Giro d' Italia

September 25, 2007

September 24, 2007

Day 9 - cruise around Verona and wine tasting

Today was pretty mellow for all. Rob who is now nursing a broken collarbone from a wipe out in a hot turn on yesterdays decent, put the group in slow motion too.

This mornings breakfast started later for everyone. Guy and I were first to motor out the door as we jumped on our bikes at 11am to track down the bike store. Reaching the store after 12pm, it was closed until 3pm, like all stores in italia.

Guy headed for Verona and I rode for the hills solo. I rode for 2.5 hours and took in about 50K winding through the vineyards just north of our villa. The soft almost tuscan hues were warming to my sole. After climbing for an hour, my bum was notably sore so I headed back.

Upon my return, Todd and I went for a canoe ride on the acqueduct then a spin into town for fromagi and Todd grabbed some gelato. I lead him out for the sprint to the two town signs.

At 5pm the winemaker gave us a tour of his wines, we did kartwheels on the lawn and had a picnic of group gathered foods! Great time!

Tomorrow we seek a mountain pass before the expected storm front moves in.

Our gelato fest

Back at the winery we went to the best gelatoria to get a sample platter for our picnic dinner. The guy at the gelato shop was confused at the request, but he obliged.

Our wine maker tasting!

Its a personal tasting lasting 2 hours!

September 23, 2007

Details

Italian Dogs don't know English

Except for NO and other tones you can express that "feel" similar, Tina, the dog pictured here has no clue what treat, go for a walk or sit mean. You'd think with a name like Tina it would know a few words of English.

Verona Sky

Day 8 - Verona to Fane and Lake Guarda

Guy and I small hurded it today so we could mellow spin and nurse our knees that took a beating in the dolomites from consecutive days of 8,000 feet of climbing with serious gradients.

We left our gorgeous winery villa around 10am after an amazing breakfast that included local fromagi, fresh honey made right here at Musella and fresh walnuts picked from the grounds. Wow the combination was splendid, yet Christi commented that the flavor was like eating a chicken mcnugget with honey sauce (I think that is a good thing).

Back to the ride...
Guy and I made like urban couriers heading into Verona, a gorgeous city that was full of people and pagentry. It was a festival and you could feel the joyful spirit in the air. After enjoying a cafe in the square, we mounted our bikes and headed for the hills known for growing amarone! Yum!

We rode a ways, then climbed a ridge above Verona, actually seeing the names of the giro racers on the road...yes, we were on their route and climbing well.

After climbing nearly 3K feet, we quickly look for food as I was hitting a wall and Guy was getting quiet. Yum, a wonderful trattoria that filled our bellies. The help staff was hilarious as we had no languages in common.

From there we motored to lake guardia where you could smell the harvest and the crush of wine in the air. Our real mission to the lake was for Gelato then the 2 hour TT back to our villa.

Guy and I collapsed on the gorgeous soft lawn as the dogs played with us.

We just got wind that Ron Millar in our group, who just joined us yesterday, broke his collarbone on the ride. We are stalling dinner until they return from the hospital.

More to come...

Look at the créme

YUM!

More Verona

Cafe in Verona

We had to stop in Verona, a beautiful city with lots of people dressed in Shakespeare type outfits. Its warm, church bells ringing throughout the city and we are cafe-ed up and headed for the hills.

In Italy even the food is happy

Sent from my SmartPhone...please excuse NotSoSmart typos

Men Dancing In Tights

An integral part of any European cultural experience

September 22, 2007

Pizza

Every town has a pizzaria, and every one of them has a brick oven, because its the only way to bake it.

Muesella Winery Verona

We just arrived to our wine villa in Verona. Omg! Pailio, the winery owner has a chef preparing meals for us two days in advance AND the winemaker will be giving us a personal 2 hour your through their amarone wines! Stay tuned kids!

Down 2 Bolzano

Family Wagon

On the road to Verona.

September 21, 2007

Day 7

Morning view and wake up from the Dolomiti

Day 7 - passo di gaiu

We checked out of our hotel and headed to another little gem at the base of passo Di gaiu.

We left passo falzerengo for the back side of the huge peaks we have awed over for the last three days.

The weather has been nothing but spectacular with clear skies, puffy clouds and days that probably reach mid 60s, which is perfect when you are climbing.

Today was a short 30K day with 3500 feet of climbing and magnificent climbing up the back of Giau and it 29 turns (each numbered) reaching the heavens or just 2233 meters.

Back at the hotel with the most wonderful decent, we pause for dinner at a local gem.

Yes another amazing day in the dolomites. Tomorrow we head for Verona and our winery stay for a week.

Here is the Profiile of this climb featured in the 2007 Giro!

September 20, 2007

Day 6 - 126km 8K feet of gain

So in the words of Beth, it was an EPIC ++ day. We rolled out at 10am and rolled in about 7pm. This did include 3 cafe stops, a lunch stop and of course a strudle stop.

We thought the ride would be a mellow three valley ride, but it was a mellow one valley ride with 2 HUGE passes the final summit at 6900 feet. That wasn't so bad until the nearly 4000 foot drop at dusk in shorts at a temperature of around 38 or 40 degrees. I'm now burried in down post a hot shower to warm myself.

Oh and I burned about 3700 calories and ate about 2K. I guess I can have gelato again tonight! Ill have some for you to Cindi.

Ciao!

Top of the No Chevron Climb

Arguably the most annoying climb ever. would....not.....END!

2168 meters!

Decend home

The road less traveled!

Another no chev road.

Pretty!

Flat ride???

No chevrons but the STEEPEST climb we've done. 15-18% for 6 miles!!!! Ouch!
Good thing we had liver.i

Day 6 - ride around the west passes Dolomiti

We set out at 10am today for another epic ++ ride. More to come.

2.5 hours into ride - Lunch in Valdora

Now having to eat we order lunch in German. We are having Tyrolian soup and some pasta. Pictures to come if I don't eat it first.

Latte Anyone?

Mmmm Breakfast!

Still in calorie deficit!

September 19, 2007

I...can't....move.

If someone is reading this, can you have some breakfast and pain killers sent to room #1 at the Hotel Astoria? I think i'll just lie here for the next week or so.

Day 5 - cortina, 3 passes, 132K and 9K feet of gain.

Guy and I rose early and decided to take a small hurd for an early spin and without big hurd decision dynamics. So we left early, cold early for a ride that was to include the Marmalada, yet Lisa put us on the wrong road toward Austria.

Making lemonade out of lemons, we decided to do a BIG loop around the Tre Cicore peaks that would take us over 3 HUGE mountain passes (in this year's Giro d' Italia bike race) in nearly 6 hours of riding over 130 Kilometers in 9 thousand feet of climbing. After the final climb with pitches exceeding 12% for long periods, we realized we were in huge calorie deficit as we had burned over 4,000 calories and had consumed just 1500. Oh boy!

It was at this moment I told Guy that I would like to enjoy my first beer ever. He was happy to help and he ordered me up a wonderful hefiwiesen. We then dined with a fine Amarone, and some fromage, speck, pizze, goulash and pane. Didn't replace all the loss, but tomorrow is another day!

I'm now exhausted and planning for bed. I hope I wake at decent hour, because tomorrow we ride again!