Now I know why the banked curve is called a banked curve. I'm standing in the Augsburg velodrome and can't believe my eyes: a wall rises up in front of me; a wooden wall sloping slightly backwards. After countless visits to six-day races, I actually know what a cycling track looks like. But you only realise how steep the bends really are when you stand right in front of it. And a smooth wooden parquet floor sloping at 45 degrees across the direction of travel doesn't inspire confidence. The anticipation of my first laps on a cycling track suddenly disappears: how am I supposed to steer safely through these wooden mountains on a racing bike without brakes and with a fixed hub, where the cranks are always turning during the ride? Albert Hofstetter, Chairman of the Augsburg Cycling Club, smiles mildly. He is used to the nervousness of beginners. Adults in particular are insecure at first, whereas children are much more relaxed. "They show no fear and just go for it."
The personal experiences of the TOUR editor during the laps on the track can be found in the PDF download.
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