Pielachtal with Dr Bike

We drove to Hainfeld by car and started our journey from there, venturing into a stunning, hilly landscape, moving from valley to valley. Since Norbert's father owns a house in the area, he knows almost every mountain and designed a highly technical loop for us. The first 45 kilometers were moderately hilly, with short steep sections—just enough for a solid warm-up. We made our way through Plambach and Mainburg to reach the Pielach Valley, named after the river flowing through it. From there, we crossed over to Kirchberggegend and continued toward Kirchberg. Before entering Kirchberg, however, we tackled our first significant climb to Plankenstein.
Once we reached the plateau, we rode on for a while and even stopped at Norbert's father's house in Ödrotte for a quick break. A steep descent followed, taking us to the base of our next challenge: the climb to Kreuztörl, through Puchenstuben, and up to Wastl am Wald at about 1,110 meters. The descent that followed was short-lived, and soon we arrived at Lassingrotte. From here, the final climb awaited us. My legs were already tired as we made our way up to Annaberg, making a much-needed break at the summit.
With another 40 kilometers to go, we started with a pleasant downhill stretch that gradually flattened out toward Türnitz. Even on the descents, Norbert set a punishing pace at the front, and I found myself struggling to keep up, often having to let a gap open. The last few kilometers pushed me to my limit. Riding with Norbert when not in peak shape was definitely not the smartest choice. Despite the fatigue, I couldn’t deny that this route was one of the most beautiful in Lower Austria.

bike: Pretty Betty Specialized Tarmac S-Works
starring: Gerry Samer