Thursday 12 September 2013

Twenty Flight Rock...Wednesday 11th September 2013.

"Get to the top, I'm too tired to rock!"




We had biblical rain-fall during the night but lo and behold those blue skies and heightened moods! Everyone was looking and feeling a ton better (more on that in a minute...) or maybe they were just glad to be heading away from our basic acco., hah-hah!
Whatever the case, I felt able to push on a wee bit and head-up the first climb...

Hello Mr Blue Sky!

Leading the rabble up the first climb and then down into Cortina...





Cortina. Not twinned with Dagenham.

Il Tractore joined me for the beautiful descent into bijou Cortina and a search for a coffe stop that everyone else would see. Pete The Strudel was already on the case, hah-hah!

On the start of the climb out of Cortina I suffered a slight mechanical which totalled my front derailleur, meaning that I have lost the top nine gears. Seeing as how we're going uphill that isn't a drama...I was just thrilled to be mobile still!

This faff was put right into perspective when we learned that our team leader had been hospitalised with suspected altitude sickness: and this guy is a seasoned, proper cyclist...brings you up short.

And we go up again from Cortina...minus 9 gears for some of us...



Another scalp. In hideous attire. Natch.

After a hearty lunch we set about more vertical nonsense, this time without much drama thankfully. The run-in to Bolanzo was a dynamite descent and then a marginal mix-in with rush hour traffic. We caned it anyway, hah-hah!




Seriously?

Done and dusted with cement and water. Nice!

Unfortunately due to the day's unforeseen circs we didn't get our luggage until after 8pm which knocks everything else out of kilter. First World Problem, I know.

It was at that stage that another rider was treated to another visit to hospital for more suspected altitude-related illness: he was discharged thankfully.

We shuffled off pronto to source a local restaurant open late-doors and duly one obliged...cheers!


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