Romaniacs : Off-Road Day 2
After just 1 day of racing, the riders seemed to have found a good cadence. They understand the start procedure, tracking against the GPS and ensuring they hit every checkpoint. But just as soon as they “get it,” the race organization throws a curveball. Welcome to day 2, the first marathon day. Romaniacs has hosted a marathon stage before, but each year is different and this marathon stage is new for most competitors.
The Basics: Typical stages have been clover-leaves or an out-and-back. That means racers may take a liaison from the paddock to the race start and then again from the race finish back to the paddock, but they get the comfort of returning to their service crew and also returning to their hotel. Service crews have all night to fix any issues, change tires and ensure the bike is ready to race the following morning. The marathon stage turns this upside down by having the riders get to the race finish for day 2 in a completely different location where they’ve set up a parc ferme. The riders will stay the night without assistants or service crews before heading back to the paddock on Day 3. This changes the strategy a bit. Racers are not allowed to change tires and they are limited to the tools and parts that they carry or that are available in the Milwaukee tent. The service crews will only be available at the mid-race service points on day 2 and day 3. The service points eat into race time, so you have to prioritize what can be done within the 20 minute service window so as not to take up more race time, and what can each rider do themselves at parc ferme without the assistance of their crew.
Whats in the bag: Each rider is given an overnight bag (a construction waste bag) intended to hold only their overnight clothes and perhaps an extra kit to wear the next day. We also prepped Andy with supplements to manage his energy and nutrition. This meant loading empty water bottles with a post-ride recovery mix for day 2, and then AG1, an amino acid mix and extra hydration mix for his pack in preparation for day 3. It sounds simple, but only if you and your crew have your routine dialed. Remember, each day is an eternity fueled by adrenaline and mici (Romanian sausage). There is so much to do and racers are dehydrated and exhausted by the time they get back from riding. Thankfully, I was keenly aware of Andy’s routine from hygiene to nutrition so prepped his marathon bag for him.
The Ride: The riders wound their way south from Sibiu through the southern Carpathian Mountains to Râmnicu Vâlcea, paralleling the famous Transalpina Highway. Day 2 started off fast and flowy reminiscent of riding the sandy, wooded trails in central Michigan. The single track wound through tight trees before hitting hill climbs that led to the riders facing high-exposure off-camber downhills. One wrong move could have you and your bike tumbling down a sheer cliff for over a hundred feet. Once your heart recovers from those terrifying downhill sections, you’re rewarded with 50km of fast, flowy dirt and gravel road before the track once again changes into a deeply rutted, gnarly climb that went on for kilometers up a steep hill. The remainder of the day brought more off-camber side hills with high exposure before winding back down the mountain. At the bottom, you find yourself, at times, knee-deep in all of the rain from the day before. This is definitely type 2 fun until you crest a hill and find yourself rewarded with some of the most amazing views across the Romanian countryside.
Day 2 proved to be a bit too challenging for most. Of 157 riders in the Iron Class that qualified to start on Day 2, only 36 saw the finish line. Rain sweeping across the mountains in the afternoon took out most competitors. And, unfortunately, Andy exceeded the allotted time for the 3rd checkpoint by just 20 minutes and was not permitted to continue. He exited the track onto pavement to parc ferme in the rain.
But, due to the marathon stage, the disqualified riders had one last opportunity to ride the gnarliest trails Romanian has to offer. Next up, we’re on to Offroad Day 3 and a taste of the Atom tracks.
