Strava: http://app.strava.com/rides/21870339
Did you catch this? Phil underestimated the climbing for once (should have been 13,000 feet)! What one should never underestimate is how tough weather can make any bike ride ....
This entry will be low on photos (not much stopping in the eventual rain), so apologies in advance.
We started out with some gentle climbs through small villages that had more of a South Tyrolean character, and, despite suffering badly, I found a rhythm after the first descent to the feed stop, where I rode with Seven Simon.
Then we had a long stretch of mildly disorganized pacelining through the Weinstrasse. We thought we had made a wrong turn, and then we were out the back for a while. I caught Jen (who was drafting an apple truck), Sergio caught me (after calling to make sure we were on course -- not that he was bitter), and then I pulled until we were more or less back in the fray.
We passed such wineries as Tramin and Kaltern and I was dreaming of a Speck panini ... I tried to find one quickly but then just headed up the Mendelpass/Passo Mendola. A great climb, 15km at 6.5% average, steady, switchbacks, woods. About half way up the rain started and it got colder. By the top it was pouring, and luckily the feed stop had been moved to the top with drop bags! I did hit the curb wrong though and had a nice clipped in fall over on the cobbles just before the tent. Doh! (and thanks Jake and Chris for helping me up!)
I put on booties, knee warmers, long fingered gloves and a rain jacket and took off for lunch. The first few kms were cold, but then I felt ok and ambled to lunch. At least one of us was rushed into the front seat of a heated van at lunch to ward off hypothermia, so maybe I was just numb ... I was missing my heavier jacket for sure.
After lunch I headed out towards the Tonale, which really is a miserable climb. A long false flat along the valley, where the redeeming feature was a gas station for a snack to keep my energy topped up. I felt I dealt with the cold well, though, and as the road kicked up I gave my back one quick stretch and just stopped for some photos along the way.
The photos below are of the nice part of the climb and then the ugly top, which does have an interesting WWI memorial -- it is still shocking to think of how many died in these beautiful mountains in the Great War ....
The dreaded descent! It was freezing, and when a herd of sheep tried to cross, i went past a car, clipped out and weaved my way through so i would not have to stop. I made it shaking and shivering into Ponte di Legno, thinking that the Gavia would be snowed in for tomorrow -- Hampsten weather?
Nick luckily stuffed us full of hot chocolate as soon as we got in, and we got Justin into something dry just as he bagan to lose all coherence ...
Phil, of course, was confident at our briefing that the Gavia would be passable since it was supposed to clear overnight, but we would see and head out at 6am the next morning for the final stage to find out ...
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