Giro d’Italia

Würzjoch & Gardena

Because a ride to the start of the Würzjoch/Passo delle Erbe would mean a 20 kilometer descend to Piccolino to start with, I decided to pick that stage for today.

It would also involve the “whole nine yards” of the Gardena, from Ponte di Gardena.

Only two climbs – sounds like a rest day, right?

Well, okay – it was going to be a 130 kilometer round trip, but with an additional near flat of some 25 kilometers,  between Bressanone and the Gardena, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem…

Continue reading

Valparola, Fedaia & Sella

(An alternative Sella Ronda)

I decided on the “clockwise” alternative of the stage I initially set, including the Fedaia from Rocca Pietore.

But I wish I hadn’t…

I first headed for La Villa and climbed the Valparola.

That already seemed to be harder than I remembered, but the descent of the Falzarego and onwards to Caprile didn’t do me a lot of good.

I hadn’t looked at the profile of the Fedaia – I just knew it was supposed to be “more challenging” than the climb from the other end, which was more or less a recovery ride in 2011.

And more challenging it was…

Continue reading

Campolongo & Falzarego

We arrived just after 13:00 at our destination in Corvara, App. La Flu.

The stunning view from the balcony of the apartment set me in the right mood immediately and the Campolongo practically runs through the backyard.

So after settling in – sorta – I got on “ze baik” for a short prologue…

I went up the Campolongo, which I hadn’t climbed in 2011 from this side.

As they are still working on the road, I had to get through some gravel-like patches, which in the first steep(er) section of the climb was not that easy.

Continue reading

Cyclopaat constructed his own Giro d’Italia 2015.

You can read his original “road book” for this part to see what he planned.

This are the links to the post stage reports of part 1, the stages from Corvara.

• Prologue – Falzarego
• Stage 1 – Fedaia
• Stage 2 – Würzjoch
• Stage 3 – Half a Sella
• Stage 4 – Tre Cime & Giau
• Stage 5 – Alpe di Siusi
• Stage 6 – Furcia

Yes, I am completely bonkers and yes, I do know that UCI’s Giro d’Italia has finished.

And I have enjoyed watching that very much, with Contador’s comeback on the Mortirolo probably being the most exciting hour of an overall eventful race.

However, that was just to warm me up for my own Giro d’Italia 2015, which will obviously be even more epic and I am counting down the days left to the start…

Continue reading