Day 9 – Krakòw to Zywiec

After yesterday’s short ride, the cyclists now face 3 cruel days of over 200km each. 23 cyclists are still in the Challenge and many try to joke about the next 3 days but, in reality, most are worried that the long rides might bring about injuries that might make them drop out from the challenge. This is understandable that the body can only take so much and an ultra feat such as the HSBC Lifecycle challenge is so physically demanding that joints and muscles can become very tender and inflamed, leading to severe pain and agony. At 8am, the HSBC Lifecycle team left en masse, creating an incredible spectacle as, escorted by the support cars, they made their way in heavy traffic, to their first checkpoint 45 km away from their night’s accommodation at Krakòw. History again repeating itself, the back support vehicle broke down after about 2 hours. Unbelievable!! Another long wait, then the vehicle taken for repair, then back on route. This situation presented its own challenge as the rest of the road support team had to find means to make up for this shortage, while the team of the broken down car had to find their way back on route, from a distance of about 40km north of Krakòw, where the vehicle was repaired. Furthermore, the longer the wait, the further would be the rest of the team, and the more difficult to find them. The team was finally reunited at about 10pm, the time when the last cyclist also clocked in. The weather varied from an overcast sky in the morning to heavy downpours and thunderstorms, losing some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable, as the team went through the Tatra mountain region. Indeed, it was very easy to imagine being in Norway or Switzerland, but much less expensive. The route carried them towards the quaint village of Żywieg, amidst beautiful scenery and unimaginable tranquility, a stark contrast to the morning’s busy roads where the cyclists had to be very careful, especially of the large trucks and trailers zooming by. Apart from the odd vehicles, the country roads were totally traffic free and the cyclists could fully enjoy the incredible scenery, although they had to endure some very steep climbs, ranging from 6% to 10% gradient. Added to that, the cyclists also had to be very careful of some very narrow and steep down hills. After such a long and tough day, the HSBC Life Cycle Team would have been extremely grateful for any accommodation. Therefore, they greatly appreciated the warm welcome given By Mr. Maciej Gibas, headmaster of the Gimnazjum Nr 2, who not only offered clean lodgings, but stayed with them all night to see that nothing was amiss!