*Chapter 34*
Bile Beans

 
The ride up the valley this time was a more serious affair, eight of us sharing the workload, really this lap we need to consolidate our lead. Josh was holding back a bit and perhaps I wasn’t taking as long a turn as some of the others but no one was complaining. Daz just followed through, I'm pretty sure he doesn’t have a plan beyond being here.

"Pretty intense huh?” the English suggested.

Hark at me, you’d think I wasn’t British too if that makes sense.

"Still a long way to go,” I allowed.
"So what’s the plan?”
Yup, he doesn’t have a plan. Well I know Dad says we’re different teams but a bit of cooperation is okay right?
"Big lad in the black and red, he’s the most danger here, watch his wheel,” I suggested.
"On it.”

 
Josh joined me after the pre lane climb, "Daz in the fold?”
"A willing volunteer.”
"Lad in green’s the weak one.”
"Push up the climb again?” I suggested.

By now our little group had attracted the service bike, our lead is out over the thirty seconds, I reckon we need a couple of minutes by the end of this lap to be safe but getting a time check today – not happening. We started the climb that started things last time around, Josh took the initiative and kept a high tempo up the grade, not letting up until we’d cleared the Dorf. A quick check confirmed my wingman’s thoughts, green shirt was struggling at the back of the group, the last thing we need is a passenger.

To be fair, once we were over the top of the circuit everyone resumed a good work ethic, we had a chance for a breather, well to ride at a less intense level at least.

 
"How’s it going?” Paul asked as we were sucked along the main road.
I gave my assessment, “reckon we can hold this.”
"My sister is a big fan of you.”

Where did that come from?

"Didn’t know you had one.”
"She is like fourteen, a pain most of the time,” he allowed.
"So does she ride?”
"Hates bikes with a vengeance.”
"So how come she’s a ‘fan’?”
"Dunno, she keeps on about you rockin’ the Families.”
"Eh?”
“You did look pretty hot in Stern the other week.”
“You read that rag?”
"Hardly,” he shot back, "But Angelika, she insisted on showing me the ‘hot Fräulein’ I should date, it was you eh?”
"Bit hard to miss with this hair eh,” I allowed.
"I recognised your smile.”
"Ot oh,” I broke the conversation, "Looks like time for work.”

 
Indeed, there was action ahead of us, an attack by the lad in green would you believe. He only got about twenty meters before Josh had him pegged but like a terrier, he held doggedly on through the island turn and into the descent to Dietenhofen. I know its a race but seriously, attack at the top of the only significant descent on the circuit?

We were strung out line astern as we turned into the finishing straight, the slight grade being enough to kerb the move. Indeed, by the line we were back in a single lump of riders and machines.

"One forty!” Dad yelled.
"Go Apollinaris!” Angela added.
"Up, up, up!”
"Hang in there Daz!”
"Beans!” I added loudly.

I flicked my Ergo and stood on the pedals, darting past the others at a velocity that gave me twenty metres before there was any reaction. Time trial mode was engaged as I passed the Herpa factory, not sure where Dad got his time information from but its not a huge lead, any mucking about and it’ll be down the pan, especially if the sprinters teams get a sniff. I kept going full gas through the next village only easing off a touch as the road joggle up and down a bit.

My move was sort of planned but not quite so soon, twenty five kilometres is a fair way to be on your own. It was however a pre emptive move, green shirts move may have been daft but I reckon it presaged more attacks this lap. I took bite of energy bar and a swig from my bottle before re-engaging the turbo so it was with a little surprise that I realised I wasn’t alone.

"Wasn’t sure you’d come up Josh,” I gasped out.
"Its not Josh,” Innerthausen’s softer tones advised.

Bummer, of all of them in the group he’s the one I want to contest the finish with least. Oh well, at least he’ll work. The comfort is that of the six behind, two will be blocking for us, well I'm pretty sure Daz will follow Josh’s ‘example’.

 
Clearly you can’t ride in the same way as a duo as you would in a larger group, it doesn’t mean you don’t co-operate, you just do it differently. We managed a fast rotation until the first climb up which it was every man – and woman, for themselves. Once onto the lane however and two gain a road space advantage over a bigger field, my only worry now was a mechanical.

For a fourth time we hit the slopes of the Obernbibert, a climb we took more steadily this time. I risked a quick glimpse back as we reached the turn, the others were just in sight behind, we have maybe thirty seconds advantage. Its not a huge gap but I reckon if we get over the next lump at Hainklingen with at least half that we can hold out on the faster, down sloping roads back to Dietenhofen.

I dropped a sprocket and looped past my companion out of the village, giving it full gas all the way to the climb. Paul took over as we started the climb but by halfway up I could hear gears being changed behind us, dang! I stood to keep on top of the gear and forced myself upward at one hundred and ten percent.

By the turn out onto the main road my vision was blurring, my thighs burning and my breath ragged. I sat and concentrated on getting the legs round quickly but without unduly adding to my fatigue. A quick check revealed Innerthausen a few lengths in arrears in a similar state, so its not just me being a girl!

But Paul wasn’t the concern, that was the chasers. I took another tug on my bottle as I waited for my companion to reconnect, once he did it was back to the job in hand. With any luck there’ll be at least Josh running interference behind but there's no place for complacency. Paul might be taller than me by some way but we sort of compliment each other in this situation, I get more shelter, he gets more KPH.

The Neudorf church spire, a marker for the roundabout we turn at, came into view, I so wanted to look behind but daren’t. Instead I did my best to keep things rolling smoothly, the five to go board was already history, we have ten minutes racing tops remaining. I might have the technique but Paul has more grunt which makes him dangerous at this point, each time we rotated I was having to fight to make his wheel as he powered through.

The big yellow sign announcing the junction hove into view then took an age to reach. I wanted to be at the back on the run in but I was leading into the island, bum. Well I guess that can be fixed, I didn’t touch the brakes but instead took a wide line into the Dietenhofen road, Paul couldn’t help himself, diving through the inside into pole position.

Two, mostly downhill kilometres to go. I'm pretty sure by his body language he knew he’d been duped back there but to give him his due he kept going, I think we both knew that any games at this point could lose the race for both of us. Through the chicane into the town and as the gradient ran out the kilo board taunted us.

I have a plan, of course I do, whether it’ll work is another matter. Innerthausen’s best chance as a non sprinter is to go for a long one, he won’t expect me to do the same – I hope. He glanced briefly behind as we approached the last corner, the turn into the finishing straight.
His expression told me a lot, any thoughts of delaying my launch went out of the window. We swooped through the corner and I lit the blue touch paper, well engaged the twelve sprocket at least. He was expecting me on the outside, I didn’t disappoint going well wide on the closed street.

Have I blown it? He came back to me, drew level even on the rise to the line but at two hundred he blew. There was still no chance of letting up as the cheering from spectators confirmed more riders astern, I only sat up to claim the victory with ten metres to go.

 
"Another fifty,” Daz bubbled at me as I hung over my bars collecting my breath.
"But there wasn’t another fifty,” Caro observed passing him a bottle, "Well done Gaby.”
"Cheers,” I managed to get out before hawking a gobbet of bile into the gutter.

I heard rather than saw the rest of the bunch come in, there certainly wasn’t as much as two minutes between my finish and theirs. The result? Well apart from me of course, Paul got overhauled for second by Daz, apparently the best of the rest in a sprint. It was a good result for the newbies even if Cav came in with a face like thunder – hey you do what you need to in this game!

 
"Done,” I announced as I left the shower cubicle.
"Cheers,” Tal allowed, we’re using the camper, as usual the girls changing is a bit lacking, one port a shower thing outside the ‘changing room’ whilst the lads get the full tennis club facilities.

I dressed in shorts and a camisole and headed outside.

"Where are you off to?” Dad enquired.
“Just a short walk, they’ll be in the shower for ages yet.”
"Got your phone?”
I patted the rear pocket of my Daisy’s, “yup.”
"Don’t go too far.”
"I won’t,” I could see my target barely two hundred metres further up the road.

 
Okay, call me sad but I was quite taken by seeing the Herpa factory, the actual place where those tiny jewels of my desires are actually made. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do once I got there but that's not important is it. I skipped out to the road, crossed to the path and walked out towards the low building.

There was definitely something going on, they had a ‘Herpa’ ezy up and there were a load of what looked like ‘classic’ cars parked along the front of the building. I pulled out my phone and took a pic, it might not be high quality but its better than nothing. I continued along to where the buildings entrance appeared to be, a huge name board and the familiar stripes standing boldly by, I reckon this is worth a selfie!

“You are a fan eh?” a voice enquired from beside me.
"Er sorry,” I hadn’t realised anyone was nearby, "A bit, I saw it earlier and had to get a piccy, what’s with the autos?”
"A club from Ingolstadt, they come for a visit during a weekend to Rothenburg.”
"Some nice cars,” I allowed.
"So what brings you to these parts? By your accent you are from the en ar vey? oh Claus by the way.”
"Er Gaby, bit south of Bonn," I didn’t know I had an accent, "the race, four times around the block,” I offered pointing down the road.
"Ah yes, if you go about as much as I do you can spot them, so you have a good result?”
I blushed, "Er I won,” my hand nervously playing with a lock of hair.
"Well that deserves a reward, you want to come inside, to the museum?”

Museum? There’s a Herpa Museum?

"I shouldn’t, its a private thing.”
"And I'm inviting you to join me, as my guest.”
Oh – my – god! Should I, shouldn’t I? Well it would be churlish to turn it down and who knows if I'll get the chance again?
"Er yes please!”

I followed him past an old Trabant emblazoned with the company name and across to the glass facade. He waved and exchanged greetings with a couple of people as we went inside then led the way up stairs. It felt a bit weird, naughty even to be here but upstairs there were a few people about amidst the cabinets and displays.

"Our history,” he proudly pronounced, "Go explore, its not big but neither are our models eh?”
"Er thanks, this is super.”
"I need to mingle, I'll find you in a short while eh? If you need anything Reinhold over there in the red, will look after you.”

I nodded in agreement, a grin plastered across my face.

© Maddy Bell 05.06.17