Training

So while racing is ticking along (it's improving, really! even though the last post might not sound like it) so is the training.

Yesterday Davide escorted 9 of us to go and do the 3 passes loop. Let's just say that they are slightly bigger than the 4 passes that we used to ride around Stellenbosch. The day started off by driving the 30km to Biasca before jumping on our bikes and riding up the valley towards San Gottardo, Furka and eventually Nuffenen Pass. The passes are all over 10km but it also takes a lot of climbing just to get to the base of the first one. And just cause that is not hard enough, the gradient gets steeper per pass. So by the time you get to Nuffenen you are not only buggered, but you have the steepest climb in front of you.

 

No wonder it took me just over an hour to do the 13km climb.. A cadence of 50 was a rather normal sight, even though I was in my 39*25 most of the time. And I was the second guy up the climb, so not as if I was the only person crawling up there..

 

Muuuuch further back down the hill Daniele Colombo was fighting gravity and a bet he had made with Matteo the Mountain Goat in the morning. A pizza and a beer for everyone in the team was online after all, all Colo had to do was ride all three passes under his own steam and without ever stopping. Rumour has it that Matteo will be slightly out of pocket soon ;)

 

In the end the ride ended up being 6h30 and about 170km for one fun day in the saddle.