II.

the most grueling bike ride of my life ended with only one puncture and a lovely coffeedate in Innsbruck

It all started well with only 20mins of delay, Valentin did a great leadout til km 48. In Austria the pace settled and i found a good rhythm layering the first brick if what was yet to come. I found two german Gravelers who were bikepacking as well and we had some nice chats until I followed them on a gravel part of the „great“ Inn-valley bikepath..
it was with 240kms to go that fate decided I should have my first puncture of the trip. The guys helped me because I had pump and adapter problems, actually without them I wouldn’t have suffered AND repaired the puncture 😅
After leaving them behind gratefully, I sat down in lovely Innsbruck for having a Pizza in a nice place. It was that moment that a internet-friend of mine decided to finally answer my text I sent a werk before.. Well, we met up and it was absolutely lovely! I told her I had to leave at half past 2 to make it to Trento in daylight but when we met (for the first time), it wouldn’t matter.
Living in Caldaro and roadbiking as well she had awesome tips for my upcoming trip, which made me forget how wonderful that moment was. After she left to not further interfere with my ETA, I just went fully en route to Trento. Considering I woke up at 7 to leave at 8 (which was 8:23) after just 4hrs of sleep because of that real good wedding party, leaving Innsbruck at km 140 of 320 at 15:23 was quite self-injuring but worth it!
Adorably easy it felt to climb up Brennero because of the change of rhythm and the beautiful girl in mind.
Descending from the top was pure joy, the flat residual 120km were getting more and more of a grind..
After just 20mins of mainly water-stops and a total of 394 active mins and 322.46 kms I arrived at an old friend of mine who studies in Trento.
I was so done there was no hunger in mind and nothing but sleep.

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