Plainly excessive sports activities reminiscent of extremely distance biking or Ironman triathlons appeal to some exteme personalities. There are individuals who have turned dependancy or psychological well being points round by sports activities. For instance, Jack Thompson, an Australian bike owner with substance abuse and melancholy in his background, rode the route of the 2021 Tour de France, chasing the professional peloton. We reviewed his ensuing video right here: pezcyclingnews.com. Within the meantime, Thompson turned, in 2022, the primary individual to journey a million vertical meters in a calendar yr.
Within the video “Three Peaks and In Between,” about Jana Kesenheimer’s 2020 participation within the self-supported race from Vienna to Barcelona (reviewed right here: https://pezcyclingnews.com/options/pez-goes-to-the-movies-three-peaks-in-between/), we noticed the grit and confidence wanted to journey over 2,000 kms alone and in opposition to the clock. What we didn’t get was a lot about who Jana Kesenheimer is.
Final week a brand new video that includes this German rider primarily based in Innsbruck was launched. As anybody following her Strava actions is aware of she has continued to be energetic within the extremely biking scene. That is an increasing one, with many new approaches. “Useless Ends and Dolci/Cake” (the identify is a bit inconsistent in English) started in 2021 and could be thought of a way more refined and much tougher model of the “Donut Races” beloved in America, the place your time on the course is lowered by the variety of donuts you possibly can stuff down (and hold down).
The 2022 model of “Useless Ends and Dolci” took riders on a course to 5 chcckpoints (which order you must plan your self), every on the high of an Alpine climb and equipped with positive native muffins, whereupon riders flip round, go downhill and off to the following pastry cease. Jana Kesenheimer is up for this problem, figuring that it will likely be a very good day’s driving. Placing this into perspective that “good day” could be 500 kms lengthy and with practically 9,000 m of climbing!
We see Jana at house discussing what biking means to her and her method. She enjoys a protracted journey by herself, however as she says, her concept of “lengthy” is now what most of us would take into consideration. Her coaching plan shouldn’t be a lot a plan as driving by really feel and whereas she doesn’t do particular preparation for these occasions she does arrive within the situation essential to do them.
Driving excessive distances appears to be a means that she has put apart the extremes of her previous life. Till she was eighteen she suffered from anorexia, the place “success” is measured by victims as the flexibility to keep away from consuming. Overcoming this, she then switched to a different excessive, turning into a celebration animal, consuming closely and up all evening at golf equipment in Berlin. Biking, as one sees with Jack Thompson or Canadian Ironman triathlete (and nationwide One Hour File holder) Lionel Sanders is an alternative choice to self-destructive tendencies. Jana Kesenheimer is clearly happiest driving alone and measuring herself in opposition to the challenges of those stunning rides.
And there are many challenges in “Useless Ends and Dolci,” with gravel segments, brutally steep sections, the potential for navigational errors, and the hazards of evening driving. And naturally there may be all that cake to eat, a problem which (spoiler alert!) Jana has some issues with close to the conclusion. As somebody whose concept of the Finest Bike Journey Conceivable is to cruise from bakery to bakery within the Swiss Alps in summer time climate, I discovered a lot to savour on this fantastic video however the distance and climbing make this considerably goofy occasion into one thing epic.
One benefit of the Digital Age is that movies like “No Useless Ends” may be produced to such knowledgeable impact at low price and minimal crews. The credit record solely two folks in addition to Jana concerned within the mission. There are excellent photographs taken all through the day, together with drone photographs and ones in darkness, underscoring the great thing about Japanese Switzerland.
For these eager to take pleasure in extra Swiss surroundings (and desserts), “Useless Ends and Muffins” has produced their very own video, which you will discover right here: www.youtube.com. That is one other German language video however can also be subtitled in English. German audio system could wrestle a bit with the Swiss German!
And if you wish to do the journey your self, enter the lottery for 2024 in January on the occasion web site: www.deadendsedolci.ch/ Additionally it is attainable simply to journey sections of the course anytime because the organizers encourage this as nicely and supply route info.
“No Useless Ends—The Journey of the Extremely Biking Athlete Jana Kesenheimer”
Launched October 7, 2023 on YouTube, 36 minutes in size
In German with English subtitles
Directed and Photographed by Vanessa Blankenagel and Hannes Hohfeld
In cooperation with Specialised and supported by Komoot.
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