Hardbrakers X Bombtrack "Grandtour 2015: Warsaw – Helsinki"

GRANDTOUR:

WA R S AW – H E L S I N K I

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F R O M WA R S AW T O H E L ( L ) S I N K I

The fourth so called “Grandtour” of the Hardbrakers. The fourth unbelievable and extraordinary adventure where everyone of the crew is going to his physical limits. The fourth experience where their friendship is tested, muscles are on fire and bottom brackets are full of sand.

Year after year some of them decide to fight their weaker selves, hills, wind, bad roads and of course pain to get the best experience you can get on a bike. Around 2.000 km on a track bike in less than two weeks – hell yeah – all the way to Hel(l)sinki.

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To pedal every single meter and every single hill is an addictive activity which makes you cry, scream, sweat and curse and laugh every single day. Really, there is no such a thing as the Grandtour. Trust them!

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# H A R D B R A K E R S G R A N D T O U R 2 016

FINL AN D

RUSSIA ES TONIA LITHUANIA

P OL A ND

L AT VIA

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The others were supposed to meet at the Affenfaust Gallery at 12 am to prepare the car and load it up with buzz, equipment, spare parts and tools. With a self made wooden roof mount (the one we bought did not fit just as last year) for the second hand roof box and with a totally over loaded car these guys started five and a half hours later on their way to Warsaw.

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We were starting in two different groups from Hamburg. The first group took the train from Hamburg to Warsaw. These guys met at 10 am at the main station to take the train to Berlin and then to Warsaw later on. A few were drunk from last night and continued drinking on the train. Work hard, play hard, as Hardbrakers do!

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Meanwhile, the guys from the train arrived in the Polish capital at the place they could sleep, stay, drink and party for the next two days: the headquarter of Velove. After a warm welcome and some original Polish vodka the locals took us on a very special city ride: skyscrapers, velodromes, crazy housing complexes, beautiful landmarks, liquor stores, and much more… Party on!

– The four riders in Jeremy’s car arrived at a beach near the city center of Warsaw very late in the morning hours around 5 am. It was a wonderful moment with campfire, hugs and some wrestling action. Later that day, we prepared our bikes and ourselves for the first 200 km of the first stage on the next day and tried to find some sleep on the cold concrete floor.

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JO NIŠ KIS

KAUN AS

ELK

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WARSAW

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Just like every year Michal planned the route. And just like every year the route is not the shortest nor the fastest possibility, but the most exiting for sure. And just like every year everybody is bitching about the bad conditions of the roads we ride and the number of sandy field lanes we take. But nature’s beauty let’s us fizzle out the accumulated rage.

And again for the fourth time, the tour is starting already quite crazy and dirty. The first day was really cold and wet.

Not the best weather for about 200 km with a late start.

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„T his year: more sand in our shoes than in the desert of Morocco – all hail Michal!

T hank you!“

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The weather turned better and beside some flat tires and many energy bars, nothing new from the streets. A mix of gravel, mud, forest & urban roads as well as highway. The landscape is unbelievable beautiful and the team spirit also got better and better.

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– „Second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, kilometer by kilometer on our way to Hel(l)sinki .‟ –

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TALLINN

PÄRNU

RIGA N ARVA

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Finally arrived in Riga, we were very warm welcomed by the Tru Fix Cru. Right next to the bike shop we checked in to the Radisson f ucking four star Hotel. Using the spa area and swimming pool on our free day – beautiful! Additional we had a little crit on the 23 floor…

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– After a fun time with bumper cars and a short rest at the beach we found the Saulikrasti Bicycle Museum on our way to Pärnu. It is run by a family, who shows the father’s huge collection of historical bikes. Very impressive.

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Totally exhausted, hands hurting, ass anguished but mind open. We slept in a little but nice hostel next to “Baar Willy”, the place to be for breakfast in Pärnu.

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– E nd i ng u p w i th o u r c a r stu c k i n a d i tch i n th e m i d d l e o f fucking nowhere, i t to o k h o u r s to f i n d a f a r m er w i t h a tr a c to r p u l l i ng u s o u t .

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– Even the har sh cold rain during the last 50 kilometer s of a stage couldn’t change the super good vibes in the crew! Maybe, because of our energ y drink sponsor Helbing …

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– It feels good to be around with the boys for a fun city ride as well as some alleycat and track racing action in Tallinn. (Damn, we’re looking good with our new cut of denim jackets from Lee. More dangerous than Hells Angels, sexier than No Angels – #Hardbrakersstyle.)

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– Don’t tr y this at home kids. It takes 5 Hardbraker s, a traf fic sign post and some engineering to bend Rapha’s twisted frame back. Unlucky enough, K arl also destroyed Rapha’s weird adjustable Look stem.

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Stay tuned for our documentar y to see the whole stor y… Problems you don’t have with a bombtrack.

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– For many of us, it was the hardest day on the road so far. Injuries from the last days, strong head winds, slipper y roads, rain, weakened muscles and low morals to fight ag ainst. Nevertheless, it feels like we are getting into a f low ag ain. Luckily!

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It took a whil e til l th e c a r p a ssed the Ru s s i a n b o rder c o ntro l . We h a d to w a i t o n Russian ter r itor y and i t f el t b a d to see the c u sto m s o f f i c er s o p en th e tr u n k a n d d o u bl e ch ec k ever ything twice. Russi a n a u tho r i ti es‌ bu t i n the end : a l l g o o d !

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H E L SIN K I

VY BORG

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S T. PET ERS BURG

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– It was the fir st stage Carlos joined us by bike. And then it had to be the hardest routes we ever rode!

No joking! It was like hell! Swamp and mosquitoes killed us on the way to Saint Peter sburg . It was almost impossible to walk and car r y our bikes, let alone ride in this muddy hell.

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– Saint Peter sburg – WOW! Incomprehensible Russian wealth and poverty. T he Peter sburg fixed gear Crew ‘60° North’ took care of ever ything. Unbelievable nice guys and g als! We had three nice private places to stay, good food, fresh drinks and a crazy city ride with about 40-50 people.

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One highlight was the ‘Hardbraker s x 60°North’ party with Jeremy on the tur ntables. Shit was popping that night, Russian people sure know how to party!

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C omment by Andrey f ro m 6 0 ° N o r th who a c c o m p a ni ed u s f ro m St. Pete to H el ( l ) s i n k i : „ W h at th e f u c k . . . we a re r iding tr a ck bikes... I c l ea ned i t, p re p a red i t fo r a r i d e o n streets, wh at yo u a re d o i n g to th i s b i k es i s i n s a n e. I t’s l i ke ha m m er i ng d ow n a na i l to a w a l l w i t h a s m a r tp h o n e. . . ( l a u g h i n g ) . “ After t he proposa l of o u r Ru ssi a n f r i end s, we d ec i d ed to ta ke o u r res t i n a c i ty c a l l ed Vy b o r g p retty c l o s e to th e Finnish border . We chec ked i n at a ho stel to g et so m e sl ee p fo r o u r l a s t s ta g e to H el s i n k i , s ti l l 2 5 0 k m l ef t.

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After 1.912 km from War saw to Hel(l)sinki we are not only exhausted and des troyed, but we are happy and proud. We made it ag ain.

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Friendship can be so beautiful. Cycling connects. T hanks to ever yone who made this possible. All friends, crews and supporter s!

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CARLOS (FERNANDEZ L ASER)

Carlos (Fernandez Laser) loves fast things, preferred on two wheels but also loves them on four, with engines and without. He kicked off his photography love affair while capturing BMX and Punkrock shows.

Years later he is still in love and added a wild bunch of extras to that affair. Like hanging out with the Hardbrakers gang, travelling for fashion and advertisement clients or just sitting in his garage working on his two wheeled vehicles.

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Website: www.carlosfernandez.de | Instagram: @carlosfernandezlaser

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