Introduction, or never again in Polish mountains

10 hours, so we spent twice on the road between Warsaw and Nove Leśna within 4 days. This gave a total of about 1050 km - a good result, because you do not look at it, faster than on a bike. We left a day later to avoid traffic jams, we came back a few hours earlier to get ahead of them. It was useless - Krakow is always standing, if not in Zakopane, either in the center or on the gates. In 10 hours you can get to the Karkonosze without stress ... and come back again. You can get to Tyrol or Bavaria - quite pleasant places. Each time I am near Zakopane, I promise myself that I am going there for the last time. It does not matter if we are traveling through Zakopianka, or side roads, so steep, that in order to drive up in a traffic jam we must all leave the car. If I think that in July we will still have Tatra Road Race and Tatry Tour, I would like to send an appropriate e-mail requesting a connection to Poprad. Is Jarna Klasika worth it?

Logistics, or how to live in the wilderness

For years, going to Jarna Klasica and the Tatry Tour two months later, we sleep in the vicinity of Nova Lesna. The place is great, because we are everywhere just as far away. Far away at the start (i.e. close, but for a long time, because these 3 kilometers usually travel in a dozen or so minutes - an average of 7%), far away on all recommended hills, far to Poprad, where we are in the evenings - perfect place, for people who like to make things difficult. At this point, someone might ask: "THIS IS WHAT I HAVE WORKING FOR 3 YEARS?" - I do not know. One day, we will certainly think about this question.
Nova Leśna, it is not difficult to guess, it lies next to Stara Lesna. What's best about it is that it lies at the exit from the Vysoke Tatry to the land of cheap food - Poprad. This downhill has one gentle bend on the length of 6.5 km - and almost 300 meters of continuous up-down (the other side is about 1 meter, which says a lot about flattening). This is one of the most depressing ways I know. For a change, the whole flatness of the Poprad region can be seen from the great road that goes along the Tatra slope:

If someone was not in Slovakia, its borderline looks like time has stopped in it a long time ago, just after the explosion. There are not only advertising banners, houses in every possible (and impossible) place, and tourists and trees are in a very limited number. In short: there is nothing and I write about it many times (Slovakia: a country of emptiness, carpets, Gypsies ... and beautiful routes or here the Slovak Paradise: emptiness, mountains and occasionally Gypsy children in the puddle). Architecture is more or less the same:

Returning to food and prices. It's best to eat in pubs. Everything costs 5 euros on the market. Whether it's pizza, riceotto, hamburger or local cheese (which tastes like tofu crossed with Brie in breadcrumbs). In stores it is generally more expensive than at our place. The same, only more expensive - just like with gasoline. If not for the Lotus cookie cream, I would even say that it is not worth visiting Tesco / Lidl, because you can bring the same from your home.

But the fact that there is nothing in Slovakia does not mean that it is not worth going there. By choosing Jarna Klasika, there is usually not much free time for sightseeing. Below are 4 ramps, which I think you have to include by staying in our area (the more ambitious can add a loop through Osturna and Magura - https://www.strava.com/activities/589673661). Aha, an important issue - there is 12% for each driveway - that is what traffic signs claim.

Hrebienok, or an ugly word for the letter "h"

The first point - Hrebienok. Widokowo, the worst, but it is on it ends the race referred to in this entry. A dozen or so minutes of driveway is a real torment that allows you to leave the last remaining energy that we managed to keep while driving. Once, watermelons, wafers and other pleasures waited upstairs - now only water, juice and 3 girls who scrupulously record the place of arrival and the time they have received on the card. After the race, we will probably not return to this driveway anymore (ie we will return to tourists, because we will be there on it exactly for a year - on the days of the race and a moment earlier, to remind ourselves of it).

Štrbské Pleso, a lake with a view of luxury

It was here that last year ended one of the stages of the Tour de Pologne - the equivalent of our Bukowina lies on a hill - on the one hand a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains, a ski jump and a complex, on the other, a view down. Between them, the unkindly expensive Kempiński hotel.

It's worth going for the view down. A moment on the local bench is a must for at least 3 trips during the year, including min. one in the snow. By choosing there in the winter weather, you can forget about the road. Even if it is nice all around, the road will be icy and covered with classic Slovak gravel, which effectively removes varnish from the most inaccessible places. Benches present themselves like this:

On the other side, the previously mentioned lake, an ideal place for contemplation and selfification: 

To make it a bit more funny, you can take a picture of people in the SPA - the view is nice, but in the long run boring which confirms the reflection in the windows, so you can give it a moment to spice up.

Skalnate Pleso, or downhill school

The driveway I discovered this year. I do not know if it is normal that there are so few people on it, but I have not met almost anyone. This may be due to the cable car (which runs almost to the top of the highest mountain visible in the picture below), thanks to which you can avoid walking with asphalt. The asphalt, which is not only perfectly balanced and contoured, is divided into two parts - pedestrian and pedal cars. I do not know if it is a special track, but there are appropriate warnings in front of each corner, which makes this route ideal for learning how to ride down and make turns in rails, even for people who ride it for the first time.

The views downward resemble a little of Hrebienok, with the difference that the panoramas have not yet been covered by the growing trees. Well, we're going along the ski slope.

Horizon all the time looks more or less like this. Somewhere in the distance you can see Poprad and other mountains on the horizon.

Sliezsky house, or almost like in the Alps

The Silesian House is by far the most epic of all places that we can visit in the area. The driveway is long, heavy and tiring, but the views at the end compensate everything. The lake resembling a bit of Morskie Oko (with the difference that tourists are about 15,000 times less), a winding road, brook streams, a shelter and crystal clear water is a great compensation for this unjust fight.

The access road may be a problem. If the first half is exemplary, the farther, the worse. Aspects of asphalt for gravel slowly begin to turn over, at times making the road consists of stones and craters. No problem podjeżdżalne on the road, but if someone significantly translates the condition of their tubers over the audiovisual experience, it can be unhappy. Complementing this with transverse gutters reminiscent of those of the short Beskid Loop - or by jumping with a bike, or we will go without a bicycle. Fortunately, we are going downhill along the same road that we came up a moment earlier, thanks to that we are aware of their existence. Otherwise, it would be a nice surprise. I would even say that it's cool. But all this is not important, just look at this water:

Jarna Klasika, or verification if the boys do not cry

Let's get to the main theme - Jarna Klasik's race, after all we went there. We are there for another year in a row and for another year in a row is identical. There are the same people in the same costumes, the same Gypsy children, the same old Skoda flag, the same hills, the same route and thanks to it is just as great. This, in my opinion, is one of the best races in the season despite the fact that the route is neither extremely difficult nor scenic.

I have the impression, however, that from year to year the level is getting higher, although it may be the effect of saying that "you always suffer the same way, but you go faster and faster". 

Let's start with the small changes that have recently appeared. The start is no longer from the Grand Hotel, and a few hundred meters away - it's a good change - we are moving from a place whose slope is about 10% smaller. There is also this awkward moment when you circulate in soaked clothes around the hotel with a bicycle under your arm, among people in bathrobes, to find yourself in a restaurant that will treat you with a ball of rice and 50 grams of chicken aesthetically arranged in a figurine that fits on one spoon table. Instead, we get a serious portion of rice with potatoes (?!) And a solid portion of chicken in the dining room, next to which stands the TV with the penultimate stage of Giro.

The start itself is also much safer. At Jarna, I was always bothered by the start of the multi-kilometer descent. About 150-person group speeding over 60km / h without any pre-selection is asking for problems. The organizer probably took it to heart and the initial kilometers were taking place at a reasonable pace, controlled by a security car. Only brake pads are not satisfied with this solution. For the first time, I did not see any accident or emergency braking on the initial stretch.

The race itself was the same as usual. The first kilometers are light, then harder and harder, to Gypsy supporters on a small uphill. Then a short, narrow section with curves and a driveway to the garbage dump, which begins a serious racing. This is where the race really begins.

This year it was more crowded on the roads - a lot of cars and a few roundabouts on the roadsides, which were not worth shortcuts, because it could end up being a serious headlamp. Several times I stay behind by such a mistake and to catch up with the group I extinguish the next candles. The key moment is a man lying and crying in the middle of the road, which stops us practically in place. Going to the group and this unfortunate garbage soon ends my driving pleasure. I shot to the end and it's harder than ever.

I do not know if I used to drive as much as I did that day. In my group of about 30 people, I am carrying myself on the front but no changes. I suffer, but the most normal in the world I have no strength.

In the group we go almost all the time, the ramps are too short to break up, and the wounds, unlike the first group (apparently, not that I ever rode in it) are too weak. Only on the penultimate driveway is the first verification and the first victims appear. A huge estimate for Słowaczka in a blue outfit, which despite the pulse reaching the value of over 300 (I judge it with hearing and sight) is not enough that it stays in the group, it still gives changes. Yes - a woman carrying a large, male peloton on flat.

On the last straight before Hrebienok, there are a few of us left. We drive so slowly that the rear rows are dozing off. We all have three last kilometers in front of our eyes, which are three kilometers longer in the dock. The downpour a little improves the mood, because through the unpractical heat of the route, the water bottles are over and begin to get riveted. The rain pours evenly and heavily to let go in the very driveway and greet us at the finish line with the sun drying.

I drive with Łukasz. Driving with a friend has the advantage that even if you do not have enough strength, it turns out that the reserve is big enough not to let him leave. Chasing the change, we save our honor by overtaking the race winner a few meters before the line. That was close! We are going to zero but a lot of people are left behind. The result on the line is decent but of course, as always, unsatisfying. One day I will be able to get there in the first group ...

Jarna Klasika is a compulsory race for me in the season. Although the journey is a massacre, fatigue reaches the highest level this year and the race itself lasts six times less than a stay in the car.

Although, both these three heavy hours on the route and the unfortunate stay in the area of ​​Zakopianka, I told myself that you have to quit this sport, I know well that next year we will go there again. Again, we meet the same people, the same children will shout flagging and eat the same pizza in the same place. I would recommend.