and was even shifting down before I reached the top. After that was their other handbuilt trail which would have felt better if I hadn't already done the rest. So my upper body was dying and I felt the first sign of cramp. There was two på rulle and I knew what was coming so in an insane move I shifted down and attacked when we hit the grusväg and sprinted away as well as I could to get some space because I knew the slippery Mördarebacken was coming. This time it was okay and I flew down towards the stadium to go over their newly-built ski corner where one guy managed to get up the hill quick, I was useless and another was seriously high on adrenaline and actually fell off trying to miss me. =) So anyway I outsprinted him because he didn't even try and I could finish in grand style.

This 61km took 3:37:47 which is a whopping 1 hour faster than 2008 and yet I feel like I could do even better. If I had been in HMotion that would have placed me 149th of 223 which is a clear improvement.

The question remains how did this work when basically everyone else had 29er and were floating along downhill and on the singletracks??? Well, the time I lost going downhill I could make up when it became flat again. I proved this over and over. On the singletracks I could not do so much but it went way better than on my old bike. But I can slow people down here. So that leaves uphill. The time the 29ers were losing uphill was far more than what they won going down. I don't get it...but I like the result!

Thanks to my stupid neighbours I didn't really have all that much sleep on Tuesday. But I was determined to get up early on Wednesday anyway to drive to Kvänum for 1:a Majloppet. Yes, it was time for my race premiere of 2013 and also the first race for my new Allebike Ipsum 26. Because I have the cheap licence and am generally chicken at XC I started in HSport and was far from winning this 'beginners' class as usual. But my goal was to get some kind of training before Dalsland X-Country on Saturday.

I had the worst possible start and could not get my shoe into the pedal at all and once I did it was extremely crowded and I couldn't get any space anyway. So I was last and the pace was already high. By the end of the start loop I was down on the grass where the GCK cheering section was waiting and I could do my first massive acceleration and close the gap to nothing by the time the singletrack started. In fact I kind of didn't brake that much and pretty much ran into the guy who really slowed down.

The pace was still higher than I am use to and all of the roots were on an angle so during my test laps I was sliding on everything. This first lap was not much better but by concentrating and staying on the bike I was able to pass 4 people in this first part and at the nasty wet rock hills. I passed a fifth in the mud after that section in a beautiful acceleration moment which was perhaps kind of mean. But it worked. And then the rest of the lap which is MTB perfection in every way.

Sadly enough on the second lap I was passed by F13-14 riders that started 2 minutes after and getting out of their way did cost some time which is a shame because I was almost caught up to the guy in front. I must have passed others here but there were DNFs and people standing around all over. Towards the end of the lap the fastest 3 in P13-14 wanted to pass and in a sneaky move I took that chance to slip by a guy in front. But I think he returned the favour on the last lap when I messed up on the rock hill and had to walk a bit and someone passed on the section after. So it was attack time and I was keeping up okay except that he was from Kvänums IF and knew the course very very well. I was in good position but in the very last uphill before the grass he was better and my sprint became fairly useless but spectacular as always.

So, a hardtail 26" is not at all appropriate for this race but it was so much better than my old one. On these perfect trails it was a dream. See you in Bengtsfors for the race that this bike is perfect for...

Well, this is the week I make my tävlingspremiär with my first race in HSport in Kvänum on Wednesday and then it is time for 60km of fun for Dalsland X-Country on Saturday. The first race is mostly just to get some kind of feel for XC and I can only race in HSport with baslicens so it will be the easier course. Good good.

To prepare for DXC I decided for a longer trip today with more typical långlopp things like grusväg and a pile of hills with a few rideable singletrack along the way. And my 47km of pure hell was certainly the best option for this. Ouch. Today was a combination of two of my usual routes from last summer and it had 10 proper nasty hills. I only remember a couple of nasty hills in DXC so this was overkill.

I went over to Jonsered and then up into the part with what is currently the best trail I have been on this year. I thought it would be muddy but it was superb! This cuts over to those logging 'roads' above Aspen which go back and forth essentially up and down the same hill. And those downhills are still full of large rocks and scary as hell. So after that adventure you end up right down at the shore of Aspen and can ride around the waterfront walk and enjoy the sun before ending up at the road back to Partille where all the LVG people are. Actually that is the worst road to choose because if you turn left just after Aspen station and head up a true monster of a hill you end up at a perfect idyllic little road that ends up at the top of the hill above Jonseredkyrka, another fine hill.

From there I went up to Knipavägen which was a bitch of a wet sandy grusväg that had my legs burning quickly. I missed a turn and ended up all the way at the end and then turned back to check another traktorväg which was actually shite and I won't be doing that one again. But that got me back up to Tahult in Landvetter for yet another massive hill back up to Kåsjön. Then I ended with a nice little downhill back to home. So this was basically a whole långlopp on one serving of sportgryn, 750ml of water and a 100g Maxim gel. Imagine how much better it will be when I prepare properly...

As you can see I haven't exactly been ending every training pass with a blog entry and that is probably a good thing because they are mostly the same. Since picking up my Allebike Ipsum 26 I have been adjusting and perfecting what I now see is an absolute masterpiece of a bike! My first full carbon frame works just perfect with Sid and it is actually front heavy which keeps the wheel on the ground going uphill. I am just flying up the Kåsjön hill and I have about 7 easy gears I haven't even needed yet. A slightly smaller frame is precisely what I needed to regain confidence in the technical parts of the forest and I have already tried trails I would never have dared on my old bike. More on that later...

This is the 3rd weekend in a row now where I have had a tough and quite mixed pass on both days. And I should be able to add in a Tuesday training with GCK or the Göteborgsserien races which start up soon also. Dalsland X-Country is two weeks away so I am doing what I can to get in some kind of form.

The terrain is pretty muddy now and I was looking into the course for GöteborgsGirot MTB. I wasn't entirely thrilled to mind my lovely Puketorp trail there and today it was certainly full of tire tracks from the 100 cyclists that tested the track last weekend. I had already been out on Saturday so I didn't feel like it Sunday also. I like the idea of a race in my backyard and I am giving it a chance. But after the grusväg that heads south towards the golfcourse the trail heads off towards Ugglemossen which is a serious mess. The mud today was horrible and even without mud this is a tough trail. And I think it is brave of me to even try this trail with a 26" hardtail, tires from last year that are worn out, a shorter travel length on Sid and tires that are only 2.2" wide. The last part means I can't ride on any of the wooden bridge sections which I personally think are wrong for a race. In fact I thought I was on the wrong trail because it is marked with IFK colours and GAIS is behind this race.

GöteborgsGirot will be a long XC race, not a marathon. That distinction has to be clear. From what I have seen there will be many people walking and it will be wet and frustrating. Which is fine if you like XC. But this is no motionslopp in any way. If they want something more like a marathon they should be up in the Partille/Landvetter forest part and over into Lerum if needed. No cars...no problems. So as much as I would really like to support this race I am going to have to choose Billingeracet the day before up in Skövde which, actually, is cheaper and 75km instead. That race has some great trails that are in fact possible. And I bought this particular bike just so I could race on a course like Billingen or Mörksuggan.

Well sometimes it pays to just send an email and ask a question. Because I have been wondering whether I should risk svarttävling fines and all that kind of thing. So I emailed those at Dalsland X-Country to ask if they were purposely running this without SCF-sanctions because it would scare away all the Elite riders.

The answer was not surprising. Föreningen DalslandsTurism is, in fact, a member of SCF and they had started the process of getting the race approved but it got stuck along the way. Which I am not at all surprised about now that I have inside info on how things work in this lovely organization. So anyway after a few days the deal was done and now Dalsland X-Country is in SCF's calendar and officially approved. It was always seedningslopp for Grenserittet and now even for CykelVasan. So there is no excuses...4 maj it is time to visit Bengtsfors again!

I have actually sent one of these emails before the first year Hammarby Hill XC was run. It was the same answer then. And from my experience now at Göteborgs Cykelförbund there is a real problem with communication between the clubs and SCF. Actually even the local clubs in Göteborg completely ignore when GCF sends emails. We are trying here. And we are not spending 250000kr on a website either. So just because the CF part is the same we don't have to act like SCF. Give us a bit of a chance to help. We are certainly not standing in the way of the process. Changes are happening at www.göteborgcykel.se

And so it was finally time. On Wednesday I was up at Allebike to pick up my new frame because I had problems with getting Sid on properly and was too lazy to deal with gear adjustments. And so also Wednesday was the big premiere ride of my lovely carbon Ipsum frame.

It is a 26er (if that is a term) because I wanted to go back to basics after the problems with my last frame and the size. I need a smaller frame in order to have confidence technically in the forest. I have never been one to just ride over everything so I need a bike that responds quickly when I steer and flies when I make my attacks on hills. And I have been told that this same frame will work fine for 650b/27.5er wheels so I can work with it if I need to.

Of course I know I should be covering this post with pictures but that time will come soon. The first ride felt like most first MTB rides of the year...extremely jobbigt. This is also because I need to make fine adjustments to the seat height and everything but it is clear that my body is more adapted to my CX at the moment.

I was up on my favourite trail in Puketorp which was unusually dry but just as fun and challenging. Things are looking very good so far. On the old bike it was Sid and the front end that was light so there was always a risk for spectacular crashes from lifting too much. But now it is actually Sid that is heavy and the back end is light...completely different feeling and stability.

2013 will be a fast year my friends...

I think most underestimate the effects of having a blog on Blogger which is part of Google. So for example if I were to decide to write 'Projekt Svensk Cykel' in every inlägg a Google search for 'Projekt Svensk Cykel' would lead to this site first before the actual Projekt Svensk Cykel which SCF has been planning for years and which will eventually get it's own website. And the fact that I have written it already 3 times here is enough to influence the searches. It doesn't take much.

Most of the search engine visits to this website are from people that google 'Ridley X-Ride' because I am constantly talking about my brilliant cross bike here. So in my next inlägg I thought I would help out SCF for a change and talk about this baslicens för motionär that SCF doesn't seem to be promoting at all but would be a serious help for the sport if anyone did find it.

It will be a permanent link up to the right here and a helpful way to help people find the right direction and enjoy their cycling. And it won't cost 250000kr to develop the idea...

I will admit that I did have a slight thought of skadeglädje when I volunteered to represent Göteborgs CK at SCFs annual meeting. Things haven't exactly gone smoothly during 2012. But also it gives a good idea of how things work and how change could happen. Or maybe change is the wrong word.

The meeting really was full of gubbar and from what I could tell the meeting was going on in precisely the same way it always does. The whole left side of the room voted one way and the right side the other. For those of you that read the list of official motions there were many very relevant points which I have brought up so many times here...silly licence rules, loss of motionär at larger races and so on...all proposed by Dalarnas CF and all shot down. This was worse than a Kafka novel.

A lot of things were said about this mysterious 'Svensk Cykel' and the part that annoyed me the most was that the meeting approved budgeting 250000kr to developing a new website and forum for promoting cycling. Not only will this give money to a company run by one of the newly re-elected styrelse members but it is completely pointless. No matter how much they put into a website it is us the cyclists that will give a view to Svensk cykel. I would bet that Öijer has done way more for cycling online than most others. And CX Sweden didn't cost 250000kr to develop and it is a superb forum for CX. They know nothing about the internet and how much effort it takes to undo the kind of negative press that an inlägg like this can cause.

Their budget has left only around 70000kr for each of the 'Grengrupp' and from what I can see this is where the sport develops. But what can you do with that much? Especially when 50000kr of that is meant for prize money for cup winners. The prize money for all the other races is suppose to come from the clubs or these mystical sponsors that we can't find.

This is all going to hell very quickly and I am glad that I am involved at the local level because communicating with SCF is pointless...

In 2012 I was not exactly the very first to jump on my CX for a little tjuvträning during the summer so to be sure I am definitely first in 2013 I started with CX last Sunday. Well, okay. Maybe some would just call this normal vinterträning. But it was on a cross.

I was getting bored with the running and since there is basically no ice out it was time for cycling. And soon it will be time for riding to work too so I had to make a quick decision of whether to look for a new hybrid or to use one of my existing bikes. My Merida Cross 4 is old enough that it can be sacrificed for this kind of thing so a little road salt and assorted winter shite is fine. And off I went for a simple Allum - Jonsered - Kåhög - Kviberg (GP) - Sävedalen tour which featured an unusual wind direction from the side all the time.

This weekend looks sunny and warm enough for a lagom mix of Vasalopp TV and cycling outside...wonderful x 2! The good news about last week is that my toes froze before I was actually tired, had a flat or general mechanical failure. In other words I won't be able to overtrain.

Of course one does get inspired by Ronde van Vlaanderen and the chance to try out some proper cycling for such a low price...

It has been very quiet here but now it is time to break the silence and reveal all of my tjuvträning. I have been running on the weekends because it is easy to arrange and is extremely effective considering the size of the hills in Partille.

Looking back to those years which went well, running during the winter has been the key to my success. And last year is certainly a good example of that because I had already developed some ground fitness by the time I jumped on my MTB for the first time. After this many weeks of running a very tough 10km-ish route I can manage it without stopping and with not so much träningsvärk. So now I can increase the distance which is great for mid-February.

As for my MTB goals this year I have a few marathons in mind. I managed to get a spot for Grenserittet so I will choose races that give me qualifying times. So I suspect Norway will be a popular choice for me again. But Långa Lugnet in Falun is on my list and most likely Mörksuggejakten because it is a tradition.

But I should probably also do something with my running while I am making this effort. I would like improve my PB and get under 50 min for my mil time. But maybe I already am under that. The only measure I have is Lerumsloppet at 53 min but that was hilly and I just showed up without any planning or proper eating. Running is the most honest measure of my fitness level because it does not depend on equipment, tires, excuses or being overcautious. I just run as fast as I can.

All will agree that we have been way behind with introducing electronic chip timing in races here in Sweden. So when SCF posts that it is finally time, perhaps we should celebrate. But 1000kr??? The AMB chip used by Denmark's DCU only costs 750DKK. And I paid only 100DKK for the Lapio chip to race in the Danish CX-Cup. So why should it cost 1000kr for a chip here? Someone is winning on this deal and we deserve to see the numbers. With that price it feels like we cyclists are also paying to finance the system.

But more importantly let's now look at the cost for a motionär to try out licenced cycling in a race:
Club membership: 500kr
Club clothes: At least 1500kr
SCF licence: 700kr
SCF chip: 1000kr
That brings us to a total of 3700kr before you even pay any start fees. And that should kill any desire to give the sport a try, especially when there are other sports that are cheaper.

If my calculations are wrong then make a comment below. We have a right to know where all this money is going.

I know. I am not a very good Canadian at all. But I just can't take this cold weather. Winter has appeared too fast so my body has not adapted yet to a Göteborgsk -15C even though I have been trying all week. The clear message came on Thursday when I made superb 100m sprint, missed the spårvagn I was trying to catch and immediately had trouble breathing. This was at a time when I had twice as much clothes on as I would in a race situation and I had only been outside for about 5 minutes. This should not happen.

So I just didn't see the point is risking my health in Vårgårda, especially when I am not really even healthy. I read about a kikhosta explosion right now and my symptoms could be a mild form. To be honest I have no idea because I always react differently. I have been having an Actimel every morning for about 2 years now and that does help to prevent those little small colds. By the way any yoghurt will do the same thing, I just find it more convenient with the Actimel. But I still get the larger flu and colds yet I don't really feel as sick as I probably am. Training also tends to make me feel better if I am a little bit sick. But really this is all dangerous because I never really know when I am seriously sick anymore.

Since most of us are at the gubbe age we should be taking our health more seriously. While training helps to delay some problems they still come sooner or later. Earlier this year my father has a routine screening check for cancer and they found some and were able to remove it before it spread. He was very very lucky. But I know that he had high blood pressure for many years before they discovered it and that made it harder to treat with medication. So we really need to listen to what is going on inside of our bodies.

I know I have a reputation of DNSing and to be honest the majority of those before this year were money-related. I couldn't afford it and I realized that at the last minute. But this year's DNSs are all health (except Sunne) so I don't know whether to see that as positive or not. Anyway it has been a nice CX season and a lot of people should be thanked for that. And hopefully conditions will be a bit nicer for Luciacrossen next weekend.

Since Sunday I have been running around feeling all cheery because I feel normal again after my cold. And yet I have still been waking up with a sore throat and I still sneeze and cough at random intervals through the day. So I suppose I am not really healthy afterall but that does not seem to be bothering me. The bother of the week is obviously the weather. And normally I am all for snow but the timing now was not the best considering the races this weekend.

My biggest problem is the temperature because the forecast is looking like around -12C for Vårgårda and -20C on Friday. And to be honest the only clothes I have that can take these kind of temperatures are ski clothes. Yes, I now introduce the term byxvurpa...which is a fall that is caused by catching the crotch of your baggy ski pants on your seat during dismount. I already gave a preview of this at Introcross a few times. Which brings me to the next issue of how they are going to prepare the course. If they shovel/plough the course it will be slippery as hell all the time and those that happen to have a set of skis in the depå will be at a great advantage. In fact I wonder if covering my tires with Blue Extra would give me more grip? Or I guess -12C is getting into the Green or even Polar range of waxes.

I have paid my money mostly as a donation because Vårgårda CK was kind enough to arrange races when other clubs gave up and cancelled for no good reason. And that should be rewarded. But with the current weather conditions I will actually be faster and warmer if I carry the bike and run the whole course. Cross half-marathon anyone?

Yes, I know. The tanga joke is getting old now. And Tånga Hed in Vårgårda and Tångacrossen in general has nothing to do with a tanga...unless they turn the event into a julmarknad and sell them next to socks, salami and langos. But with the snow coming down and my cold basically over I am in my usual silly mood again. Yippee!

But I will freeze my ass off next week if there is any of it left after my brisk walk on the trails in Paradiset yesterday. Nice way to celebrate being almost healthy...a 90 min hike that left my face burning. It was a lovely walk though. I will have to see how I fix the problem with my leg warmers because the official GCK ones are too small while my old MCK ones fit perfectly. Hmm...style miss indeed. Then I might as well wear black socks, put a mud flap on the back and add some reflectors.

Anyway, next weekend may be the last I manage for this year because I am rapidly running out of money and that would make a Copenhagen weekend more complicated. But that doesn't matter.

The title above should be no surprise considering I have kind of disappeared from everything and everywhere. I can start with a positive thing...my stress level is way way down now. But that little revelation meant that I almost immediately welcomed in a flu virus and have been crap ever since. I am almost through it now but tomorrow in Copenhagen is not going to work and I don't know about Sunday in Skatås. It so happens that another stupid thing happened because my boots fell apart and I kept wearing them so I have a massive blister on my foot. This has stayed sore because I have new boots which are not worked in yet. Not sure how my cycling shoes will feel but that I can find out soon.

But I have changed my mind about Vårgårda and it is a shame that so few have signed up yet. So, mostly to help out Vårgårda CK, I think a double weekend is in my future. And since all this sickness stuff has meant that I have managed to finish all those little things I had to do, the etapplopp I mentioned before in Denmark is a possibility. It is great that they contacted CX Sweden too. 4 races...2 days in 2 of the best possible locations in Copenhagen...how could it go wrong?

Pretty much everyone has a stressful job now and the only way to keep floating is to have a nice recovery period. For most that means the weekend. I am happy with my job and that I have just been extended. But I have learned that I also have limits in terms of just how much I can do. So taking on two extra things at work was certainly a recipe for disaster. You have already heard me complain about the course I am taking and the point of this was to increase my teaching competence. Instead it has just left me even more stressed and has taken all of my weekend time.

With 4 weekends left before Christmas there is even more reason to stress. But CX itself is also a source of stress, even if the race is here. We lose a day for every race no matter if it is a cup thing or training. So we stress our way through the week and then stress our way off to yet another weekend of CX races. It should be no surprise to anyone that I reached a limit sometime last weekend when even my 'CX-free weekend' became a 'catching up from the other weekends' stress.

I have given the impression that the grass is greener on the other side of Öresundsbron and in many ways that is true. Even though they have a ton of races, only 4 of them are in the national cup. Yes, 4. Not 11. People have other things to do so why attempt to have so many races? To take an example, Långloppscupen is not that many races and they are usually a couple of weeks apart. This is what I like about it and why so many motionär also join in. It is fun in a stress-free and licence-free way without overdoing it. And most people today that use sport as a way to recover from stress would never need more than that. Keep it simple and don't get out of hand with race numbers. That will bring in the people. There are tons of other sports with stress-free 'prova på' sessions so why would anyone choose complicated and expensive cycling over something simple?

I want to give priority to the second race in the Danish CX-Cup next weekend and in order to do that I have to cancel this weekend in Copenhagen. What happens after that I have no idea. But what I really need is a weekend without stress or expectation. I just need a nice long walk in the forest to calm down a lot.

Yes, now I will continue spreading info on Denmark to those of you in CX Sweden. But after reading Björn's latest inlägg it is clear that I am not the only one slightly losing it. Or maybe that was some Göteborg's humour which will be quickly followed up by a nice report from Belgium? We will see.

So here are some races to keep you busy down south.

24/11 Hjertestarter-cross
How can you not be interested with a name like this? The route is just south of Helsingör.

25/11 Copenhagen Cyclocross Grand Prix
Yes, another race with a big-sounding name that has been around for a few years now.

1/12 CX-Cup Afd 2 - Kongelunden på Amager 
This is the second of the series I started doing last weekend. Amager is just south of the airport in case you were wondering.

Of course I started reading the rules on SCF and realized that most are copied directly from UCI which makes sense because that would require the least amount of effort. But their rule about svarttävlingar seems to apply to those in other countries too so CX-Cup in Denmark is also a no no. Lovely. And what is this crap about 'utlandstillstånd'? I can't find any info on that. Obviously I haven't bothered with that neither now nor a couple years back when I started doing långlopp races in Norway. I have always had my own insurance so it doesn't matter to me.

And finally, I do cyclocross because I like it, not because I am training for next season. And I like the fact that the Danish races are technically simple and not trying to kill us.

Yes, since this is the internet I can use things like OMFG to describe how I feel right now. I have not felt this much träningsvärk since my two super races in Dalsland at the start of the season. I mean seriously this is some serious shite. We all know that cross is great training but after yesterday's technically quite simple lap I was not expecting this. So obviously I am satisfied.

One explanation could be in the results list...the chip registered 16 laps and a race time of 63 minutes. That means 15 times running up those stairs. 16 löphinder. 16 times gradually uphill through the forest and against the wind. And 31 dismounts plus 31 remounts. Plus I also did 4 practice laps. OMFG indeed.

So that gave me 17th position out of 21 in H Prestige. The one that passed during my semi-collapse moment only finished 20 seconds ahead and then there was another 5 s to the next guy. In fact there was only 2 minutes separating the 6 of us on that lap. So there is room for improvement.

Another thing I noticed is that this course allowed me to have more strategy and to do several 'mean' things to keep people behind. Like once at the top of the stairs there was a guy on my left so I remounted and headed straight towards the left side which of course meant he couldn't get through without hitting the track tape. And in the forest I was Chris Crossing back and forth to miss the tree roots...this must have been very annoying.

Next race is 1 dec. You can also sign up for 1 race at a time for 100DKK and then the chip (which you keep and can use again) is another 100DKK. It is pretty close to Kastrup and would be a good way to keep up some form for Tångacrossen. Yes, try that one with a non-Swedish keyboard.

Again I will start this entry in an unusual way with a picture. This is from the very top of the stairs from today's race. It just screams mjölksyra eller hur? So today I made my debut at racing in Denmark and that makes this the 3rd country I have raced in this season. And this also was my debut in H Prestige because they only had a choice between H and H40 but it didn't matter because everyone would race 60 min + finish the lap they were on. No worries for lapped riders. You just do as many laps as you can.

The start was not very dramatic and the whole thing was kind of like Introcross except with chip timing. The course was marked with arrows but there was plenty of chances for corner cutting. I took it easy and just watched where everyone was going so I could follow the same line in later laps. My speed was fine and the Tufos at 2.5 bar were perfect today. My race plan was simple...just keep a steady pace until I meet Mr. Wall. And again the first two laps I was just trying to see where I could rest and where I could gain ground. There was no time for rest anywhere.

This was the lap...the long straight was slightly downhill and everyone was flying so I had to shift down and fly too. At the end of that down near the water it turned left onto a trail but most stayed high and went along the grass. This was a good place to gain time because most coasted here and I did the coasting in the next part, the left turn followed by a sharp right into the forest. This was a tricky part with stones and loose mud and was a place where a couple of guys had bike problems. So here I took it easy and that was a perfect strategy because I did the whole thing without flaw. In the forest it was kind of fun except for the fact that it was slowly uphill the whole time. But I kept at it and this also became a good spot for opening gaps. The next part was a rough grass field over to a right turn, after which was a gradual climb with the wind against you. Fan this hurt. Or, well, it hurt because this is precisely where I made my attack in every lap. That would pay later on. After that was a little 2m drop with a pile of mud at the bottom which became more slippery each lap. But I managed just fine. Then it was time for a double löphinder, again just after an uphill so I was basically stopped. After this we crossed the chip line and then head for the stairs. If you check the picture above you will see a very large brick circle and because I feared pedal vurpor and massive carnage I was already off the bike in the grass and was lifting it up over my shoulder while running up to the hill. This was pretty good. And then taking the stairs 2 at a time meant that this was another spot where I could open up gaps. At the top after I usually messed up my remount it was a slow downhill back to the start which was yet another good spot to attack.

So back to the race. Around Lap 3 my consistency strategy started to pay off because I could see someone 50m ahead and could close the gap and pass. I did this 3 times over the next few laps and felt like things were going great. Of course I was already lapped but I didn't care so much about that. Around 30 min in I could see a few cyclists that had given up so I would not be last even if Mr. Wall came for a visit. Those in front of me were getting more difficult and at least one was på rulle (like 10 m back) for at least a lap. Not so much was happening at this point because the next guy in front was very consistent.

I had no clue how much time has passed so stupidly I asked how much time was left (10 minutes) and this gave away my weakness so the guy I had passed beautifully with an attack in the wind part could sneak by on the stairs. That was my worst stairs of the day. So I figured 2 laps and tried to keep going but my body was weak. I think that was a slow lap because the guy in front of me was getting farther ahead. So then I heard last lap and pulled out all the energy I could find and it was perfect. Where did that energy come from??? So I made up some time and crossed the line and found the nearest muddy grass patch to collapse in. Fy fan. 60 minutes is da shit. And now I am a stiff MF indeed.

It was not exactly a folkfest but there were enough there to make it pretty good. And hearing Danes yell loudly when their bike falls apart is also fun. I think there will be a few pics of me too because one seemed to always be there with her camera on every part of the lap. The results are supposed to appear on Facebook and then on their website. I was not expecting much so we will see what happens. I did pass a few people and I even lapped a couple so that has to be good.

It seems like SCF is getting slightly annoyed and is laying on the penalties. Good thing my 'skita i Sthlm' attitude has taken me here to Roskilde in Denmark. Most of you will associate this lovely old city with a very muddy music festival so it seems right that the Danish CX-Cup should start here. Naturally the first place I had to visit was Roskilde Folkepark, the site of tomorrow's race. You can see the route here. And now for a change, here are some pictures.

The park starts here with some lovely autumn leaves and nice little hard packed dirt paths. These are the kinds of trails that leave the bike and the cyclists with a nice sandy coating after awhile. Lovely.
 

And then we get to what should be somewhere around the start area according to the map. The trained CX eye will see many signs of smygträning and what will probably be a couple of lovely curves.


And then the pièce de resistance, the amphitheatre! The track comes in from the right and goes straight up the stairs in the middle. And let me tell you...those are some serious stairs!


To the right of the theatre there is this grass hill and the track somehow comes passed here and around. The grass felt kind of wet but pretty stable.


And this is what you see from the top of the stairs. The track goes down this gradual hill off to the right in what looked like a path that was made especially for cross. And off in the distance is the water which makes this one of the finest settings for cross I have ever seen. You will also note that there are no crazy drops. Just grass, mud and stairs.

Of course when I went into one cycling shop I was surprised to hear that they did not know about the race. Now they know. And there is a bigger store that was closed when I got there so tomorrow I will drop by and let them know too. A folkfest in Folkepark tomorrow would be a dream! Almost as good as this Tuborg I am drinking.

I noticed from CX Sweden that others are not very amused with the current CX situation either. And obviously I think it is important to be critical or I wouldn't have bothered with my boycott. But we have to take these complaints and make them into something good. It was also mentioned that my boycott seems to be over. I have never been against cyclocross in general, I am just fed up with SCF. And that boycott is on until we can get some progress here.

Like I said yesterday I think it is time to see how things are going in Denmark. And what I found was CX-Cup, a little series of 5 races around Copenhagen. Unlike SCF, the Danish equivalent DCU does not force beginners to have a licence to try out the sport. And the CX-Cup I found is a set of 5 independent races which in this country would be called svarttävlingar. And I think it is positive for the sport to have some competition from smaller cups because then it means DCU can't get lazy and arrange a half-assed race. We could use the same thing here.

They have enough sponsors to keep the thing floating and will even use the Lapio electronic chip timers so there will be less argument over results lists. In fact, the whole website is automated so you can register, pay by credit card and then get your results direct to your iPhone or Facebook. And just for this alone I think it is worth the trip just to see how this all works.

The first race is this Saturday, November 10 in Roskilde, also known for a muddy music event. The setting is in Folkepark which is right in the middle of the city so this will certainly create some local interest. And a start time of 14.00 means no conflict with things like shopping.

Everyone starts at once and there are no rules about getting lapped. You just do as many laps as you can in an hour. Can it get any better than this? So far 34 people have signed up and they have a max limit set at 100. So all of you CX-tokig down in Skåne or southern Sweden still have a chance to join in the fun.

I personally have always chosen CPH over Sthlm...

Yesterday I had what I call the CM or Chris mästerskap in cyclocross because lately it has been a miracle that I have any time to get near a bike. So when I finally do it should be rewarded. And, unlike other M races, at the CM I get a nice medal-shaped object (pizza) for my efforts. The problem is my assignment for that course I wrote about before. This report is a neverending battle and is eating up all of my free time and even some work time. But after working on this the last 3 days it is kind of starting to take shape. So happily I could get out on my bike yesterday.

For those of you away from Göteborg, it has been raining all weekend. Yes, surprise surprise. But yesterday wasn't so one could get the idea that it would be nice and dry out. Nej nej. I have never seen the grass this wet over at my Sävecrossen spot. But with my taped Tufos and a pressure of between 2.4 and 2.5 bar things were actually pretty good. So it was time for the CM to start.

Over at Skatås there was something resembling a track on one of the fields so no one should complain about what we do to the grass. Still, Hästhagen was calling and there I could see evidence of tjuvträning for future GöteborgsSuperprestige races, several dogs and even a horse. My speed was good and the mud was clearing from my tires nicely. But I still slid massively in one corner and other grass/mud bits were pretty slippery in general so I now have to admit that I will slide no matter what tire I have. But yesterday I found a great balance between speed and grip and could feel the crossglädje coming back.

So after a bike wash I thought I would add a nice loop in around Delsjön and 8:an which led to Mr.Wall towards the end, a dirty bike yet again and a whole pile of muddy clothes. A good CM indeed!

This week will bring some late nights to get rid of this stupid assignment because next weekend it is time for Chris Cross to invade Denmark. More on that later...

I realize I said I would shut up until after SM in Sunne but my feeling is that this is not the forum to bring up these issues. There is no discussion and based on Google Analytics I can see that I am only really talking to the people that usually read this page. So I will now make my final point and then let my boycott speak for itself.

We can see that out in the big big world the aftermath of Circus Lance is having the expected effect. Most attention is around Hein Verbruggen and whether he was covering up for doping. But here in Sweden everything seems to have blown over and nothing has happened at all. Why? I have the answer.

After some searching on SCFs website one can find this document on Antidoping information. And many parts of this are in fact good but my problem is the contradiction that spoils the whole thing.

Under 'Vem är ansvarig?' you can read this:
Enligt dopinglagen är alltid idrottsutövaren själv ansvarig för vad han/hon stoppar i sig. Det åligger således honom/henne att förvissa sig om huruvida ett preparat han/hon intar är dopingklassat eller inte.
Även den som hjälper en idrottsutövare att dopa sig, kan bestraffas. Att hantera förbjudna
preparat är dessutom enligt svensk lag förbjudet och kan leda till fängelsestraff.

This we already know. But by placing all responsibility on the cyclist it means that SCF has nothing to lose if someone is doping. That is why they can sit there passively and why Ulf Näslund can call us all cheaters in DN. And that leads to the contradiction. The document starts with Dopingens 3 punkter, of which #3 is:

FÖRSTÖR
Doping skadar idrottsrörelsens trovärdighet och utgör därigenom ett allvarligt hot mot
idrotten som ungdomsorganisation och folkrörelse.

This we also already know. Cycling has a horrible reputation out there in the general public and any cyclist that has encountered an angry motorist or pedestrian knows that this is not getting any better. But this also means that we can't get any sponsors for our local clubs and that it becomes harder and harder to arrange races. Göteborgsgirot is going to have quite the battle on its hands, for example.

There has to be some responsibility or penalty for the club or team too because as things are now everyone can just look the other way and ignore the problem. This is precisely the same thing that happens for alcoholics. Many still say that it is their fault that they became an addict. And the fact that only 7% of those with alcohol problems in this country ever receive any care or ward for their problem is again a problem of responsibility. Although in the case of alcoholism I know that things are slowly changing for the better.

Maybe no one cares but for those of you that do I suggest starting locally. If a club or group can come up with a better way to deal with the doping issue or is willing to take responsibility for the actions of their cyclists then the idea might just spread.

My view on the issue will be represented by my DNS on Saturday.

And with this now said I can now return to the joys of cyclocross...

A visit to the CX Sweden website will tell you that cyclocross in this country is on the verge of greatness. CX was brought here by dedicated people with a passion for this wonderful sport and their continued effort really deserves some praise. Now people all over the country have taken their valuable time to arrange CX race series which manage to attract 40 or more cyclists. And the key to success is simple...exactly, keep it simple. A single start for everyone so that you can battle it out with your equal no matter what their age, gender, wallet size or licence status. This is cyclocross at its purist and I love every minute of it. And I look forward to the day when this spreads to MTB.

But wait. These races have results lists and some even have prizes. Uh oh. Svarttävling? I doubt that SCF has sanctioned these wonderful events. So that means most of the cyclists racing CX in this country should be fined för brott mot SCF:s tävlingsregler 1.2.019. Or does this only apply to races in Malmö? Or are these races actually träningstävlingar which are okay? I think my point is clear. If there is a way to sneak around a rule I see little point in having the rule at all. Svarttävling means no fee to SCF. I like.

So now I will keep quiet for a few days and let you all write about your preparations for SM in Sunne and your subtle ways to try and psyche out your competitors. And maybe the results list will be more accurate than the rest of the races this year.

My plans are to check out this Wåffelcrossen everyone is talking about. And next week I will boycott Sthlm and head to a true Danish classic in Kalundborg.