NO PLAN B

NIKOLINE: When I realised that my good friend Gabriele wanted to race the Swiss Epic, I got really excited – and pretty jealous. I wanted to race too, but her plan was to team up with her husband. Then a message arrived from Gabriele. She had ditched her husband (as her teammate) and wanted to race with me! Her husband teamed up with a friend, so win-win for all. We were going to the Swiss Epic!

Then another message arrived...

GABRIELE: Three weeks before Swiss Epic – I crashed on bike. Broken radius, hole in chin and antibiotics – not exactly how I imagined the final weeks of preparation for the peak of the season.

I might be naive or stupid (or both), but still believe I can start the Swiss Epic. Not sure about finishing it, but there is no Plan B at the moment. No one else will believe it, if you won’t.

Full focus on the fastest recovery possible.

GABRIELE: I made huge progress during this week, but it’s still not enough to ride the bike outside. Time is ticking, but there’s nothing more we can do – just keep waiting until the bone heals more. I’m continuing alternative training indoors and I’ll add hiking/running next week too.

„

Everything I did was supervised by professionals. Don't try this at home with broken bones.

Swiss Epic is on! The adrenaline is blasting and we’re in the wild rush of racing.

NIKOLINE: Gabriele feels ready to race! We will be on the start line for Swiss Epic in two days. Perfect preparation for the World Champs in MTBO (mountain bike orienteering). Plus we have to beat Gabriele’s husband!

Stage 1

GABRIELE: Successfully completed without any falls or crashes – that is the main goal for this competition. The arm feels ok, I’m descending slowly without taking any risks. The smile on my face should tell you how much I appreciate flow trails.

Stage 2

NIKOLINE: “Have you remembered to eat?” Eat!

GABRIELE: If you ever cycled the Stelvio Pass and thought it was a tough climb, be sure – the Stelvio is peanuts. The Queen Stage here included Scaletta Pass, 2600m at the summit with some hike-a-bike sections at the very top. But the descent afterwards (even for me) was rewarding. Impressed by @niko_splittorff's vibe and partnership throughout the six hour race.

Stage 3

GABRIELE: A 4.5 hour recovery ride before the last two stages. So proud to be able to continue and so thankful to Nikoline for never losing her motivation.

NIKOLINE: Shorter stage but still a lot of climbing! Loved every metre of it, though the steep rocky downhill did my knees dirty due to too much hiking… Love to share this adventure with Gabriele who is all you can ask for in a riding partner! You are absolutely killing it. Thanks for bearing with me! Three stages down – two to go.

Stage 4

GABRIELE: Mindset change from “not being sure if we could start” to “racing with other UCI Women’s teams”. P7 in this stage after a sprint finish of seven riders in the last kilometre of a 5+ hour race. Just epic.

Stage 5

NIKOLINE: Finish line hugs hit differently with this one.

Nikoline Splittorff, Denmark
Three-time World Champion MTBO
Three-time European Champion MTBO
MTBO World Cup Winner 2023

Gabriele Andrasiuniene, Lithuania
World Champion MTBO
European Champion MTBO
Multiple-time National Champion MTBO