Giro d’Italia 2015

Aprica & Mortirolo

As it seemed yesterday’s extra / half rest day had done me well, I was hoping to complete a slightly more challenging stage today.

Keeping in mind the restrictions on distance and knowing that sustained climbing efforts of over 11% were most likely not possible, I looked at the Mortirolo from its “easy” side, Edolo / Monno…

After all, with all due respect, the profile from that end doesn’t look half as scary as the one from Mazzo or Grosio.

So, since I stated that the climb from Mazzo “did not hurt as much as expected” in 2011 – probably because I did the Zoncolan shortly before it – I was hopeful that I would be able to make it.

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Torri di Fraele & Bormio 2000

Today I was going to find out if there were going to be more stages in this year’s Giro.

The intensive treatment had done me good, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to cycle, let alone climb a mountain.

I planned a first stage from Bormio that was not too difficult – I did that when still at home, thinking I would need a “recovery” after the previous stage from Corvara to Bormio.

It involved the climb up to Bormio 2000 and I had the option to include the Torri di Fraele (Cancano) or not – I would know after Le Motte, a stinging climb of around 3 kilometers…

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Cyclopaat constructed his own Giro d’Italia 2015 – on this page, you can find the links to the reports of part 2, the stages from Valdisotto.

You can read what he planned beforehand in the Valdisotto “road book”.

Epilogue

As we will be leaving very early tomorrow morning, for the final “Swiss” stage of this Giro, I just flexed the muscles a bit around Bormio.

I headed towards Valdidentro, where the Alpen Hotel is located, which was our base camp in 2011.

After that, I returned via Le Motte, back to Santa Lucia and Bormio, were we then walked around town a bit, did some shopping and returned to the apartment.

We will start preparing the luggage and pile it into the car later on, which will probably exhaust me more than another Mortirolo 🙂

So, if all goes well, I hope to climb Gotthard, Furka and Grimsel tomorrow – a nearly 100 kilometer ride, including all descents, with a total elevation gain of of some 3,000 meters.

Going out with a blast…

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The stages from Valdisotto:

• Stage 7 – Bormio 2000
• Stage 8 – Mortirolo
• Stage 9 – Gavia or bust
• Stage 10 – the Bernina
• Stage 11 – Stelvio or bust

Transfer

As I strained a muscle in my back while preparing the transfer, I was afraid I might have to spend a couple of days in the passenger’s seat of the car.

Tempting as that actually sounded at the time, I was not really amused – as I have built up some experience since my crashes in 2012 and 2013, I started taking NSAID’s and applied ice packs / heat patches.

However, I knew that the “transfer stage” to Bormio was a no go – apart from the inability to walk or stand straight, the only chance I had that I was going to be able to cycle again the next week, was to rest and (try to) relax.

So, no Mendola, Palade or Val Martello, just enjoying the views from within the car. The ride was actually enjoyable and not very eventful. We had a long(er) lunch stop in Silandro, where I had originally planned our base camp for part two.

Paula then knocked me out and put me blindfolded in the back of the car, as we were about to pass the Stelvio.

By the time we arrived in Valdisotto, I was pleased again with the apartment and the surroundings, albeit not as stunning as in Corvara.

We went shopping and had a beer and a good laugh on a terrace under a pleasant sun. It looks like I will live to climb another day – we’ll see tomorrow…

Furcia

One last stage from Corvara, so where to go?

I didn’t want a long day in the saddle, or a long transfer to start or from finish.

Which didn’t leave me with a lot of options…

Although I did not seriously consider going up Plan de Corones / Kronplatz, I did head for Longega for the Furcia.

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Pinei & Alpe di Suisi

In 2011, I climbed the Pinei from Ponte Gardena and noticed a “split” near Castelrotto to the Alpe di Siusi.

Back then, I continued the route through Castelrotto, but for this year’s Giro, I looked up that climb which was not originally in the road book and I constructed a stage to it.

Leaving Corvara, I first climbed the Gardena from our front door.

I then descended the 30+ kilometers to Ponte Gardena, with a stop for some more shopping in Selva.

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