It sort of feels that excessive sports activities reminiscent of extremely distance biking or Ironman triathlons draw in some exteme personalities. There are individuals who have grew to become dependancy or psychological well being problems round via sports activities. As an example, Jack Thompson, an Australian bicycle owner with substance abuse and despair in his background, rode the path of the 2021 Excursion de France, chasing the professional peloton. We reviewed his ensuing video right here: pezcyclingnews.com. Within the intervening time, Thompson was, in 2022, the primary individual to trip 1,000,000 vertical meters in a calendar yr.
Within the video “3 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 self assurance had to trip over 2,000 kms by myself and towards the clock. What we didn’t get used to be a lot about who Jana Kesenheimer is.
Remaining week a brand new video that includes this German rider based totally in Innsbruck used to be launched. As someone following her Strava actions is aware of she has endured to be lively within the extremely biking scene. That is an increasing one, with many new approaches. “Lifeless Ends and Dolci/Cake” (the title is slightly inconsistent in English) started in 2021 and could be thought to be a a lot more subtle and some distance tougher model of the “Donut Races” loved in The us, the place your time at the route is lowered by means of the choice of donuts you’ll be able to stuff down (and stay down).
The 2022 model of “Lifeless Ends and Dolci” took riders on a route to 5 chcckpoints (which order it’s important to plan your self), every on the most sensible of an Alpine climb and provided with advantageous native muffins, whereupon riders flip round, move downhill and rancid to the following pastry prevent. Jana Kesenheimer is up for this problem, figuring that it’s going to be a excellent day’s driving. Placing this into standpoint that “excellent day” could be 500 kms lengthy and with just about 9,000 m of mountaineering!
We see Jana at house discussing what biking way to her and her means. She enjoys a protracted trip by means of herself, however as she says, her concept of “lengthy” is now what maximum folks would take into accounts. Her coaching plan isn’t such a lot a plan as driving by means of really feel and whilst she does no longer do particular preparation for those occasions she does arrive within the situation essential to do them.
Driving excessive distances appears to be some way that she has set aside the extremes of her previous lifestyles. Till she used to be eighteen she suffered from anorexia, the place “luck” is measured by means of victims as the power to steer clear of consuming. Overcoming this, she then switched to some other excessive, becoming a birthday party animal, ingesting closely and up all night time at golf equipment in Berlin. Biking, as one sees with Jack Thompson or Canadian Ironman triathlete (and nationwide One Hour Document holder) Lionel Sanders is an alternative choice to self-destructive dispositions. Jana Kesenheimer is obviously happiest driving by myself and measuring herself towards the demanding situations of those gorgeous rides.
And there are many demanding situations in “Lifeless Ends and Dolci,” with gravel segments, brutally steep sections, the potential of navigational errors, and the risks of night time driving. And naturally there’s all that cake to devour, a problem which (spoiler alert!) Jana has some issues of close to the belief. As any individual whose concept of the Perfect Motorcycle Trip Conceivable is to cruise from bakery to bakery within the Swiss Alps in summer season climate, I discovered a lot to savour on this superb video however the distance and mountaineering make this moderately goofy match into one thing epic.
One benefit of the Virtual Age is that movies like “No Lifeless Ends” can also be produced to the sort of skilled impact at low price and minimum crews. The credit listing simplest two other folks but even so Jana concerned within the mission. There are very good photographs taken right through the day, together with drone photographs and ones in darkness, underscoring the wonderful thing about Jap Switzerland.
For the ones in need of to experience extra Swiss surroundings (and truffles), “Lifeless Ends and Truffles” has produced their very own video, which you’ll be able to to find right here: www.youtube.com. That is some other German language video however could also be subtitled in English. German audio system would possibly combat slightly with the Swiss German!
And if you wish to do the trip your self, input the lottery for 2024 in January on the match website online: www.deadendsedolci.ch/ It’s also imaginable simply to trip sections of the route anytime because the organizers inspire this as neatly and supply path knowledge.
“No Lifeless Ends—The Adventure of the Extremely Biking Athlete Jana Kesenheimer”
Launched October 7, 2023 on YouTube, 36 mins in period
In German with English subtitles
Directed and Photographed by means of Vanessa Blankenagel and Hannes Hohfeld
In cooperation with Specialised and supported by means of Komoot.
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