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Training with Christian Knees
05/04/2024
Following Christian Knees’ traces through the natural park Knottenforst-Ville into the northern Eifel: Today, the „Rund um Köln“ winner presents one of his most beautiful training routes. The MILRAM pro’s course is about 100 kilometers long, the first 30 kilometers are ideal to get started, later some climbs in the northern Eifel follow.
Christian Knees’ training route starts in Walberberg, a district of Bornheim. From there, the course begins flat on the cycle path along he L183 to Marten. Turning right to Rösberg on the K33 the first climb waits. „It’s pretty steep for a warm up,“ Knees says. „So use a small gear and do the climb as relaxed as possible.“ After that it gets flat again, only the wind could slow you down a little – or quicken the ride. Knees only passes by Metternich and at the end of the K33 turns left into the L163 towards Heimerzheim. The MILRAM rider passes straight through the town and in Dünstekoven turns right on the K9 to Ollheim. „Sometimes I take some shortcuts until I’m here, but it’s impossible to explain them,“ Knees says. In Essig he turns right on the B266, leaving it again soon by turning left on the L11 to Odendorf. „This is the last opportunity to refill the water bottles,“ says Knees. The next points on his route are Palmersheim and Flamersheim. There he passes straight through a roundabout, goes left on a T-crossover, then straight on towards Waldau and another 500 meters later left towards Schweinheim. There, Knees turns left on a T-crossover on the L210 towards Loch. „Now we’re getting into the Bergisch area. On the left and right there are the first hills, but they’re not exhausting yet,“ Knees says. Near Loch his training route leads him over the old Rheinbacher racing course. A course he has good memories of. „Here, I won the national league race in my first year as an amateur,“ Knees tells.
In Loch it goes straight over the L210 to Kurtenberg, then on the big crossroads right on the L113 to Scheuren. „Now the terrain is hilly. To Kurtenberg it goes uphills, than down to Scheuren, but it’s getting even better,“ Knees tells. He passes straight through Scheuren and after a hollow turns left on the L487 to Houverath. „Then we go to the Sahrtal. It’s a beautiful area where I already trained a lot in the junior class,“ Knees says. „What’s best about it: the street is absolutely calm.“ Via Kirchsahr he arrives in Binzenbach. On the L76 Alenthar is signposted. Before Kreuzberg, the joyride is over. „There we turn left to Krälingen, where a climb of about five kilometers with some serpentines waits for us. It gets quite even inbetween, but offers enough opportunity to let off stream,“ Knees says. He passes straight through Krälingen. While the ascent continues it goes over the comb to Vellen and then to Freisheim. Christian Knees: „After that we have to keep right towards Berg. But there is a descend first in which you have to be careful. Then it goes into the forest, and there are some narrow turns.“ The turn to Berg goes right. „There’s a reason for the name of the place, for there’s another good climb again,“ Knees warns not to spend too much power too early.
From Berg it goes towards Todenfeld via the L492 to Rheinbach. „In Rheinbach we keep right, turn left on the second traffic lights next to the shopping street towards Oberdrees and again right to Peppenhoven and Morenhven,“ Knees recommends. The L493 takes Knees back to Dünstekoven and the start of his round. „Finally you can enjoy the descent from Rösberg, then you’ve done it.“
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