epyc#1
rediscover a long distance one time classic
the route
stage 1 - sep 19 - vienna > graz - 210k
group start in vienna – 6.30 am at the main entrance of the MQ (museumsquartier)
finish – hauptplatz graz (with a little reception in the town hall there at 6.00 pm)
stage 2 - sep 20 - graz > ljubljana - 220k
group start – 7.00 am in front of hotel weitzer
finish – triple bridge /tromostovje
stage 3 - sep 21 - ljubljana > trieste - 120k
group start – 9.00 am triple bridge / tromostovje
finish – molo audace
return journey - sep 22
10.00 am near molo audace
a somehow brilliant morning
fresh pre-start at MQ! aka cool&the cycling gang
sometimes life is a straight matter towards laxenburg
canale grande (version wiener neustadt)
sunshine at the foot of semmering
... and on the top!
meandering along the river mürz (not in the picture)
having reached the mur
the first of (only three) flats! a chance for for a break, a chat or a photo. or all three of them.
disco driver meets the crispy ramp up to…
… uhrturm. with graz in the background.
shot by clemens nestroy
thoughtful and satisfied at the end of stage 1!
shot by clemens nestroy
in the courtyard of the town hall shortly before the nice little reception there!
thanks city of cyclists! ;)
a slightly frozen stand-in before the start of stage 2.
shot by manuel hausdorfer
off we ride!
again!
next stop maribor!
shot by manuel hausdorfer
early autumn morning idyll shortly before wildon
schloss wildenau in the outskirts of maribor has seen better times!
but still works as a scenic background for a post-breakfast-groupie!
like from the picture book!
an ornithological park south of rače
gathering mentally (and looking good while doing so).
some steep extras are waiting on the way to celje.
a brake!
and a break!
what goes up must come...
behind celje the world is flat!
in between!
what looks sweet for some, is a challenge for others.
anyhow, the top of the little sweet mountain pass trojane is near
at tromostovje in the very heart of beautiful and chilly ljubljana.
after about 240k on this day.
the longest and first ever over 200k ride for many of the epyc riders in the picture!
congratulations!!!
as said!
cheers!
by the way: this was the first group arriving in ljubljana this evening.
others followed shortly behind (for different reason)
part of the second group!
almost all togehter on the morning of day three. again at tromostovje!
looks warmer than it was!
a curageous breakaway in the forest or rakek!
(they caught him again a little later)
just joy!
not all roads lead to trieste!
this path does! :))
the peloton on the way from postojna to...
... some last little ups and downs
... and a last up to monrupino!
ciao italia!
and then: almost trieste!
behind the posing main peloton.
the finish at molo audace!
it was an epyc pleasure!
molto grazie!
may the celebrating begin!
without words. only bikes.
and than came horst k. (on the left)
while others were still sleeping (after heavy dancing) or recovering, he arrived in the morning hours after driving the whole night through accompanied by srecko (from vrhnika) and having ridden the whole 563k and 4.000 metres of altidude from vienna with his three-gear-canon (the nickname for his self built 22kg anti-leightweight bike) in 25 1/2 hours.
we are impressed!
congratulations!
the end!
the roadbook from 1898
test ride impressions
the famous tromostovje in ljubljana
just before planina somewhere behind vhrnika
roadpoetry for the advanced connaisseur in the postojna region
to the sea, to the sea...
in almost perfect alignment
approaching trieste
the ancient lighthouse in trieste
finally! with a view.
a kind of end
see you next time!
the real end!
cheers!
by the way
as we have not found a poster from the original 1892 race, we take this as the poetic intro.
our ride and the original race are mainly following the legendary „südbahn" railway route.
let's start!
vienna-inzersdorf! definitely not the most attractive part of the city. but it was around here where the original bikerace from vienna to trieste was started in 1892. in september by the way! although the wiesbauer company is maybe the biggest sponsor of roadbike races in austria these days, we want to point out that they are not sponsoring us!
maybe because we are a ride and not a race! and maybe we haven't even asked.
it's just a simple coincidence that this factory is located directly on our way to trieste at the point where vienna ends and the adventure begins!
(sorry for this long but maybe necessary intro!)
straight after vienna
early high point
landmark in kindberg
the direction fits
should be graz (sponsored by ride around graz)
bridge over quiet water in maribor
picturesque villa outside maribor
last stop before celje
