Cyclopaat, an alter ego with a twist
In June last year, at the end of my Giro d’Italia 2015, I rode an entirely ‘Swiss Stage’ including the Gotthard (Tremola road), the Furka and the Grimsel.
You can read a report on that stage here – it offered some of the most stunning views I have encountered so far and I am determined to get back there for more, during a longer stay.
Earlier this year, when we decided that a “Tour de Suisse*” was not going to happen, I did plan on climbing some of the great passes there on our way home.
As it was going to be a one day event, I had to limit the amount of climbs.
The most obvious road to take was the one up and over the Gotthard, Furka and Grimsel – my own short version of the Alpenbrevet…
The weather looked fine for the Friday, but we needed to transfer to Airolo first, a 3.5 hour trip.
We got up shortly after 5 am and took off around 7 – as usual, the trip took “a little” longer, mainly because of traffic.
Coming from a basically pancake-flat country – he actually lives below sea level, on the world’s largest artificial island – it’s amazing how much Cyclopaat likes cycling the Alps.
Even on a good day, he’s an average climber at best, but he claims it’s all about the views.
That is, he isn’t bad at it, but as he’s insane, he cycles multiple passes every day, for up to two weeks.
If he would just tackle one or two at the time and take a day off in between, or at least once or twice, he’d probably make more of an impression.
So, more often than not he barely makes it up another (famous) mountain pass, returning afterwards to his apartment half past dead, only to prepare himself to take yet another beating the next day.
It’s anybody’s guess what might be going on in that head of his, but he seems to be determined to ‘conquer’ every single climb he can find while cycling the Alps.
Or maybe that should read ‘be conquered by’… He likes to call it “grinta”, which probably is Italian for idiot 1, as they are quite often shouting that at him while he’s out there…
This destructive desire doesn’t allow for basic things like a ‘rest day’ once in a while.
“I WILL REST WHEN I’M DEAD!” is his standard answer to pleas to DO have a rest day every now and then…
Despite his efforts, during every cycling the Alps trip he discovers many more climbs for him to die on, so the list of links on this page to the reports of his insane expeditions will most likely continue to grow.
1 Yes, he does know it’s means grit, determination. Just pretend you think it’s funny, okay?
