THE FREDCAST CYCLING PODCAST

Episode 186
2011 FredCast Holiday Gift Guide
December 13, 2011

HAPPY 6th ANNIVERSARY TO THE FREDCAST!

Listen now by clicking here:

This week’s show is sponsored by JensonUSA, Epic Planet, and by listeners like you Thank you for your donations!

The FredCast Holiday Gift Guide for 2011 is finally here! This year’s show features gifts categorized by price, with gifts under $10, under $25, under $50, under $100, under $250, under $500, and over $500. There are a wide variety of great cycling gifts to choose from including magazine subscriptions, winter gloves, frame pumps, kitchen tools (yes, kitchen tools!), embrocation, chamois lubes, and much much more. Enjoy the holidays, but most of all, enjoy the ride!

This week’s show is sponsored by JensonUSA, Epic Planet, and by listeners like you Thank you for your donations!

The FredCast Holiday Gift Guide for 2011 is finally here! This year’s show features gifts categorized by price, with gifts under $10, under $25, under $50, under $100, under $250, under $500, and over $500. There are a wide variety of great cycling gifts to choose from including magazine subscriptions, winter gloves, frame pumps, kitchen tools (yes, kitchen tools!), embrocation, chamois lubes, and much much more. Enjoy the holidays, but most of all, enjoy the ride!

The FredCast Cycling Podcast

Episode 186

December 13, 2011

2011 FredCast Holiday Gift Guide

Happy 6th Anniversary to The FredCast!

SPONSORS

JENSON USA – FREE SHIPPING! on orders of $25 or more

EPIC PLANET

AMAZON.COM

YOU! Thank you for your Donations!

2011 Holiday Gift Guide

Gifts Under $10

$3 – $11 Tubes

$4.45 Bandana

$6.25 Park Tool Bottle Opener

$9 Bento Box

$10 Sock Guy Socks

$11 Bicycling Magazine Subscription

Gifts Under $25

$11.99 The Sufferfest Video

$14.99 Travel Trac Book Caddy (thanks to listener D’Andrea)

$15 CamelBak Podium Ice Water Bottle (21 oz)

$15 Jimi Wallet (thanks to listener Larry)

$15.99 RoadID Wrist ID Slim

$19.99 RoadID Shoe ID

$19.99 RoadID Sport

$19.99 RoadID Ankle ID

$19.79 Assos Chamois Cream

$19.95 Chamois Butter

$20 Action WIpes (20 ct Box) – 20% Off + Free Shipping!

• Take another 10% off with promo code FREDCAST

$19.98 Grease Monkey Wipes (24 ct Box)

$24 DZ Nutz Chamois Cream

$24 DZ Nutz Bliss Women’s Chamois Cream

$24.99 Planet Bike Super Flash Tail Light

$25 Seat Pack with CO2, Tire Levers and Patch Kit

$23.95 Mad Alchemy Über Secret Coffee Embrocation

$21.99 Honey Stinger Waffles (Box of 16)

Gifts Under $50

$26 Pedro’s Total Bike Care Kit

$26.06 Park Tool Barbeque Set

$29.99 Velo Subscription – 15 Issues

$29.99 RoadID Wrist ID Elite

$31.99 Serfas TCPG Floor Pump

$34.95 Set of Four Bike Scribble Pint Glasses

$36.99 Planet Bike Borealis Winter Gloves

$39.95 EpicPlanet SoCal DVD Bundle

$48.95 Timbuk2 iPad Case

Gifts Under $100

$50 Limited Edition Signed Bike Scribble Print

$59 Strava Premium Plan

$63.92 Topeak Joe Blow Pro Floor Pump

$65 DC Capital Bike Share Annual Membership also Boston, Montreal, Toronto and others!

$84.99 The Sufferfest Video 9-Pack!

$99.96 MapMyRide Gold Plan

$69.99 Giro 100 Proof Winter Glove

Gifts Under $250

$107.95 Park Tool PCS-9 Home Workstand

$150.00 Assos Fugu Winter Gloves

$242.95 Park Tool PRS-25 Team Portable Workstand

$239.99 GoPro HD Helmet Hero 1080p Camera

$299.99 Contour GPS 1080p Camera

$249.95 Delorme InReach Two-way Satellite Communicator

Gifts Under $500

$349.99 Garmin Edge 500 w/heart rate and Cadence 

$449.99 Garmin Edge 800

Gifts Over $500

$579 Burley D’lite Child Trailer

€1700 Rapha Rocket Espresso Machine (thanks to @UCI_Overlord)

Various

NiteRider Lights

Hammer Nutrition Products

Clif Nutrition Products

JensonUSA Gift Card

RoadID Gift Cards

TwinSix Cycling and Casual Gear

SPONSORS

• JENSON USA

• EPIC PLANET

• AMAZON.COM

• YOU! Thank you for your Donations!

CONTACT US

Twitter

Email

Facebook

Our Web Site

Audio Comments:

Listener Hotline: (661) 513-FRED – or – (661) 513-3733

Send mp3, WAV or AIF Files via Email

PODSAFE CYCLING MUSIC

Thanks to The Cadence Revolution!

It Just Ain’t Christmas Without You by The Tequila Mockingbirds

HOW TO LISTEN TO THE FREDCAST

iTunes MP3 Subscription

iTunes Enhanced AAC Subscription (includes chapters, links and graphics)

Listen to or Download the MP3 File

Listen with Windows Media Player

Listen with RealAudio

Subscribe via Pod Catcher or RSS Reader

The FredCast Cycling Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

On the weekend of October 21, my wife Donna and I will be returning to California to ride in the annual MS Bay to Bay Bike Tour. I am asking for your support. I don’t normally do this, so I hope you’ll understand how important this is to me, my family and the entire FredCast community, and consider helping out.

The MS Bay to Bay Bike Tour supports the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, funding research for a cure while also helping people who live with MS lead more fulfilling lives. I strongly support and believe in the work they do, and I know that your support can and will make changes in the lives of all those affected by MS.

Our family has been participating in this event since 2003 when Donna’s diagnosis personally affected each of us every day. I began as a rider and fundraiser, became the ride’s chairman, and have been honored to ride not only with friends, but with Meghan, Emily and Donna. So It goes without saying that one of the reasons why we’re so excited about returning to Orange County is to see so many of our friends who will riding, volunteering and staffing this amazing event. More importantly, however, we continue to ride to help create a world free from multiple sclerosis.

Donna in particular rides as just one more way to show the world what people living with MS can do. She is proof that the funds you so generously contribute are making a difference. Last year she completed two triathlons and several 5K runs, and this year she has already completed two bicycle century rides (100 miles each) and plans to ride all 150 miles of the Bay to Bay Bike Tour, including the 100 mile ride on the first day.

And while Donna continues to do well (despite occasional days of fatigue, tingling or weakness in her limbs, and other transitory symptoms), she is one of the lucky ones. More than 400,000 Americans are fighting this disease, including those we know or have met, many of whom are facing the prospect of or have already experienced permanent disabilities.

Please help by making a donation to me (or to Donna) – large or small – to make a difference in the lives of those who are living with multiple sclerosis. Or, why not join us on the day of the event? Become a participant and side by side, as teammates, so we can work together to raise the funds to make a difference.

Whatever you can give will help! I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

Gratefully and sincerely,

David Bernstein

P.S. And have you seen this video? . . .

The Time I Rode My Bike For Multiple Sclerosis from The FredCast on Vimeo.

You may have seen the People For Bikes petitions, buttons and decals at your local bike shop. Hopefully you, your friends and your family have signed the pledge, stating I’m For Bikes. If not, click the link above and sign it now. It is worthwhile.

The following are some videos that were created by People For Bikes (an initiative, by the way, of Bikes Belong). I loved the videos when I first saw them while helping produce our live segments from Interbike this year. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

THE FREDCAST CYCLING PODCAST

Episode 185
Interbike 2011 Highlights
September 26, 2011

Listen now by clicking here:

This week’s show is sponsored by JensonUSA, Epic Planet, and by listeners like you Thank you for your donations!

In this week’s show we have highlights from my InterbikeTV interviews at Interbike 2011. Included are interviews with BMC, Hammer Nutrition, Hincapie Sportswear, Rotor Bicycle Components, Dr. Allen Lim from SecretDrinkMix.com, and Cerevellum. Plus, Podsafe Cycling Music courtesy of CadenceRevolution.com

This week’s show is sponsored by JensonUSA, Epic Planet, and by listeners like you Thank you for your donations!

In this week’s show we have highlights from my InterbikeTV interviews at Interbike 2011. Included are interviews with BMC, Hammer Nutrition, Hincapie Sportswear, Rotor Bicycle Components, Dr. Allen Lim from SecretDrinkMix.com, and Cerevellum. Plus, Podsafe Cycling Music courtesy of CadenceRevolution.com

CONTACT US

Twitter

Email

Facebook

Our Web Site

Audio Comments:

Listener Hotline: (661) 513-FRED – or – (661) 513-3733

Send mp3, WAV or AIF Files via Email

PODSAFE CYCLING MUSIC

Thanks to The Cadence Revolution!

- Your Sympathy by Devon Williams

For the third year in a row, David from The FredCast was asked to host InterbikeTV at the annual Interbike trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As usual, David and his crew scoured Interbike to find the best products and stories to share with you. This year, however, David also was honored to be a part of the LIVE version of InterbikeTV, hosting the daily Good Morning Interbike shows, and two episodes of The Spokesmen.

Here are some of the videos he hosted this year.

Good Morning Interbike:
Good Morning Interbike – September 14, 2011
Good Morning Interbike – September 15, 2011
Good Morning Interbike – September 16, 2011

The Spokesmen:
The Spokesmen – September 14, 2011
The Spokesmen – September 15, 2011

Bicycle Companies:
Video: BMC
Video: Sarto Bicycles

Bicycle Components:
Video: Cerevellum Hindsight
Video: Rotor Bicycle Components
Video: Crank Brothers
Video: Race Face

Apparel:
Video: Hincapie Sportswear
Video: Aero Tech Designs

Web Sites/Services:
Video: Strava

Nutrition/Hydration:
Video: CLIF
Video: CamelBak Elixir
Video: Dr. Allen Lim’s Secret Drink Mix
Video: Nuun
Video: Hammer Nutrition
Video: Fluid
Video: Cytomax

Health and Fitness Business Expo:
Video: SportsArt
Video: Schosche
Video: Productive Fitness
Video: Icon Health and Fitness
Video: First Degree Fitness
Video: EQ – Love
Video: BH Fitness

Episode 184
Safety First!
August 31, 2011

Listen now by clicking here:

This week’s show is sponsored by JensonUSA, Epic Planet, and by listeners like you Thank you for your donations!

In this week’s show we’re treated to a review of EuroBike 2011 by Carlton Reid and Tony Farrelly. In the news this week, lots of safety topics including a mother that could be arrested for allowing her daughter to ride her bike to school, a Mexico City radio host who thinks cyclists should be flattened, teens in St. Louis attacking cyclists, free lights for night riders, and a California cell phone ban. It’s new product announcement time, with new items from Polar Bottle, Garmin and Look. Plus, a boy pleads for the return of his BMX bike. In pro cycling news, Radio Shack sweeps the major American races, and Contador gets a hearing date. Plus Podsafe Cycling Music and more!

The FredCast Cycling Podcast

Episode 184

August 31, 2011

Safety First!

SPONSORS

JENSON USA

EPIC PLANET

AMAZON.COM

YOU! Thank you for your Donations!

GENERAL NEWS

Mother Could be Arrested for Allowing Her Daughter to Ride to School

via Cyclelicious and Bike Walk Tennesee

Mexico City Radio Host Says “Flatten” Cyclists

Teens in St. Louis Targeting Cyclists

Compulsory High Vis Clothing for Cyclists?

Free Lights to Surprise Cyclists in Cleveland

You can donate here

California Cell Phone Ban to Extend to Cyclists

Capital Bike Share Shaping New DC Habits

New Product: 9/11 Commemorative Polar Bottle

Pedal-based Power Meters Coming Very Soon

Garmin Vector

Look Keo Power Pedal

Garmin Introduces the Edge 200 Cycle Computer

Boy Makes Plea for The Return of His Bike

Culley’s Letter

The Donald Buys Him a Bike

ANNOUNCEMENT: Ciclismo Classico Gran Canaria Tour November 5-11

PRO CYCLING NEWS

Racing News

Results

Leipheimer Wins His Second Tour of Utah in a Row – August 9 – 14, 2011

Leipheimer Wins Inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge – August 22 – 28, 2011

Radio Shack Wins the Three Big U.S. Races in 2011

UCI World Tour Rankings (as of August 29, 2011)

Next World Tour Races

Vuelta a España – August 20 – September 11, 2011

Currently being led by Bradley Wiggins after 12 Stages

Other Race News

Rider News

Cavendish Loses His Lead-out Man, Renshaw, to Rabobank

Doping News

Contador’s Hearing Now Set for November

UCI Announces “No Positives” Among Final Tour de France Doping Tests

FEATURES

Eurobike Show Report from Carlton Reid and Tony Farrelly

SPONSORS

JENSON USA

EPIC PLANET

AMAZON.COM

YOU! Thank you for your Donations!

CONTACT US

Twitter

Email

Facebook

Our Web Site

Audio Comments:

Listener Hotline: (661) 513-FRED – or – (661) 513-3733

Send mp3, WAV or AIF Files via Email

PODSAFE CYCLING MUSIC

Thanks to The Cadence Revolution!

- She Makes Me Believe by Fourteen40

HOW TO LISTEN TO THE FREDCAST

iTunes MP3 Subscription

iTunes Enhanced AAC Subscription (includes chapters, links and graphics)

Listen to or Download the MP3 File

Listen with Windows Media Player

Listen with RealAudio

Subscribe via Pod Catcher or RSS Reader

The FredCast Cycling Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

]]> http://www.thefredcast.com/show-184-safety-first/feed 0 http://www.thefredcast.com/new-product-to-keep-you-from-driving-into-your-garage-with-gear-on-the-roof-rack http://www.thefredcast.com/new-product-to-keep-you-from-driving-into-your-garage-with-gear-on-the-roof-rack#comments Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:09:59 +0000 Fredcaster http://www.thefredcast.com/?p=1905 I don’t normally publish press releases, but I’ve just received one that definitely caught my eye. A system to ensure that you don’t drive into your garage with your expensive bike still attached to your roof rack. We all know someone who has done this, and the results can be catastrophic to racks, cars, bikes and even relationships. I’ve asked for a review unit and will give you my impressions on the show if I get one.

Meanwhile, here is their press release . . .

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Colorado Company Launches New Damage-Prevention Product for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Denver, Colorado – HeadsUp Systems has introduced a new wireless alert system to prevent outdoor enthusiasts from driving into their garages with bikes, kayaks and other gear on their roof racks.  Available starting today, the HeadsUp System sends a wireless signal to drivers as they approach their garages, reminding them if they have gear mounted on top of their cars and prompting them to stop before any damage is done.

The system costs $169.99 and includes an LED alert sign that mounts inside the garage, tiny wireless tags that attach to bikes, kayaks, etc. and a wireless “alerter” that stays in the vehicle. When the driver returns home with gear on the roof, the sign in the garage flashes and the alerter inside the vehicle sounds a warning tone. Designed in Colorado, the HeadsUp system features a one-year warranty and a one-year battery life on the tags and alerter system.

“Our mission is to ensure that the outdoor athlete never has to hear the crunch of expensive gear from the roof of their car as they pull into the garage,” said HeadsUp Systems Co-Founder Tom Rieber.  “You can imagine, or maybe you’ve experienced that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize you’ve just trashed your favorite gear, not to mention damaged your car and garage.”

Rieber knows that feeling first-hand. Fifteen years ago, the competitive cyclist drove his car—and his roof-mounted bicycle - straight into his garage, causing thousands of dollars of damage.  The  accident, which occurred after a long night of riding, inspired Rieber to create the HeadsUp System to prevent fellow outdoor enthusiasts from making the same mistake.

Rieber established HeadsUp Systems with Karl Sowa, an avid cyclist, skier and former marketing executive for several successful start-up ventures, including GeoCities. The duo partnered with a leading electrical engineering expert to develop Rieber’s idea for an alert system.

“You’ve invested thousands of dollars in equipment along with hours of training. It’s your heart, your soul. And it’s worth protecting,” noted Sowa.

The Internet is littered with thousands of horror stories of tired, distracted drivers inadvertently pulling into their garages with their favorite bikes or kayaks still attached to the tops of their cars, resulting in shattered carbon-fiber bicycle frames, buckled roof racks and crushed car roofs.  Rieber and Sowa are encouraging others to share their “racked” horror stories and photos through the HeadsUp Systems website. Subscribers to the site will vote on the stories and photos in September and the top vote getter will win a free HeadsUp System. To enter, visit www.headsupsystems.com/your-story.html.

HeadsUp Systems offers innovative gear-protection solutions that are permanent, easy to install and cost-effective for the customer.  The HeadsUp System is available for purchase online at www.headsupsystems.com.  Plans are also in place to sell the product through leading outdoor retailers and independent bike dealers.

For more information, call 888.521.6773.

###

That’s right, cycling fans, Cadel Evans and the dynamic (ahem) duo of Frank and Andy Schleck will be racing their legs off in Colorado this month, along with a whole host of A-list international cycling talent. Final rosters for most teams are yet to be announced, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you see other jersey winners and GC contenders from this year’s Tour de France among the peloton in Colorado. It seems that the Lance-effect has come to Colorado.

Meanwhile next door in little old Utah, the list of teams and riders isn’t nearly as prestigious. To be fair, the Tour of Utah has never brought in the big name Grand Tour riders like its younger cousin in California does, but the upstart to the east sure seems to have attracted them. And fast!

The highest ranked ProTour rider coming to the Tour of Utah is Levi Leipheimer (currently number 23 in the rankings), a former winner of the race and someone who has long-term, deep roots in the state already. The rest of the lineup also includes big name racers with connections here including Dave Zabriskie and Jeff Louder, plus George Hincapie and Christian Vandevelde, but other than American and Canadian riders, where are the real contenders? In the past you could have argued that they were all in Spain for the Vuelta, but not this year. Just like California took Giro racers, Colorado is attracting top tier racers away from Spain too. When given the choice between Spain, Colorado, and Utah, it seems the latter was given the shorter end of the stick.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the fact that top level stage racing seems to be thriving in California and Colorado and that the top guys from the Tour de France think that the competition, courses and spectators of the United States warrant a visit. It’s just that I can help but continue to worry about America’s Toughest Stage Race and whether it will have a chance to survive in this environment.

When the race in Colorado was first announced, people said I was crazy to be concerned about the future of the Tour of Utah. The addition of race planning and executing professionals from Medalist Sports helped to assuage my fears, but these latest developments have my anxiety level for ‘our’ race rising.

I wonder if anyone has considered changing the name of the Tour of Utah and shuffling top-level sponsors a few times over the next year. That seems to have done the trick in Colorado.

After all, didn’t Missouri and Georgia once have major cycling stage races too?

Episode 183
Italy v. France
July 26, 2011

Listen now by clicking here:

This week’s show is sponsored by JensonUSA, Epic Planet, and by listeners like you Thank you for your donations!

This week, I convey a recent experience I had with a road raging motorist (and my poor heat-of-the-moment decisions and actions), and I review my recent trip to Italy for the Maratona dles Dolimites with Ciclismo Classico. In this week’s news, a road raging motorist is caught on camera and punished, Los Angeles passes a cyclist anti-harassment law, bikes versus plane in Carmageddon race, product recalls, a cyclist runs into a bear, and bicycling postage stamps coming soon. In pro cycling news, we briefly review the 2011 Tour de France, look forward to coming races, and look at several doping cases.

The FredCast Cycling Podcast

Episode 183

July 26, 2011

Italy vs. France

SPONSORS

JENSON USA

EPIC PLANET

AMAZON.COM

YOU! Thank you for your Donations!

GENERAL NEWS

Road Rage Caught on Camera, Attacker Arrested

Watch the Video

Los Angeles Passes Cyclist Anti-Harassment Law

Carmageddon Race – Bikes v. Plane

New Name for Velo News

Product Recalls

Bell Helmets

CPSC Info

Bell Sports Info

Yakima Racks

National Hwy Traffic Safety Administration Info

Yakima Info

Civia Rack

CPSC Info

Civia Info

No Headphones for Cyclists in Montreal

Seattle to Portland Marred by Tacks

Bicycling Postage Stamps Coming in 2012

Cyclist Runs Into Bear

PRO CYCLING NEWS

Racing News

Results

Tour de France

Cadel Evans Wins The Yellow Jersey

Will Skip Vuelta, May Race USA Pro Challenge

Mark Cavendish Wins the Green

Garmin-Cervelo Takes Top Team Honors

Sammy Sanchez in Polka Dots

Pierre Rolland Wins on Alpe d’Huez and Takes The White

Kolobnev Sacked for Doping

UCI World Tour Rankings (as of July 25, 2011)

Next World Tour Races

Classica Ciclista San Sebatian – July 30, 2011

Tour de Pologne – July 31 – August 6, 2011

Eneco Tour – August 8 – August 14, 2011

Vuelta a España – August 20 – September 11, 2011

Tour of Utah – August 9 – 14, 2011

USA Pro Cycling Challenge – August 22 – 28, 2011

Other Race News

New UCI iPhone App

Rider News

Doping News

Contador Looks to CAS Appeal

Now Postponed until November

Will Skip the Vuelta

Armstrong Fighting Leaks in Court

Move to Ban Dopers Forever

FEATURES

Road Rage – My Experience

Maratona Tour with Ciclismo Classico Wrap-up

Read the blog posts!

Maratona dles Dolomites

Ciclismo Classico

SPONSORS

JENSON USA

EPIC PLANET

AMAZON.COM

YOU! Thank you for your Donations!

CONTACT US

Twitter

Email

Facebook

Our Web Site

Audio Comments:

Listener Hotline: (661) 513-FRED – or – (661) 513-3733

Send mp3, WAV or AIF Files via Email

PODSAFE CYCLING MUSIC

Thanks to The Cadence Revolution!

- In The City Lights by Joe Peck

HOW TO LISTEN TO THE FREDCAST

iTunes MP3 Subscription

iTunes Enhanced AAC Subscription (includes chapters, links and graphics)

Listen to or Download the MP3 File

Listen with Windows Media Player

Listen with RealAudio

Subscribe via Pod Catcher or RSS Reader

The FredCast Cycling Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

]]> http://www.thefredcast.com/show-183-italy-v-france/feed 5 http://www.thefredcast.com/maratona-tour-the-journey-home http://www.thefredcast.com/maratona-tour-the-journey-home#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:31:56 +0000 Fredcaster http://www.thefredcast.com/?p=1880 NOTE: Today’s photos will be uploaded in a few hours. Come back to see them!

Our van transfer to Bolzano was scheduled to leave at 9:00 AM on Monday morning, so we got the chance to sleep in a little bit before enjoying breakfast and bringing our bags down to the lobby. Enrico and Massimo were there to make the final arrangements, guiding us one last time on this trip, and to ensure that we got off okay. Everyone had a tip and a hug for each of our guides as most of us piled into the van for the two hour drive to Bolzano (Alex and Marlin headed off to Venice in a separate van, while Bruce stayed behind in Corvara to enjoy another two weeks in Italy with his wife Susan).

The shuttle trip to Bolzano was fun, not just because we talked and joked the whole way (which we did), but also because our route to Bolzano traced many of the same roads and passes we had taken earlier in the week, each summit, climb, descent, turn and town bringing back memories which we all shared.

Soon enough we were at the Bolzano train station. Once again it was time for hand shakes, hugs and farewells as well all went our separate ways. I last saw my companions on the curb in front of the station or in the station’s ticketing area.

From Bolzano, I made my way by train first to Verona and then to Milan where I picked up the Malpensa shuttle bus to the airport. Once there, I called my airport hotel to get their shuttle bus to pick me up. I arrived at my overnight hotel near Malpensa nine hours, three buses, and two trains after pulling away from the Hotel Posta Zirm in Corvara. I had dinner in the hotel’s good (albeit overpriced) restaurant.

When you do so much physical activity in such a short period of time, you get used to moving around a lot, so I just couldn’t stay cooped up in the hotel after such a long day of sitting on trains and buses. So after dinner I took a long walk from my hotel into the nearby town of Somma Lombardo where I took some photos of the Castello Visconti and the town’s church. The hotel’s Internet was down so I don’t know the back story of the town, the castle or the church, but I’m committed to finding out.

This morning I awoke, had a cappuccino at the hotel and took the shuttle bus to the airport. Upon checking in I learned that Delta had again upgraded me the entire way home (see what I mean about loyalty?). The upgrade and my status allowed me to breeze through security and gave me a day pass to the airport lounge so that I could have a proper breakfast. Soon enough, it was time to board my flight.

I’m now about halfway through my flight home, cruising at 32,000 feet high over St. John’s, Newfoundland. Coincidentally, I’ll be down there in less than a week for work (back to real life!).

After 7 days, 224 miles on the bike and 31,650 feet of climbing (that’s 141.15 feet climbed per mile), my Italian cycling adventure has definitely come to an end. It has been a wonderful seven days with Ciclismo Classico, the guides, and the other trip participants. I have memories that will last a lifetime, a commitment to return to complete the medium (or the long!) course of The Maratona, and a desire to return on another Ciclismo Classico adventure, this time with Mrs. FredCast (who will likely beat me to the top of every climb).

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my adventures on the road and that it has inspired you to take your own cycling vacation, perhaps also with Ciclismo Classico. It has been my pleasure and good fortune to have this opportunity and to share it all with you here and in the podcast. I can’t wait to get home to my family, my friends, my dogs, my work, the podcast, and my own bike. But for now, I think I need to get some sleep.

Buonnanote, amici!

NOTE: Scroll all the way to the bottom (it’s a long way down there today) for today’s photos and ride maps/metrics.

The Maratona dles Dolimites begins at 6:30 AM, but the roads between Corvara (location of our hotel) and La Villa (about 6 km away, and the site of the start line) close just after 6:00. Our hotel therefore planned to begin serving breakfast as 4:30 AM since the majority of the people in residence were here for The Maratona.

Everyone in our tour group took it very easy on the vino last night and went to bed early in order to try to get some needed rest in advance of the race. Despite those precautions, however, it sounds like very few of us actually got more than a few hours of sleep. For some, it was the anticipation on their first large group cycling event. For others, it was nerves about whether or not the climbs could be accomplished and, if so, which of the three courses would be completed. Everyone had their reasons, all of them good ones.

So it was that I found myself getting up at the very uncivilized hour of 4:00 AM to meet my compatriots for breakfast at (yawn) 4:30. A short hour (and lots of coffee) later, I found myself once again mounting a Ciclismo Classico Bianchi Nirone for the ride to the start line. Along with 10,000+ of my closest friends from all over the world.

When you receive your registration credentials for The Maratona, you receive two number plates, both printed with your number and full name. One of these number plates is intended for the back of your jersey. Enrico cautioned everyone in the briefing yesterday not to put these high up in the middle of your back (between the scapulas) in order to avoid looking like a sfigato. At first, I thought that sfigato meant Fred, but when I looked it up on Google Translate, I found out that it means loser. Freds are not losers.

The other number plate is intended for the front of your handlebars and includes a timing transponder that needs to be returned at the end of the race. The number on this plate is surrounded by a field of blue, green or yellow, signifying your ‘starting group.’ I was in the Pinarello (blue) group and therefore had to ride past the start line on a side road (which included a climb, just to taunt me) until reaching a ski area parking lot where I waited, along with thousands of other men. The three women in our group all had yellow numbers, which positioned them between the pros, former pros and top-level amateurs and our Pinarello group. I later learned that about 10% of the starting field were women.

And then the waiting began. Due to the impending road closures, we arrived at our starting chute before 6:00 AM and the race wasn’t scheduled to begin until 6:30. Meanwhile, we marveled at the eye candy that surrounded us. We estimated that there had to be millions of Euros of bicycles, cycling gadgets, electronics, and kit arrayed before us. Brands we knew, brands we didn’t, and brands we hadn’t seen in years. And this was only one of several starting chutes!

Meanwhile, the Italian network, RAI, had begun their live television and Internet coverage of the event, with no fewer than two helicopters making continuous low passes over the participants waiting at the start line. At first, everyone waved to the camera (I heard several Ciao Mamas! ring out, so I made sure to yell Hi Mom! — although I found out later that only people with an Italian IP address could actually watch the live online coverage, but I did yell it, I promise!), but soon we became bored and went back to drooling over carbon fiber, titanium, etc.

Right at 6:30 AM we heard the countdown in Italian and the race was on!

Just not for us.

Our race didn’t begin until about 10 minutes later when the thousands in front of us finally cleared the Start line and we were able to get on the road. It was a few hundred meters from our starting chute to the actual Start line, and although there were a few people lining the starting area fences, I was surprised not to see more. I would have shot GoPro video of the start line, but somewhere between the chute and the line, the brand new handlebar mount sent to me by GoPro decided to snap and break, further stuffing my already over-stuffed jersey pockets, and leaving me without the ability to shoot POV video during the ride. Very disappointing and very troubling for anyone who relies on this mount to keep their camera safe and sound on their handlebars. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about that on a future podcast but for now, I strongly recommend steering clear of the GoPro bike mount.

Once past the start line it was 6 km back to Corvara and the start of the Passo Campolongo climb. No matter which course you choose to attempt, everyone first does the entire Sellaronda course together, comprising 55 km of the Passo Campolongo, Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella, and Passo Gardena, before returning to Corvara to complete their day or continue on to the Medio (two more passes – Campolongo [again] and Falzarego) or the Maratona (including the dreaded Passo Giau).

I have done a lot of mass participant events, but I have never found myself in such a throng. Because all 10,500+ participants complete the Sellaronda, the road from Corvara and past the summit of the Passo Campolongo was one of the most awe-inspiring and dangerous I’ve ever ridden. From the point of view of a spectator perhaps 100 meters away from the road, I am certain that it must have looked like the road had been transformed into a single, undulating, pulsating, psychedelic, snakelike organism, winding its way up the twisty road toward the summit. From my perspective, however, I saw thousands of cyclists of all abilities fighting for position and enough asphalt to get safely up the road without leaving a piece of themselves thereon.

Had everyone been of the same ability level, the climb up Campolongo and beyond would have been a graceful dance. In reality, however, the discrepancies in abilities, strength, experience, language, etiquette and bike handling skills made for a very stressful first hour or so. Early on, I chose to pick a line along the side of the road, not in the middle of it, and stay on that line. If others wanted to fight for position, let them. I was here to enjoy the ride.

At the top of the Campolongo was a rest stop and I could have used some water. Unfortunately, I was on the right side of the road, the rest stop was on the left, and there was this psychedelic, undulating snake thing in between. So instead, I stopped at the summit just long enough to take a photo and to tweet this first accomplishment, before putting on my wind jacket and heading down the descent to the base of the Passo Pordoi. Once there, I took a few more photos and videos, removed the jacket, and headed up the climb.

The turns/switchbacks on many of the climbs in the Alps are numbered from top-to-bottom or vice versa (how they choose whether to count from the bottom or from the top seems random). On the Pordoi, the turns counted down from the bottom to the top and there were useful kilometer markers indicating the distance to the top, so it was easy to pace myself. Somewhere in the middle of the climb, I stopped into a local bar and asked the proprietor for some water. He was happy to oblige.

On large rides like the Maratona you find a rhythm and a speed, and I typically find that I am among the same group of people for the entire ride. Somewhere along the way we strike up a conversation (this is especially true on charity rides when we compare reasons for riding and what the charity means to each of us) and continue these each time we’re near each other. The Maratona was different because as an Anglophone, I was clearly in the minority. I heard Italian and German, of course, but also Dutch, Flemish, French, Russian and many other languages, but very little English. Near the top of the Pordoi I ran into a group of Brits, joking their way to the top. It was nice to hear some English being spoken, so I joined in on the joking around. We had a good time together for a few hundred meters before I continued climbing on my own.

Once again we began a descent (after putting on my windbreaker, of course), this time toward the Passo Sella, a climb we had done just a few days previously. We made the turn onto the Sella, I removed my jacket, and headed up the hill. After a few kilometers, I knew I was approaching a rest stop because I heard such a cacophony. Upon making a left turn I found the source of the noise: several men with HUGE cowbells, greeting riders as they approached the rest area. As I approached they were in discussion about something, and just after I passed I found out what they had been discussing. The men formed a gauntlet, with a line on each side of the road. As a ride approached, they began a chant that got louder as the rider got closer, then, as the rider hit the first portion of the gauntlet, they banged their cow bells until the rider was through. It made everyone smile and, yes, hammer just a little bit harder.

The rest area was well-stocked with water, juice, electrolyte powder, wafer cookies (yum), fruit, and Coke. Yes, Coke! This was the first time I’ve ever seen soft drinks at a rest area, but I hope it’s not the last. Caffeine and sugar were a welcome treat.  Alas, however, no Fig Newtons.

Before leaving the rest area I decided that it was time to set this ride to music, so I plugged my headphones into my iPhone, put it on shuffle and hit the road. Somehow my iPhone always seems to find just the right songs for my mood and the ride, and today was no exception. The first song I heard was Mighty Mighty by Earth, Wind and Fire (no, I am not making this up). Others included Viva La Vida by Coldplay, Free Bird, and Face Up by Rush. I always love it when that song comes on during a ride. Here are my favorite lyrics:

You get all squeezed up inside
Like the days were carved in stone
You get all wired up inside
And it’s bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride
And when you get out on the road
You get all smoothed out inside
And it’s good to be alone!

I sang along, most probably at the top of my lungs. I don’t know how many people heard me singing, but I the music definitely put me in a great mood. My insides were, as Neil Peart said, all smoothed out inside. It was indeed great to be alone, and I was enjoying the ride.

One thing I did not appreciate was the amount of trash left behind by the cyclists. From the base of the Campolongo and all the way back to Corvara, the roads of the Dolomites were strewn with all manner of trash, especially the summits. Gel packages, energy bar wrappers, electrolyte powder packets, even bananas were simply tossed onto the roads, without any concern for whether or who would do the cleanup. The bananas were especially troubling because of their well-known slip-inducing properties, making me wonder whether some hyper-competitive rider had created a Wile E. Coyote Acme bike with the ability to eject banana peels in order to stymie the competition.

But I seem to have digressed.

From the rest area with the huge cowbells, it was back on my bike to the top of the Sella. Somewhere along the way I passed a couple of our amigos de Venezuela, said buenos dias! and ¿como estas? We chatted briefly, wished each other well, and I continued on my way.

We had descended this portion of the Sella several days ago, so I enjoyed seeing it from a new angle. I am fairly certain that this is the more difficult side to climb, but I preferred it. The view at the top is nothing short of spectacular and I stopped for a moment to enjoy it before putting on my windbreaker again and beginning the fast, but not-too-technical descent (other than the well-marked and -marshaled construction area). Halfway down we made a right turn (I recalled this turn from our earlier climb of this section and also from CycleFilm’s reconnaissance DVD where their rider missed the turn and had to climb back up) for the climb up the Passo Gardena (off with the windbreaker!).

About a kilometer or so up the Gardena I found another rest stop, and this is where I ran into Alex, one of the Americans on our Ciclismo Classico tour. We chatted about how wonderful the day was, the beauty of the scenery, the spread at the rest stop, and whether or not we would make the time cut in Corvara. It was then that I realized that until that moment I hadn’t given the time cuts a second thought; I was just enjoying the ride. I thought that I recalled the time cut being 11:30 or 11:40, so I wasn’t too concerned. I therefore lingered a bit, enjoying the view (and the Coke), and taking my time refilling my bottle of Perpeteuem.

The climb up the Gardena was perhaps my favorite of the day. The crowd had thinned considerably, the climb was not too difficult, and the scenery spectacular (I wonder how many times I’ve used that word to describe The Dolomites). Midway up the climb there is a flat/slight downhill section and then it begins climbing again to a most beautiful summit before descending a fun, fast and technical road into Corvara. At the top, I checked the time and since it was only 11:00, I figured I had plenty of time. Still, I enjoyed a fast descent into town. Before the descent, however, I took the time to tweet, “The four passes of the Sellaronda are behind me. I think I may even make the time cut for the medium course!”

I reached the Finish area where, amazingly, cyclists were already finishing the long route (now that’s fast!). As for me, I spied the chute to the right that would take me back up the Campolongo again so that I could complete the medium route. With Oingo Boingo’s Cry of The Vatos in my ears for motivation, I headed straight for it. But then, without warning, my ride was over. The chute was closed! I had misunderstood the time cuts and missed the cut for the Medium route by less than 10 minutes. I was therefore ushered to the left, through the Finish line. I can’t wait to see my Finish line photo — hopefully there isn’t a video because I don’t think what I said was anything less than R-rated. My race number with the timing chip (the one on my handlebars) was cut off, I was offered a finisher’s hat (or 10 Euros — I took the hat) and a bottle of sports drink.

Just past the Finish line, I stopped and leaned my bike against the barriers. I tweeted saying, “Didn’t make the time cut. Oh well. I still had a great time, and that’s what it’s all about.” I meant it (and still do), but a few minutes later it hit me that my Maratona was over. There I was at the Finish line with the legs to complete the Medium course, but without an opportunity to do so. I had obviously made a mistake in understanding the time cuts, chosen a pace that was too slow, and stopped too often to take in the scenery, snap photos, and enjoy the rest areas.

Many thoughts and feelings went through my mind at that moment. I was angry at myself for not paying more attention to the time cuts, and disappointed that I hadn’t had the opportunity to tackle one of the longer, more difficult courses. Perhaps paradoxically, I also felt triumphant that I had achieved so much over the past week especially considering my pre-trip fitness, or lack thereof. I realized how fortunate I had been to be able to enjoy The Maratona which, like the Alpe d’Huez, Etape du Tour, and others, is a ride that is on many cyclists’ bucket lists. I also had the great pleasure to not only see The Dolomites, but to spend time in, on, and around their grandeur. Finally, I was extremely thankful to Ciclismo Classico for putting together such a well-organized journey and allowing me to meet and spend time with such a wonderful group of cyclists and guides. It was a flood of emotions that was (and still is, even two days later) difficult to contain.

For a while, I just stood there, alone with my thoughts and emotions, oblivious to the celebrations around me. Slowly, however, I came out of my fog. It was then that I ran into Alex again. He told me that he had just made the time cut, but after climbing a few hundred meters past the Finish line, he began to think what a beautiful day it had been, how satisfied he was with his ride, and how he no longer felt the need to do more than the Sellaronda. Back down the foot of the Campolongo he went, and through the Finish line. He was jubilant and it was contagious.

Together, Alex and I searched for the ice arena, the site of the post-ride meal, and the location for picking up our finisher’s vests. We didn’t think the signage was as good as it could have been so we wandered around aimlessly for a while, along the way running into a quartet of American wives/girlfriends who were waiting for their husbands/boyfriends to finish the race. One of them was married to a man named Fred, so she took a bunch of photos of me and my jersey. I guess it’s time for me to think about making a new batch so if you’re reading this, Fred, stay tuned!

We finally found the ice arena. In place of ice, the rink was covered with long picnic tables filled with cyclists. Our registration packets included five coupons, and the ice arena was the place to use them. One was for our finisher’s vest, one for pasta, one for meat (pork chop or sausage), one for a soft drink or a beer, and the last for dessert. This was the best post-ride meal I have ever seen (or eaten). During our meal Alex spied Massimo. He gave us a report of his ride and an update on those of our group whose statuses were known.

Once we had gorged ourselves on the food (no dessert, thank you), we went back to the hotel where I stripped all of my various parts off the Bianchi (Garmin Edge 500 with speed/cadence sensor, broken GoPro camera mount, pedals, saddle and water bottles) and went to my room for a well-deserved shower. I also napped and watched the day’s stage of Le Tour.

At 7:00 PM we all met in the lobby of our hotel (yes, the Venezuelans too) to swap war stories, compare times, and congratulate each other on a job well done. Everyone had come through the ride successfully, although Dave had gone down on one of the later descents of the medium course when he hit a tool pack in the middle of the road. His road rash is a testament to the fact that he, as the saying goes, left it all on the road. He and his bike will both be fine.

The party soon moved into the hotel bar where Ciclismo Classico had arranged a reception for us with hors d’oeuvres and celebratory glasses of prosecco. We toasted our success, good fortune, and how wonderful it had been to meet and ride with each other. The final capolinos went to Gary (for being such a strong rider) and to Dave (in the hope that his road rash would heal soon). The reception ended too soon as we all said our goodbyes to our new friends from Venezuela who would be leaving early the next morning. Hand shakes just weren’t adequate to express what a pleasure it had been, so there were hugs all around.

Dinner that night was another four-course affair in the Hotel Posta Zirm’s excellent dining room. I learned that the gracious, friendly and well-spoken waiter who had been serving us the past three nights is, in fact, the proprietor of the hotel. The hotel has been in his family for generations. He explained that the ski lift behind the hotel is on the site of the first ski lift in Italy, something his grandfather had helped bring to The Dolomites shortly after World War II. He told us that The Dolomites are a wonderful destination for intermediate and family skiing.

He said that he enjoys skiing in other parts of the world, but that, unlike anywhere else on the globe, when you ski in The Dolomites you truly feel that you are in the mountains, not simply on them; that you become one with the mountains here more than anywhere else. This is certainly how you feel when you ride The Dolomites as well. What he loves about The Dolomites is that they are not created by humans, but have been given to us all to enjoy.

And then he said something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The Dolomites, he said, are a gift.

I couldn’t agree more.

I lingered a bit longer at dinner than I had on previous nights, not wanting the trip to come to an end. Then Dave and I headed into town to enjoy three scoops (each!) of fine Italian gelato before heading back to our rooms to pack and have a well-deserved rest.

I slept well that night, dreaming of the gift of The Dolomites.

NOTE: Scroll all the way to the bottom for today’s photos.

Ah . . . . Today was our rest day. I slept in, had a leisurely shower, met the group for breakfast at 9:00 and was generally lazy until our Maratona briefing at 10:00 with Enrico. He gave us tips on what to bring with us (no van support? what?!?), where and when to eat (“if you’re hungry or thirsty, stop in a local bar and have a coffee and a strudel” — no, really), what to expect in the start area, how to avoid crashes, etc. In general, though, he encouraged us to enjoy the ride. Good advice, if you ask me.

After the briefing we sat at the hotel’s outdoor cafe and enjoyed some more laziness. This time with cappuccino.

Enrico had some wrenching to do, and when he was done we all headed down to the expo area about 10 km down the road. The Maratona organizers should be commended for their logistics. Instead of contributing more traffic to area, they have free shuttle buses to take people from town to town. Considering the number of people who have descended (ha!) upon Alta Badia (no, not Strong Badia), many of them on bikes, these shuttles are a great idea.

All participants in the Maratona get a nifty, colorful, Euro-style bike jersey. Knowing that this would be in European sizing, I ordered a XXL (which is still a bit tight), but many of the other participants needed to make an exchange, so we headed for the registration building. While there Enrico pointed out a really nice Maratona cycling vest from a previous year’s race that was on clearance for just 5 Euros. Yes, I bought one!

The expo was small considering the size of this event, so we were soon headed back to the shuttle and back up to Corvara for a much-needed pizza lunch. It was at lunch that we met up with our amigos de Venezuela (they’re at a different hotel) who had just returned from a spin up the Passo Campolongo.

After lunch, it was back to the hotel for some more rest (it is a rest day, after all) and to catch Stage 8 of Le Tour de France. I watched the Eurosport feed and found their commercials just as frequent, repetitive and annoying as those on Versus back in the States. I got tired of the repetition so decided to go shopping for souvenirs instead, but not before someone sent me this link to the Skoda ad that is appearing during Tour de France coverage. I kinda like that one.

Now I’m back in my room getting my stuff ready for tomorrow’s ride. I’m going to post this now so that I don’t stay up blogging all night. I’ll update again on Sunday night or some time on Monday, depending upon how much time I have available. I will try to tweet from the start, the top of each pass, and from the finish so be sure to follow me on Twitter (@fredcast).

Wish me luck!

NOTE: Scroll all the way to the bottom for photos and maps/metrics from today’s ride.

Last night while I was working on the blog, my friend Carlton Reid @’ed me on Twitter to ask how the weather has been on the trip. Just then the rain began, followed by thunder and lightning. I kid you not. It rained much of the night.

This morning we awoke to mostly cloudy skies, but thankfully no rain. We had a nice breakfast at the Hotel La Cacciatoria (amazing coffee!) and went outside for our pre-ride briefing. Our jaws dropped when we looked at the route profile for the day. It showed three climbs, but the one in the middle was listed as 14.6% average (average, mind you!) grade. Enrico and Massimo ensured all of us that this was a mistake, but I for one was not sure until we reached our hotel in Corvara at the end of the day. Thankfully, it was a mistake.

But we did still have three big climbs. The first was Passo Fedaia, and the climbing began in less than a 1 km ride from our hotel. It was a 9+ km climb with an average grade of 5.8% and, truth be told, while it was difficult and I did climb slowly (that’s just my way), I felt pretty darn good. When we reached the top we had an excellent view of the Marmolada Glacier, the only glacier in this part of the Alps, and Lake Marmolada. Enrico told us that this was the site of very intense fighting during World War I as the Italians and Austrians fought it out for control of the region. The Austrians built a complex of fortifications and caves within the glacier and used these are their base of operations.

From the top of the Passo Fedaia, it was a flat ride of a kilometer or so until the descent to the valley below. We had been forewarned by Enrico during our briefing that this would be one of the most steep and dangerous descents of the trip. He told us, “iif you think you can go 10, please go 5.” I took it easy on the descent. This gave me time to notice the growing number of individuals, teams and touring groups climbing the opposite site of Fedaia, obviously training and preparing for this weekend’s Maratona.

Once at the bottom of the valley, the climbing began again in earnest (after stopping for some snacks that Massimo had set-up for us), with 20 km until the summit of the Passo Falzarego at 2,100 meters. This was a hard climb, but it was tempered by the amazing scenery and, of course, Massimo’s next impromptu rest stop about halfway up the pass, where he had set-up fresh bread, prosciutto, cheeses, fruits, and other tasty snacks. From there, I climbed alone to the summit where I had a well-deserved doppio espresso at the rifugio. Guido said goodbye to us at the top of the Falzarego, as he is heading home. I hope he got all the video he wanted!

It was a a very short climb from there up the Passo Valparola, just about 2 km and another 100 meters or so, where I had my photo taken (and returned the favor) by a trio of German cyclists. At the top there is a small, but excellent museum about the World War I battles in The Dolomites, built inside an Austrian fort from World War I. The museum is ‘guarded’ by an actor in an Austrian uniform. I got some great shots.

From there it was all down hill into La Villa, and then about 4 km up to our hotel in Corvara. Kudos once again to Ciclismo Classico for choosing the Hotel Posta Zirm in Corvara. It is modern, yet charming, with an extremely well-appointed room, a beautiful view of the Passo Campolongo, a fantastic restaurant, an turn down service that included wonderful cookies. Bravo!

As I mentioned earlier, there are a bazillion cyclists in The Dolomites right now, most of whom will be joining us on Sunday for The Maratona. I have to say that I have been surprised, on the whole, by the lack of etiquette I’ve witnessed. It’s not quite the boys from Cinzano sticking a pump in Dave Stoller’s wheel, but if you think cyclists in the U.S. have poor etiquette when they don’t call ‘on your left,’ just wait until you ride with this bunch.

To be fair, I know that many of the cyclists here are top-level amateurs, pros, and former pros so perhaps they have a different concept of how to ride around rank amateurs like me. It is also possible that I have an unrealistic expectation of how other cyclists should act around each other, but cutting you off on a descent, coming around your left without calling and then cutting back in front of you even before there’s room, talking/texting on a cell phone while riding, slowing down a line of cyclists while you search for something in your pocket, etc. are not the ways I’d suggest cyclists act, especially on busy or dangerous roads. It shows a lack of respect, an overabundance of arrogance, or both. Just sayin’.

On the ride for La Villa to Corvara we got a glimpse of the Maratona staff setting up the barricades and banners for Sunday’s race. Just before dinner, Massimo gave us our swag bags, jerseys and numbers. Everyone is getting excited. And nervous. And deciding which of the three courses to attempt.

We’ve decided that tomorrow will be a rest day. We’ll meet in the morning (not too early!) for a briefing on The Maratona and then perhaps go to the bike expo and do some shopping for our families. I’m sure I’ll still have something to blog.

Oh! By the way. My mom asked an interesting question in an email yesterday. Go check out this blog post and help me answer the question for her. Thanks!

. . . and one more thing. Check out this fun video I put together last night with footage I shot using my handlebar-mounted GoPro Hero HD. As Nacho Libre said, “it’s just for fun.”

I am enjoying your blogs.  They are very informative and make me want to see this part if Italy but without the pain and suffering.  Do cyclists at your level really enjoy this or is it the thrill of conquering the mountain that makes you do it?

I answered by saying the following:

Despite all my whining about the pain and suffering, the answer to your question is yes, cyclists at my level do enjoy this. It’s not the pain and suffering that we enjoy, but rather the challenge, the scenery, and conquering rides that usually only the pros complete.

I’m sure you all have other reasons why you put yourselves through the pain and suffering, right? Please answer in the comments section below and let me know what you would have answered.

NOTE: Scroll all the way to the bottom for photos and maps/metrics from today’s ride.

Before leaving Bolzano we participated in a Ciclismo Classico tradition: the transfer of the capelino. The capelino is a white cycling cap with the tre colori of Italy striped down the middle from front to back. On the first day of the trip, the capelino is given by the guides to a deserving person for whatever reason they see fit. On subsequent days, the recipient of the capelino is decided by the current holder. I received the capelino yesterday from Bettina, in appreciation for my stopping on the Stelvio to give her a Clif bar and for allowing her to use one of my jackets on the descent (her luggage was lost on its way here). Today, I gave the capelino to Jacob who, prior to two months ago, was a marathon runner and not a cyclist. He is doing very well on this trip and I wanted to recognize his efforts by writing on the capelino, ‘To Jacob. From marathon to Maratona.’

Once the briefing and capelino ceremony were behind us we had one more thing to do before leaving Bolzano. One of the participants wanted to get a glimpse of the Bolzano Museum of Modern Art, with its glass facade and twisty glass bridges. A few photos later, we were finally on the road to Canazei via two passes, the Passo Pinei and the Passo Sella (the latter is part of Sunday’s Maratona). Just like when I rode my bike on the big island of Hawaii, today’s ride was all up.

It was a cloudy day today, as you’ll see from the photos below, and Enrico says that if the weather had been clear we would have been bowled over by the views. The clouds kept the temperatures down, but the humidity was high, so it was another sweaty day. The Pinei was difficult in spots, but there were brief respites that helped quite a bit. At one point, Enrico stopped the van at a wide bend in the road for everyone to replenish food and water. Just past the bend was a road with a sign indicating that it was a 28% grade. Every person who arrived was told that was the way we were going next, and most believed for the briefest of moments until the oxygen returned to their brains and common sense set in. We all took pictures anyway, planning to tell our riding buddies about the 28% grade we tackled in Italy. Shh! Don’t let the cat out of the bag.

From the top of the Pinei we had a brief descent before beginning the Passo Sella. A few kilometers into the climb we stopped in Santa Cristina for lunch, one of the two lunches on the trip hosted by Ciclismo Classico. Santa Cristina is a small ski village with a warm ambience, lots of shops and restaurants and a full complement of lodging choices. It reminded me of Le Grand Bornand in the French Alps; I would love to return to either place with my family someday for a ski vacation. I had risotto with asparagus and mushrooms for lunch, which helped soothe my tired body and bring it back to what felt like full strength, but once back on the bike and climbing Passo Sella, it sat in my gut like a rock. In retrospect, I probably should have just had pizza.

The Passo Sella was brutal and beautiful, as the climb was unrelenting until the summit, while the clouds revealed the scenery we had all come to enjoy. I was relieved and elated to reach the top, lingering long enough for the obligatory photo with the summit marker sign, as well as several other shots of the surrounding beauty. I have never seen anything like The Dolomites before and despite the pain and suffering, I am glad I came.

It was an 11 km descent to Canazei and then a 3 or 4 km slight rise to our hotel. Once again, Ciclismo Classico has outdone themselves with this evening’s lodgings at the Hotel La Cacciatora. This is another four star hotel with a beautiful room with wood paneling, moulding and ornate ceilings. My room has a flower box lined balcony that overlooks the parking area and the nearby mountains. Our four course dinner (after a tour of the wine cellar where we saw €1,200+ bottles of wine) included a salad bar, and I had (in order of appearance) the smoked meat plate, tagiatelle in venison sauce, grilled rabbit with a potato pancake, and cherry strudel with ice cream. Yes I am full, and no I do not feel guilty considering all the calories I am burning each day.

Tomorrow is another tough day as we go over two more Maratona climbs, the Falzarego and the Valparola, and we’ll also do Passo Fedaia.

One more note. As you may know, the Maratona has three courses: the Sella Ronda (55 km + 1,780 m), the Percorso Medio (106 km + 3,090 m), and the Percorso Maratona (the big banana at 138 km + 4,190 m). Based on my performance on this week’s tour so far, I am nearly 100% certain that I will not attempt to tackle the Percorso Maratona. I am going to shoot for the Percorso Medio and either complete it, bail on it for the Sella Ronda, or decide at the bailout point to continue on with the Maratona. Time will tell.