Erstellt am: 4. 6. 2010 - 00:02 Uhr

The Forrest Gump Blues

Stage 2 of the Trans Germany through a flooded Tyrol.

"It's all nonsense. It's only nonsense. I'm not afraid of the rain. I am not afraid of the rain. Oh, oh, God, I wish I wasn't."
Catherine in Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms"

The rain of yesterday had intensified in the evening and then gone on all night. We woke in the morning to hear it still tapping against the windows and to see it forming rivers on the street. Oh what I would have given to turn over in bed!

But to fail to finish one Trans Germany is merely unlucky, while to abandon two might seem careless. So I pulled on my clothes, still damp from the day before, and staggered down in the rain to the start area, thinking of better men who had survived such circumstances. Men like Forrest Gump:

"We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath."

transgermany

Now I knew what he was talking about! The downpours had flooded the tracks and were set off pedalling through what were essentially rivers - the spray soaking us from below.

Ever few hundred metres there was a spontaneous ford to cross as we wound our way through a bumpy forest track towards Reutte. On the uphill sections they were a dreadful drag on the tires - like a sudden ramp in the hill. On the downhill sections they were frankly lethal. The thing about rushing water is that you can't see what lies under it. The wheel of a rider in front must have hit some immovable object and over the handlebars he went, for an early plunge in the icy water.

trans germany peter musch

This might sound like hell, but there is a part of the psyche, I think, that never grows too old to jump in puddles. It's just when we get too old to wear yellow-soled wellington boots, we have to splash around on mountainbikes instead. It was wonderful to see my front tire cutting a deep line through the water in the flooded section and feel the water hit the back of my helmet, or to dip down into a plunge of faith into the unknown terrain in a rocky ford. This was an adventure that you couldn't time on the clock.

peter musch

Here's something of patriotic interest that you can measure on the clock. Today's Stage 2 was won by Austria’s 30-year old National Champion, Alban Lakata. The 2009 Marathon World Champion runner-up won the 75 kilometre stage to Pfronten in Bavaria, with over 1800 metres of climbing on the way, in the amazing time of 2 hours and 46 minutes. Chapeau Alban!

While that hero was relaxing with the masseur, I was still bitterly fighting to defend my 431st place out of the 497 men in my age category. I wasn't going to give up that glorious position easily - even if it meant risking life and limb.

Having fought my way up the mammoth mountain climb, I was going to let everyone stream past me on the descent again. Over 700 vertical metres I hugged the narrow, rain-slickened racing line as the forest track snaked quickly left and then right. It felt dizzying and exhilerating, like following the helmet camera in Formula One. I could hear my rivals close behind on the crunching gravel - but I had caught racing fever - they were not getting by.

And then round one corner there was the sight of the rear end of an Alpine cow blocking the track - its tail swishing, its udders swaying gently as it wobbled down the track. Although not a Hindu, I have great respect for our bovine sisters. I slowed to a gentle pace so as not to frighten Miss Daisy and the two riders that I had been heroically holding at bay for the entire descent sped by on either side.

Well, I don't know if the cycling federation explicitly bans the misuse of cows for competitive advantage, but let's be honest, it's not cricket, is it?

The biggest climb of the race is on the programme for tomorrow - the 24% steep climb to Buchelalpe - but dare I start believing it might stop raining?

trans germany peter musch

All photos: Peter Musch/Trans Germany

"I don't consider myself a pessimist. I think of a pessimist as someone who is waiting for it to rain. And I feel soaked to the skin."
Leonard Cohen

(With huge thanks to FM4 listener Daniel Maier, who picked me up when I was shaking with cold at the finish in Pfronten and reminded me why Bavarian hospitality is famous the world over.)

chris cummins

A wet Chris Cummins

Hear more of Chris Cummins adventures in rainland on the FM4 Morning Show (Mo-Sun 06-10).