Report made by Michal Smutný: Behind a fog thick enough to cut lies the town of Humpolec. And you are only halfway to Blinduro ZIMA. The first year of this event takes place near the Slapy Dam, in the Slapy Resort. Since it is such a tradition of perhaps all Blinduro races, the weather here does not go by the name of the race. It was not winter at all, more like spring. Soaked in the summer setup from TLD we go to the depot for the race numbers. Here, we met all familiar faces from our business - guys from Krabcycles, Jirka Pliml, Kuba Riha and other Legends and friends of our bike universe.
At 10:50 we start the first race of the year. I've raced here two years ago, so I have at least a rough idea of what to expect. The first three stages have a similar character - traverses spiced with roots. It sticks like a glove in the dirt, it slides on the roots. But the Michelin tyres are squeaking. After the first stage, in the spirit of camaraderie, I leave my two comrades-in-arms behind and let them take the uphill to stage two. I'll fall over if I go as slowly as they're pushing the bike. This is my first year racing e-bikes. It's fine on the transfers, but racing a 26kg bike is a pain in the ass. I'm doing all the pedaling sections on my own, and the extra ten kilos in tech isn't much better either. Anyone who says it's slack doesn't know what they're talking about. Luckily, the local stages are not long, but what will I do in Kouty??! On the way to stage three, I cross stage two, and I see first Okurka and then Honza going along it. I decide to motivate them a bit, so I advise them to kindly let off the brakes and start pedalling!!!
After the third stage, there is a refreshment break. Here, I meet Zdeněk Pol, one of the founding fathers of Blinduro, and since there is no time limit on Blinduro, I can afford to discuss work and personal matters with him. I use mostly sunshine at the refreshment station and wait for Honza and Ríša. From here we go together again.
Stages 4 and 5 have a common slope and, thus, common features. In 4 my tyres are getting covered in mud in the last few turns. I managed to hold the tops and not get stuck anywhere, which I was pleasantly surprised about. In five I'm having a heart attack in the middle of the wet passage and there's nothing left to take from in the run-up to the tech, luckily the bike is self-propelled here. I waited for my colleagues, and we reached the finish together.
Evaluation at the end? I'll take 5th place in the E-Bike category, Ríša 7th, and Honza 33rd in the 30-39 category. The weather was perfect, the course was perfectly prepared, and I rate the location as very well chosen. I give it 9/10. It would be a 10 if I had it behind my house, but again, it would not be so exotic. I hope this particular venture continues in future editions.
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