On site at the Ennstal Classic 2011 - uphill and downhill
07/15/2011
At some point during the night, the dog must have shivered (explanation in the blog entry from July 13, 2011). Because the weather had changed. A cool 10 degrees Celsius and damp weather greeted the Ennstal-Classic participants on the Stoderzinken. Some of the pre-war participants and convertible drivers will have put on an extra layer of clothing . What caused trouble for the drivers was balm for the cars, because good engine cooling is essential when gradients of over 10% have to be overcome.
But even with good cooling, problems can occur. After two-thirds of the ascent, the classic car belonging to the ÖAMTC breakdown assistance organization was already missing a considerable amount of oil, so it was out of the question to continue driving. And the good guys didn't have any engine oil with them. In the end, however, they also reached the finish line.
The organizers had thankfully extended the target times on the Stoderzinken by one minute. As it turned out, some participants would not have been able to keep to the originally planned target times in wet conditions.
From the Stoderzinken, the route continued steeply downhill to the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg and then over the Nockalm and the Sölkpass to Grödming. This prologue was 381 km long, which is more than many classic cars cover in a year. Accordingly, minor and major problems arose here and there and the field of participants was reduced.
Nevertheless, the weather was largely merciful throughout the day and the temperatures even climbed above the 20-degree mark in places, which meant that the aforementioned open-top riders were once again able to wear their outfits more easily. However, the rain returned in the evening on the return to Grödming.
The participants were delighted with the choice of route and the special stage on the Red Bull Ring also met with approval.
But today will be even more challenging, with 512 km to cover on the grand tour. We stayed tuned.
