G_N#encore-Flying Lap 🏎 Monte Carlo 🏎

You might say after a week of mountains and a ride from Geneve to Nice it´s enough; but on my list from the beginning stayed a qualifying round in Monaco - and so i did.

Keeping it pretty conservative the night before in knowing about the encore of our Alps crossing it was an early leave from the hotel to avoid too much traffic. At the same time we had our flight that day and we needed to pack our bikes together.

As a surprise Melina our Guidin and Ossi decided to join the ride and so we left Nice at sunrise. This ride had nothing to do with climbing records or a long ride. It moreover had this "i was riding the formula one course in Monaco" with my bike.

Already the way to Monaco was worth to stand up early. No clouds and the sun just to come up from the horizon. Already at about 7am we found ourselves at the grid and the box lane to start our qualifying round. Just a week or so before F1 was there and a lot of infrastructure was still to see.

The course itself is mythical and the slowest F1 track but at the same time the hardest. Since 1950 nearly identical we needed to ride the 3,34k long circuit. Starting from the starting grid we needed to gear down at Sainte Devote curve to avoid a crash; then up to the Casino of Monte Carlo - luckily the mainhole covers were welded. Then down to Mirabeau with it´s tricky bump. Then we arrived the slowest part in F1 - Virage Loews or as today called Virage Fairmont. Furtheron to Portier which leads into the famous tunnel and spits you out at the harbour with it´s big yachts. The Nouvelle Chicane to bring down our speed and then along the swimming pool. At the cafe Rascasse the important turn back to first Anthony Noghes and the finally back to the grid. I guess we all three would have been in first row ;-)

It was worth every minute and we made our way back home to Nice to do the final pics of our great trip: The crossing of the Alps from Geneve to Nice with a great combo of great guys.

bike: pretty Betty, Specialized Tarmac S-Works
starring: Melina, Ossi Wiesinger, Gerry Samer