Spoked Adventures

Today’s stage started with a tremendous climb into the glacial peaks and followed with another steep one and a third little kicker just so you remember the stage.

Summary – I got totally spent about 15 km into the day, things started well but after what looked to be a pretty innocent short 19% pitch – the lactic acid in my legs never left. Every pedal stroke upward hurt (about 20k of climbing to follow) and the steep gravel decents scared the crap outta me. One of the greatest energy crisis’ of my adventuring life outside of the last 6 miles at Mohecian and the Queen stage up Juvoss in the Viking Tour. Totally and utterly spent. (So much fun!) Ross seemed to be feeling pretty sharp and waited frequently for me to turtle by.

Outside of some Swiss holiganism, our sleeping quarters on a tennis court were quite nice. Nestled in an Alpine valley we drifted off around 10ish after Pasta Party at the top of the ski lift.

We decided to see if there was an advanage starting at the front of the C line, thinking this would eliminate some of the bottle neck up the first climb. Turns out it doesn’t matter of these distances and these climbs sort out the capabilities pretty quickly. We also could have done something better for an hour standing in the queue blinded by the sun.

The race beings, we go thru town and immediately up – 10-15% at first leveling out at 10% or so some 23km later. Our Colorado friends were kicking butt and I was able to hang on with them for about 43 seconds. Good times!

Although today was a rough one, the scenery and cadence of the route was amazing. The vast open expance of an Alpine pass, the thrill of bombing down a forest trail 4 feet from the edge of a 1000 foot drop, riding a avalache screen/gravey roller coaster by a rushing mountain river – so epically awesome.

We got into Livingol in about 5 and a half hours – quite contrary to the early day hopes of advancing a position. but the setting and span of the alps and ski lifts and the warm breeze (which is hopefully drying my clothes right now) made it a beautiful day!

After finding a local hotel, Ross and I watched the tour, charged some stuff and sent emails etc. He headed back to camp and I got my bottom bracket fixed, bought some procuto and snakes, did not go to the laundry, wash my clothes in the sink, and headed down stairs for dinner – salad, tagatelli with muchrooms, veal scalopini, more tag with mushrooms. Now off for hot tub and very early to bed. Zzzzz…

Today, Ross and I rocked it. Up way to early in ghetto on the tennis court. Grabbed a nice breakfast of the usual. A little light in the meet dept. and no Nutella but hey, pretty cool. BK was served in the town meeting place in Inisgal?

Grabbed a couple cokes and a pastery on the way back to camp. Packed and headed out to the start. Today’s first climb was 1 km from the cerimoninal spin around the town.

Massive climb to get started and a very tough 19% finish that I rode with just one stop at the start of the final km. Wanted to quit but rocked it.

Got some great shots with Ross at the top and enjoyed the Cokes.

Decent was nasty and steep.

There was a bit of forest root laiden single track as well and an awesome rolling flat finish.

Camp is in a town called Schoul at a Gym. We are camped out on the tennis court after having 3-4 beers with our Colorado friends and then grabbing pasta at the top of the Gondola. The view was amazing!

Good night!

Woke up this morning to a beautiful view of the mountains, in my sleeping bag in a soccer stadium. Ross was in his tent a few feet away. We headed to Camp Breakfast – buns, meat, cheese, bananas, jam, nutella etc… (the usual) and then packed our stuff and got prepped for the race.

3 good climbs today netting about 10,000 feet with the first a mammoth 10km whopper up out of the paved roads onto gravel trails.

We started in the C area, met some South Africans and got going. Neutral for the first 5 km or so to the start of the climb. We pressed hard at first and quickly settled into a groove for the next hour and change. The climb went or forever and varied between 8 – 20%. LOTs of granny gear going on!

The second climb was managable and the thrid was sneaky with a double pitch with a feed station near the end that thru us off.

We encounters some trick single track that was a bit we with all the rain the previous night. There was also some scary rock drops and crazy ridge track that I walked/ran.

After the final climb, the route did not let up with a rolling false flat on single track and hiking trails all the way to the finish in a Ski Village called Ischgl.

After a finishing celebration of beer, we got changed and went for more beers and a meet and cheese platter and watch the final 20 of the Tour.

Camp Dinner was really good, Spagetti with meat and turkey cream sauce – yummy. Ate a few pounds of pasta, passed on the greens and we took off looking for an internet connection. The cost was $10/hour and the Press Room was all wired so luck.

We were pretty tired from todays work and we were unable to find a reasonable place to camp near our bags and on even surfaces so – here I am writing from the indoor tennis court in Ischgl.

Tomorrow is insane with the first climb launching up to 9000 feet asl immediately off the start. Whoo Hoo!