Germany’s Most Loaded Club Time-Trial Championship
Saturday rolled around and—boom—VFL Westercelle was back with its club time-trial champs. It always sounds modest, but with Thorsten, Paul, and the crew pulling strings, it packs a punch. That…
Datum
Lesezeit
Saturday rolled around and—boom—VFL Westercelle was back with its club time-trial champs. It always sounds modest, but with Thorsten, Paul, and the crew pulling strings, it packs a punch. That military-course in Bergen is rarely open, but when it is, folks show up—from near and far. I’ve popped up there before (here, here, here)—and since it fit the schedule perfectly this year, I hit the start line again.
The Course
15 km north on mint tarmac, a little rolly, then flip and hammer back. It’s on a military zone—meaning zero traffic, no spectators, no cameras. Perfect place to bury your head and go full send. Great chance to tweak your position to make up for the Watts you’re “missing.” Compared to three years ago, I’m still shy about 20–30 Watts.
Weather & Chill Hacks
Weather? Bingo-bongo. Chill breeze, warm enough that by the finish it was nearing 30 °C. In full kit and under an aero helmet, it can get toasty quick. My fix: a cooling vest, spline-doused in ice water—arms and legs too. Then, right before the start, I tuck frozen blue gel packs into the skinsuit. Keeps you cool for the first 20–30 minutes and smooths the chest/belly area—which, aerodynamically speaking, is the hot shit.
Rennverlauf
Start: gesittet, leichter Anstieg, Kopf unten. Die angepeilte Wattzahl wollte wieder nicht so ganz – also einfach aero fahren, beißen, nicht nachlassen. Mein 60er Monoblatt war auf der zweiten Hälfte eher suboptimal: bergauf zu dick, bergab fehlte der Bumms. Das wird bis zum KOTL noch optimiert – dann aber ohne 60 Zähne.
Race Flow
We kicked off smooth, little drag uphill, keeping that head and body low. Struggled to hit the target Watts again—so the mantra became: stay aerobic, grit teeth, don’t fold. My 60T mono-direct setup from training revealed its limits—too chunky on the climbs, too lethargic on the descents. Something to fix before the KOTL, and not with 60 teeth.
Because of the minute gap between starts, the course is peaceful—when someone overtakes you, they’re genuinely faster. On the way back, Herrn Cepnik—who started a minute behind me—buzzed past. My engine wasn’t totally cold, but I was flirting with the limit and battling a cough in real time. In the finish zone, that cough got a remix while I collapsed into the grass for a minute.
Results & Side Plot
At the podium, the surprise hit: I finished third overall. Ahead of me: Christoph Cepnik (about a minute ahead) and Louis Kitzki (see my post on him) with two minutes on me. Louis—freshly out of the pro scene at Alpecin—realized, maybe pro life’s not the dream job. Great move. Even on flat aluminum training wheels, he can still drop a near‑49 km/h average. Slightly decadent. Big respect.
Bottom Line
#aeroiseverything holds true. I saw a 3 in front of my Watt number again and clipped over 46 km/h for the first time this year. And a few more races stand between now and KOTL.
Results
Click here to download the document.
Plea time
Grassroots events like this need you. Don’t let time-trialing die. Jump in, show up, keep it alive. The classic Olmsruh apparently isn’t running anymore—participant shortage. Thorsten, Paul, and the other organizers give their free time to make this happen—let’s repay the favor.
Check dates at your favorite blog’s 2025 time‑trial schedule . And if you want speed gear, you know—derbaranski.shop.
Next stop for me: the Bremen time-trial on August 23rd. Let’s go. See you out there!
Nächster Stopp für mich: 23.8. Zeitfahren in Bremen über 17 Kilometer. Alles klar? Wir sehen uns!
Photos by Thorsten Lübke and Yannic Gerstung/Christoph Cepnik – many thanks to them.
