"Is it always like this?" Those were the words uttered about 10 minutes into today's Saturday morning Eros Poli ride by a new rider. Little did he know that the ride would only get faster.
It was a gorgeous day today with the temperature reaching 64F. The ride start times are now at 0830 and with the weather so nice everyone was frisky.
Eros, thankfully, takes mercy on us. He clearly is very relaxed while we are all working pretty good. Even though he has been out of the pro ranks for 8 years now he's obviously in another solar system when it comes to riding.
Good example: there is popular, short climb (short as in short for Italy, long for New Jersey) out of Bardolino called the "Pino". One of the the guys thought he would attack Eros and have some fun. Eros put it in the 53x17, then 53x15, and just ROCKETED uphill. The acceleration was so fast it was hard to fathom.
Once we did the climb we really motored back to Verona with Eros easily pulling us along. I'd guess the average on the way back was 23mph +. Not being sure it inspired me to finally get a new battery in my Mavic computer. I have a love/hate relationship with bike computers; most of the time I don't like to use one.
It looks like I'll be going to the TdF to watch some stages; more on that in the future. Also, Ms. E. bought a beautiful city bike today; I'll take some photos soon.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Thursday, March 8, 2007
The Nightmare of Mounting Michelin Axial Pro Tires
Michelin Axial Pro tires are well regarded so when a pair came on Italian ebay (another story for another day!) for 20 Euro I grabbed them. In a nice green sidewall no less, to compliment the green highlights on my Malagnini frame.
I've read endless stories about how hard Michelin tires can be to mount. Having changed many tires and tubes I figured, "How hard can it be?".
It was HARD! Bruised fingers and 3 tire irons later I had managed to get them on. Despite being careful I found a flat this morning; I must have damaged the inner tube. So, I had to do the front over again. It was a little easier this time as the tires had stretched just a little.
Looking forward to my ride on them tomorrow, and praying I don't have a flat.
Lately I've been using Schwalbe tires which have turned out to be terrific. Before that it was Continental tires. Both were easy to put on.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Looking back: Climbing the famous "Stelvio"
This ride was organized by my cycling club as part of its summer program. The Passo dello Stelvio is located in Italy, and at 2757 m (9,045 feet) is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps. Of course, it is famous with cyclists as some epic battles have been fought here in the Giro d'Italia. I should add the real epic battles have been fought here as well: before the end of WW I, it formed the border between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Italian Kingdom. During the WW I, fierce battles were fought in the ice and snow of the area.
It is possible to climb the Stelvio from two different sides; from Bormio and from Prato, both in Italy. It is also possible to reach the Stelvio from Switzerland, namely from St. Maria. The toughest and most spectacular climbing is from Prato which is where we would start our climb. With 48 hairpins, each numbered on a stone, it is regarded as one of the finest continuous hairpin sectors in the Alps.
We departed from Verona at 2:00pm on Friday, July 7th, 2006. It was a 3 hour drive to Prato allo Stelvio which is approximately 75km from Bolzano. It rained quite hard on the way up and things looked bleak for our Saturday morning ride up the Stelvio. We enjoyed a very nice dinner, enjoying local cuisine at our hotel (Wellnesshotel Zentral, 39026 Prato allo Stelvio, Alto Adige- Italia Tel. 0473616008). The forecast for Saturday was not good, and the rain through the night was worrisome.
Fortunately, when we woke up it had stopped raining but the forecast called for rain again in early afternoon. So, it was a quick breakfast and on the road on our bikes by 8:00a.m. My roommate did nothing but snore loudly all night so I didn't have a great night of sleep.
The Passo dello Stelvio is 24,3 km (15.1 miles) long. The average gradient percentage is 7.4 %. The first 10Km or so is a gradual uphill along a beautiful river. You then come up upon the first switchback which has a sign: 47. So. now you know you have 47 switchbacks to go! Each one of them is numbered. And, there is quite a bit of distance between the switchbacks; only at the top to they get closer together. It's an awesome sight when you are climbing and the switchbacks are before you up, up, and away. I felt really good, and alternated between seated climbing and dancing on the pedals out of the saddle. 2.5 hours later I was at the top! I didn't climb for time; just to survive (smile). Just imagine climbing Schooley's Mountain for 15 miles.
Unfortunately, the club van couldn't make it to the top (carburetor problems) so I didn't have my camera up there. The altitude is quite a bit higher than Mont Ventoux. Ventoux is 1900m asl and the Stelvio is 2,700m asl. We were going to cycle down the other side into Switzerland and come back into Italy but because of the van problems we had to ride down the way we come up. Even though it was July it was cold up there. It began to rain so we left the top after about half an hour. You had to be really paying attention on the way down!
I found Mont Ventoux harder. I think it was steeper (10% vs 7.4%), it was a cool 9c when we started the Stelvio climb vs. the hot, hot, hot day we went up Ventoux, and I think I'm actually in a little better shape a few weeks later. Also, the switchbacks allow you to rest just a tiny bit whereas Mont Ventoux does not have switchbacks (except for two at the top). I'm surprised, looking back, that I arrived at the top of Ventoux more quickly than Stelvio.
I found Mont Ventoux harder. I think it was steeper (10% vs 7.4%), it was a cool 9c when we started the Stelvio climb vs. the hot, hot, hot day we went up Ventoux, and I think I'm actually in a little better shape a few weeks later. Also, the switchbacks allow you to rest just a tiny bit whereas Mont Ventoux does not have switchbacks (except for two at the top). I'm surprised, looking back, that I arrived at the top of Ventoux more quickly than Stelvio.
It was another excellent adventure!
Photos: a view of Passo dello Stelvio showing upper switchbacks, a view looking down at some hairpins, a photo of the glacier that is to the left as you climb, the daunting view of what is left to go, me after coming partially down.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Strange Reason for a Fast Ride
With rain in the forecast for the next two days I really wanted to make today's, Tuesday, San Zeno group ride. The only problem was that friends were finally, after several months of waiting, getting their high speed internet connection installed today. There was a possibility I might be needed to bridge the language gap.
The ride to Torri del Benaco and the climb to Albisano was spirited. We swooped down to Garda and stopped for a quick espresso. Just as we were departing for the return to Verona my cell phone rang. The Italia Telecom guy needed me. I said, "I'll be there in one hour." That meant that I really needed to haul.
The return back to Verona is usually at a higher clip than the outgoing leg. But, for me to make it in an hour we really had to be moving. I hadn't said anything to the group so everyone was kind of off-guard when I started to constantly attack and go off the front....trying to keep the pace way up there. Now, this is a lot different than my typical wheel-sucking ways.
It was odd, the harder I went the better I felt. To make a long story short, it took 55 minutes from Garda to the center of Verona. That was ffffffast! My buddies were looking at me like I was crazy.
Now I'll go soak in the bathtub.....
Photo: I know I'm home when I roll into Piazza Bra past the Roman coliseum
Sunday, March 4, 2007
New climb finishing with lunch in Piazza Erbe
Today, Sunday, March 4th, was a beautiful day. It was so nice that all I needed were bib shorts, and a base under a short sleeve jersey. Spring is here...already!
After breakfast and a stroll around Verona with E. I went on a solo ride to try a new climb I discovered last week. It felt so good to be riding without long pants, a jacket, and long fingered gloves. From Verona I headed west along the Lungadige to Parona and onto via Valpolicella. Before arriving at Negrar I turned back east and climbed this beautiful road up to Montecchio. From there it was more climbing along a very narrow ridge road with views of Lago di Garda.
After winding my way back to Verona, E. and I decided to have lunch in Piazza Erbe, a square full of life and colours as only some of the best squares of Italy can be. We sat in the sun, had a wonderful lunch, people watched, and relaxed. Life is good.
Photo: Piazza Erbe, green awnings are Cafe Filippini
Ride to medieval Castellaro Lagusello
The Saturday club ride departed Verona for Castellaro Lagusello in the Comune di Monzambano, Mantova. Castelalro Lagusello is a well preserved medieval village founded between 1100 and 1200.
".......enter a whole other dimension, peaceful and bucolic....the fortified village of Castellaro, which is mirrored in its heart-shaped lake, was first forgotten (thus we must give our thanks to the power of oblivion) and then – when people noticed that this corner of the Garda morainic amphitheater had miraculously escaped the plague of surveyors – it received tender loving care from the local council.
Thus the old Guelf walls, the streets paved with river stones, the exposed stone walls of the rectory and of the houses were saved: such as the house covered with climbing plants, opposite Villa Arrighi-Tacoli, which one would never tire of looking at, because it has remained intact since the 13th century.But let us proceed with order. One enters the small village from the north through a wide gate, which until the 1700s also had a drawbridge. A tall square tower, called the Clock Tower, rises above the gate to protect it.
Venturing further among the rustic houses, one soon comes to the Baroque church of San Nicola, which holds a wooden Madonna from the 1400s.
Following the tiny side streets, filled with a forgotten silence broken only by the scratching of chickens in the courtyards, one reaches the small square where stands the 19th-century Villa Arrighi (today owned by the Tacoli counts and open to visitors only by request), which incorporates a fort with defense walls with Guelf battlements and mullioned windows, from which there is a beautiful view of the lake and the surrounding countryside.
The villa is a transformation of the former feudal castle, and it incorporates the small church of San Giuseppe, which was completed in 1737 and holds a number of paintings from the 1600s. The church opens onto the square, from which one reaches the lake shore by going down a brief stairway. The wooden boats moored near the shore add to the idyllic enchantment of this place.
The view of the village from the south is also admirable, with the city walls from the 11th century (from the same period as the old castle and once including nine towers), the lake adorned with ditch reeds, and the luxuriant nature all around."
It was an enjoyable morning ride of 55 miles on quiet roads.
".......enter a whole other dimension, peaceful and bucolic....the fortified village of Castellaro, which is mirrored in its heart-shaped lake, was first forgotten (thus we must give our thanks to the power of oblivion) and then – when people noticed that this corner of the Garda morainic amphitheater had miraculously escaped the plague of surveyors – it received tender loving care from the local council.
Thus the old Guelf walls, the streets paved with river stones, the exposed stone walls of the rectory and of the houses were saved: such as the house covered with climbing plants, opposite Villa Arrighi-Tacoli, which one would never tire of looking at, because it has remained intact since the 13th century.But let us proceed with order. One enters the small village from the north through a wide gate, which until the 1700s also had a drawbridge. A tall square tower, called the Clock Tower, rises above the gate to protect it.
Venturing further among the rustic houses, one soon comes to the Baroque church of San Nicola, which holds a wooden Madonna from the 1400s.
Following the tiny side streets, filled with a forgotten silence broken only by the scratching of chickens in the courtyards, one reaches the small square where stands the 19th-century Villa Arrighi (today owned by the Tacoli counts and open to visitors only by request), which incorporates a fort with defense walls with Guelf battlements and mullioned windows, from which there is a beautiful view of the lake and the surrounding countryside.
The villa is a transformation of the former feudal castle, and it incorporates the small church of San Giuseppe, which was completed in 1737 and holds a number of paintings from the 1600s. The church opens onto the square, from which one reaches the lake shore by going down a brief stairway. The wooden boats moored near the shore add to the idyllic enchantment of this place.
The view of the village from the south is also admirable, with the city walls from the 11th century (from the same period as the old castle and once including nine towers), the lake adorned with ditch reeds, and the luxuriant nature all around."
It was an enjoyable morning ride of 55 miles on quiet roads.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Coming:Alpe d'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Telegraphe
Last year Eros Poli organized a great trip to Mont Ventoux (the stage he won in the 1994 TdF). Last night was the first meeting for those that are planning to participate in this year's trip.
The meeting was held at the Gruppo 1 club headquarters and as usual there was lots to eat and drink. It was a festive atmosphere with everyone talking about last year and what awaits us this summer.
Eros explained that this year's trip will be a 3 day weekend in June. We will be riding Friday afternoon, all day Saturday (see graph), and Sunday morning. Bourg d'Oisans will be our base in France. This year we'll be tackling several climbs: Alpe d'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Telegraphe, and others. It looks to be an absolutely spectacular area...on a completely different scale from a riding perspective. Thinking ahead I wish for good weather and good legs.
Eros' long time trainer, Elios, was there as well and he was kind enough to give me some training tips to build up more power. Looks like hill intervals in the big chainring are in my future. Can't wait! Not.
Photos: the village of Bourg d'Oisans, the switchbacks of Alpe d'Huez, a lone rider on Galibier, the Izoard, the profile for our Saturday ride ending at Alpe d'Huez.
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