Giro 2011- The sequel.....or, Jet-lagged blogger dazed and confused but still wanting to tell the rest of the story...

Okay, here is the real story. I don't normally read my own posts once they are posted. Yesterday after a hard day ripping the old drywall out of the garage, another story altogether, I had a look at the Giro of Sardinia blog. Holy smokes! I didn't post the stories from the first 6 days. As you may recall I was sans Internet for a couple of days at the Horse Country Resort. Each day I wrote a story and saved it for when the Internet was available. Well, I guess what happened is that I was so immersed in the race that I totally forgot about posting the early days of my adventure. Soooooo....... here they are. Enjoy!!!


Wednesday, April 20th.....somewhere over eastern Canada...4:09 a.m. Italian time.

So far an uneventful day in the air, on the road. We departed Victoria at 0610 yesterday. Spent 7 hours at the Toronto airport. From the inside of Terminal One it looked like any other big airport. Non de-script. They don’t try to dress it up. It is what it is. By the way, deodorant and dental floss will run you $13.50 at the “book” store. I shared a laugh with the clerk about the cost of forgetting to pack a couple of items.

Did I mention it was snowing when we departed Toronto at 7:10 p.m., yesterday. Bite me Toronto.

Not being an International traveller, I was not aware that time has stood still on international routes. I felt I was in a time warp. Listen up. Full meal service in Economy class. Wait, there is more. It was quite tasty, and healthy, except maybe the chocolate brownie. I only had one. Plus, and I saved the best for last, Free drinks. Confession: I had 2 very small bottles of vino rosso.

I have an observation about modern air travel. Remember the old days? Inside the cabin of the jetliner, and for Mike, the twin turbo prop DC3, there was always the din of white noise, the sometimes incessant drone of the engines mixed with laughter and voices of the passengers. It seems the only thing left is the drone of the engines as very few passengers actually speak to one another. Conversation seems to be a thing of the past. Today 90% of passengers are glued to the small screens in the seat in front of them. Others are watching movies on laptop computers or iPods and such. The cabin of this Boeing 767 has 7 seats across the plane. As I type no one 3 rows ahead or 3 rows back are conversing. Sad in a way, unless you are seated next to a drunk. No, not me.... Maybe another free round?

The plane is packed. Everyone seems happy to be here. I can only hope that my bike made it on the plane.


April 21 - Horse Country Resort, Spa and Congress

I am in horse country. No “doot a boot” it. (That’s the way Teresa hears it). No doubt about it, agriculture is big in this part of Sardegna. While I have only seen a couple of horses, I know there are more because I can smell them. There must be a lot of them.

I checked in last evening in time to enjoy my first meal in Sardegna. I had a rum and coke at the bar (7 Euro, plus tip - might be my last one....) The hotel offers full meals but no menu. Last night I had the Octopus salad. (marinated pieces of octopus with a few herbs) Then the primi piatti (1st course) was spaghetti with shrimp. The secondi piatti (second course) was veal with a side of boiled potatoes. I skipped dessert but did have the local house vino rosso which was excellent. Included was a basket of fresh bread, no butter.

After dinner it was still light so went for a walk around part of the resort. It is spring. I don’t think the resort sees many tourists during the winter. It may even be closed during the winter. Some things, wireless internet and room phone, do not work. This is frustrating. There is a pay as you go internet station in the lobby that I have not used. Some staff are new and are feeling their way around. The extensive grounds need a lot of spring cleaning. There are many workers raking, pruning, painting and cleaning.

Here are a couple of pictures of the grounds and the beach.

Horse Country Resort


World War 2 Bunker on the beach not far from the Horse Country Resort (Mike, this one's for you...)


Sponges cover the beach. Or, did the Triffles invade Sardinia???


My (our) room. I confess that I am disappointed with the room. It is small and has twin “single” beds. The bed I slept in was comfortable and is extra long. I was hoping for twin double beds. I’m not sure how we will get bikes, bike boxes and 2 people in the room at one time, but we will be fine. The good news is that it is on the main floor and has double doors to a nice little patio. It opens to a large courtyard. I sent an email to my team mates for them to reduce their expectations about this “4 Star Resort”. It’s nice, but maybe not 4 Star....

April 22 - The Team is together

After a good breakfast this morning I went for a short spin on my bike, which I re-assembled last night before bedtime. It was great to be out on my bike although the wind was quite strong ( vento mordo). They say a storm is due in tonight bring rain for tomorrow. I hope it clears by Sunday....

While I arrived on April 20th, Chris on the 21st, Dave, John and Marcus arrived today. There have been a few glitches but, I think it will all sort itself out in the end.

Dave arrived at the Horse Country Resort around 1500 hours. Dave’s bike arrived too, but his suitcase was missing in action. After a few calls he learned that it would be delivered to the resort late today or in the morning. There was some discussion around “what ifs” but Dave was happy to take a wait and see approach. After a short visit with Chris and myself Dave was off to bed for a little shut-eye.

Later in the evening John arrived. John had both bike and suitcase in tow. Hungry and tired from the 24 hour trip, John ate a good dinner, shared stories and wine then headed off to assemble his bike and hit the hay.

Marcus arrived last. Like Dave he was missing his suitcase. Unlike Dave he was unsure as to when it would arrive, or if it would arrive. Luck for Dave, Marcus arrived with Dave’s suitcase which he had picked up at the Cagliari Airport.

Apart from comings and goings, Chris and I got in a nice ride today. We were joined by Dennis Sartori from Toronto. We rode about 55 kms, part of the ride in the mountains to the south of the resort which is part of the Grand Fondo on Monday. The hills were challenging due to the 30 km head and side winds that have been blowing for the last few days. We all agreed that these type of conditions would make the racing a challenge.

Before riding, Chris, Dennis and I drove north through the town or Oristano and Cabras to the Sinis Peninsula. At the southern tip of the peninsula lay the ancient ruins of Tharros, which was founded by the Phoenicians, possibly at the end of the 8th century B.C. It was quite a thrill to walk about through these ruins. To see the remnants of fortifications and water systems, one could get a sense of life in Tharros during that period.

Tomorrow the team will get together for a ride, provided Marcus either gets his suitcase or finds shoes and a helmet.

April 23 - Rain!

I was up at 0700 this morning to meet Dave for breakfast. Before breakfast I finally broke down and used the “pay as you go” internet kiosk to send an email home to Dana. .36/minute but worth it to say hi and assure Dana that all is well.

After breakfast the attention turned to the issue of the missing suitcase and what to do. Marcus finally made the decision to go to a bike shop in Oristano and buy shoes and a helmet. Plans for a ride today are on hold due to rain. The sun is supposed to shine later today and if it does we will hit the road for a short spin.

The teams and participants for the Giro are arriving in large numbers. The parking lot contains team caravans, trailers and cars loaded with bikes, frames and wheels. It is quite the show. Rumor has it that several ex-Tour d’France riders are in the race. From the board containing lists of participants there may be upwards of 720 men and women in the various events. The enormity of the event is beginning to sink in.

Sunday, April 24 - Day one, Giro Sardegna

The day that I have been training for since September has finally arrived. Stage 1 of the Giro, the Individual Time Trail. Because of issues around the chosen course, the ITT has been shortened from the original 25 km to 12.5. Most of us were thrilled with this change.

I converted my road bike to a TT bike last evening. I added TT aero bars and I changed the seat position on the bike. Aero bars permit the rider the lean forward over the bars in a more aerodynamic position. This makes a significant difference in how fast you can travel. Altering the position of the seat allows the rider to attain maximum power on the pedals while in the crouched position.

My time for the ITT was 19 minutes, 02 seconds. This was good enough to put me in 5th position in my age group. I think I had a very good day. I am not known for my time trialing ability. My time was also best among the Tripleshot team, although the riders that went after me may have had stronger head winds to content with. Regardless, I got bragging rights for Stage 1. I am pretty sure tomorrow will have a different outcome.

April 25 - Stage 2 - Grando Fondo 160 km

The start of the Grand Fondo was predictably fast and hectic. That many racers anxious to race results in a period where riders speed up and then hit their brakes causing a echo effect through to the back of the peleton. On this day there were no accidents and everyone made it clear. At the 13 km mark we started the first of two, 50 km loops after which we would return to the finish line at the hotel. For the first 25 kms of the loop the race pace was fast. Very fast. We paced along at around 40 to 42 kph. After that we rode through the town of Meddivichio and up a steep road to the west side of the Island. The second half of the loop was up and down, lots of hair pin turns to negotiate on descents at high speed. There was one corner that will be forever in my memory. I made it around the turn but it scared the hell out of me. The view from the corner was ocean. The was a rock retaining wall but over that it was a long way down.

I was feeling pretty good until the 90km point of the race, the second time up the hill at Meddivichio. I struggled and was dropped by the group I was in. After that it was hang on, keep pushing and hope that another group would come by so I could jump on. 25 kms later the cavalry arrived for the run into the finish line. All in all, 160 kms of pain, but a nice feeling having completed the full race. My time was a disappointing 5 hours, 12 minutes. I slipped from 5th overall in my age group after the Individual Time Trial to 12th. Tomorrows ride is shorter, thankfully.

The rest of my team mates had their own stories, some good, some not so good. Such is racing. We will all meet for dinner and de-brief, swap stories and talk about tomorrow.

April 26th - Stage 3, 107 km.

Despite my mental and physical state after yesterday’s Grand Fondo, I woke this morning feeling great and ready to race. This could be attributed to knowing that the course was only 107 km.

Under cloudy skies we started the race a few minutes late. The start was unusually fast. We were expecting a neutral pace for the first 10 km, then for the race to start and the pace to increase. I was in the back 3rd of the pack, still numbering around 250. I got “gapped”, which means “oh crap, I will have to chase”, and I had to work very hard. By the 20 km mark I had joined a group of 15 to 20 racers with whom I stayed with for most of the day. The route was fantastic. We rode through hills and small villages just like you see in the Tour de France. The road were very good although the roads in the villages were rough. Towns folk in the villages lined the route and cheered enthusiastically as racers past through their village.

There were several long hills on the route. The first was around 10km long but only 6% grade. Typically these hills spread the field and this day was no exception. There several changes in my group as racers dropped off and others joined. After this climb the group managed to stay together most of the race.

Now for a confession. 25 km from the finish the ASSO, a bike clothing company, team car came to the front of our group. We had one of their team in our group. After some words were exchanged between the car and rider the car began to pace our group. The car sped away faster and faster until we were traveling at between 55 and 60 kph. Slowly riders began to be dropped and finally there were only 4 of remaining. We went at this pace for around 10 km. This activity is strictly prohibited. In reality I subjected myself to disqualification. I confess that it was a real rush and I got caught up in the heat of the moment.

After this illegal maneuver we bridged a large group of about 30 riders and I rode at the back of this pack to the finish line. As if to make up for my indiscretion I did not contest the sprint.

Regardless of the motor pacing, it was a terrific day of racing through some very beautiful country. Tomorrow we race 117 km. There will be some tough climbing added to the mix.

Note to readers: This brings you up to date on the first 6 or 7 days of my adventure. If you go the rest of the blog you will find the rest of my story. My apologies for the mix up. I hope you enjoyed my story. I know I enjoyed livin' the dream at the 2011 Giro of Sardinia.

Barry

Drink it up, this one's for you....it's been a lovely cruise.....

It's Saturday evening and I am putting the final touches on my Sardinia blog. Today I have had some time to reflect on the trip. I had several goals for my Sardinia adventure. Goal number 1: Come back in one piece - accomplished! Goal 2: Have fun - accomplished! Goal 3: Do well in the race - accomplished! Goal 4: See Sardinia and experience the culture - accomplished!

When I put in my application for the Giro of Sardinia way back in August 2010, I really had no idea what it was going to be like. I intuitively expected it to be physically challenging. Having completed the Giro I can say categorically that I did not underestimate the challenge. I trained hard and my training paid off. What a fantastic experience it was. What a fantastic event! It was a thrill being in the Giro, lining up with so many fine athletes. Would I do it again? I think that question will be discussed at a later date. My racing calendar if quite full for the remainder of 2011.

That's a wrap. Once again I want to that all my supporters, friends and family for the encouragement and yes, the cheering. Finally, thanks to Dana. Without her support I could not have pulled this off.

Until the next adventure, keep on "livin' your dreams", wherever that takes you.....

Barry

Rome in a day, and the long, long flight home.....

Friday I did not wake up in Rome. Note to all travellers: Make sure you research your destinations. The port where the Sardinia ferry docks in not in Rome, and nowhere near the airport. I departed the ferry around 6:15 a.m. I naively expected to leave the terminal and bard a free shuttle to the airport. Instead I got on a free shuttle to the train station where I learned that I needed to go the the Roma Terminali (end of the line) and board another train that would take me to the airport. Okay, I have loads of time as my flight does not depart until 1:10 this afternoon. Or so I thought.

The train ride into the centre of Rome took about 1 hour. I arrived just in time to board the train to the airport. That trip took around 30 minutes. So far so good as I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. My flight does not depart until 1:1o this afternoon.

Before I departed Victoria on April 19th I received notice from Air Canada telling me that my return flight would depart from Terminal 1 in Rome. I went to Terminal 1 where I was told that Air Canada departs form Terminal 2. I went to Terminal 2 to learn that no, Air Canada departs from Terminal 3. I eventually found the Air Canada counter which was tucked nicely in an out of the way location. I was told that we would board at 10:45. I must have been tired as I thought to myself that this allowed a ridiculous length of time at the gate as my departure was not until 1:10 in the afternoon.

After dogging it around the terminal, looking in shops and buying nothing, I decided to head down to the gate at around 11:20. When I got there there weren't many people around. I thought, odd, but I guess I must be very early. WRONG! The flight departure had been changed to 11:30 and I was within minutes of missing the flight. Apparently Air Canada had sent me an email advising me of the departure but because I was unable to connect to the internet since I departed the Lemon House I was still going on the information I had on my original itinerary from Air Canada. Phew! I boarded and off we flew, Canada bound.

9 1/2 hours later we landed in Toronto. At the time I may have said I was never so glad to be in Toronto. While there is no recording of my remark I am going to deny making it. I mean, really. As if.....!

From Toronto I flew to Vancouver then on to Victoria where I, and surprisingly my bike box and suitcase, arrived on time at 5 minutes past midnight on Saturday, May 7. Dana picked me up at the airport and drove me home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. It's better than Kansas, Dorothy!

Last Days in Italy

Wednesday, May 4th

Wednesday would be my last full day on Sardinia. After breakfast I hopped on my bike and made the short trip to Santa Maria. I went to one of the local markets and picked up some lunch to enjoy on the beach. Around 1:30 I headed back to the Lemon House where I spent the remainder of the day, reading and resting. Before dinner I boxed my bike for the last time and readied it for the long trip home.

Thursday: I woke with a nasty head and chest cold. It had been coming on for a few days and prevented me from going ocean kayaking last evening. That was the only thing on my list of things to do and I was a bit pissed that I had missed the opportunity. I spent the morning walking around the village soaking in the warm sunshine and enjoying the local scene. I also made one last trip to the beach and spent an hour laying on the warm sand by the sea.

The previous evening I had changed my original return itinerary. Today I would catch the bus at 3:30 and head north to Olbia, a coastal port 3 hours north of Lotzorai. Peter and Anne were kind enough to drop me at the bus stop and waited with me for the bus to arrive. At 3:40 the bus arrived. I loaded my suitcase and bike and said goodbye to Peter and Anne.

The trip north to Olbia was uneventful. The scenery was spectacular. I arrived in Olbia around 8:30 p.m. Fortunately the bus dropped me right at the ferry terminal. I was able to board my ferry immediately. Boarding involved dragging my bike box and pushing my suitcase across a large parking lot, up 2 flights of stairs (escalators), down a long corridor, down an elevator and down another corridor to my stateroom. At no time did any of the ferry staff ask to help me. This is one of the few complaints I have regarding my travel is the lack of porters at any of the transportation centres. None the less, I did manage on my own, suffering only a sore shoulder.

Tomorrow I will wake up in Rome for my final travel home. What could possible go wrong?


Beach at Santa Maria


Afternoon sunshine on the rooftop deck at the Lemon House


Ferry Terminal at the Port of Olbia


Picture taken as we entered Olbia from the south.


Bus stop in Lotzorai

Tuesday spin - 60 km of up and down.

Good day from Lotzorai. After breakfast this morning I took Peter's advice and hit the road for a short 60 km spin on my bike. I did a popular loop route that took me from the Lemon House in Lotzorai into the mountains and up to the village of Urzulei, then up again to Baunei at 480 metres elevation. Then it was down fast for 9 km to the seaside town of Santa Maria and finally back 5 km to the Lemon House.

I have included a few pictures of the road and scenery on the route. You will need to expand the photos to get a real appreciation of the spectacular views, and for the grade of the roads. Going for a short spin in Victoria will never be the same. Grinding up these hills and flying down is very different than what we have back home. All good things have to come to an end and I think this may have been my last Sardinia ride. Tomorrow is forecast to be sunny all day and I think it will be a beach day for me. Sadly, I continue to travel with weather events. I am told we have had much more rain than is normal for this time of year. Regardless, I have made the most of it and I can't really say that the rain has prevented me from doing what I wanted to do. That is all for today. Enjoy the pictures!


On the road to Urzulei. Common to most of Sardinia are the Prickly Pear cactus. I seems odd in a lush environment, but it will get a lot drier in the Summer and Fall.


A view from the road above Urzulei. Taken after I passed through town. Note the slight hill and the corners in the road.


A view of the road ahead. These are snow sheds between Urzulei and Baunei.


Sign at the Lemon House (a bit of a plug for my hosts....)

Time for some R&R......

Here I am in Lotzorai. This is a small town of 2,000 on the east coast of Sardinia. I am staying a fabulous Guest House called the Lemon House. Yes, there is a lemon tree in front of the house. The owners are ex-pat Brits who helped with some of the organization of the Giro of Sardinia. I will be here until Thursday.

I have not posted any photos on the blog because of the ridiculous internet problems at the Horse Country Resort. So now I will throw out a smattering of photos, in no particular order to give you a sense of what it has been like so far. By the way, it has been wonderful. I guess I have already posted that...

I continue to replay the races in my head. 540 km. 15 hours, 37 minutes of actual racing. 141st overall out of around 300 starters. 12th in my age group out of 25 starters. 1 top 10 in my age group, the last day in the mountains. 5th overall in my age group in the Individual Time Trial. And the numbers go on, and on, on.... For example: 14 Motrin in the first 3 days. 20 Gels consumed during the races. Many thousands of calories burned..... Zero flat tires or mechanical issues. ZERO CRASHES!!!

This week I am dedicated to recovery. My bike is still disassembled and in the bike box. It is calling to me and I may set it up and ride the fabulous hill here in this area of Sardinia. We'll see. For now, arrivederci. A presto!

Enjoy the pics.



View from the top of the Lemon House B&B in Lotzoria, Sardinia


Downtown Cagliari, Sardinia

Barry on the Mediterranean


Scene from the village of Arborea, Sardinia


Team after the Individual Time Trial on day 1 of the Giro


Advertized 4 Star Resort reduced to 1 1/2 star motel. Note the single beds and postage sized room. It would be a very long week for me and my team mate.


Self Portrait taken after the Team Time Trial on day 5 of the Giro.....finally an afternoon of rest.

Final Stage, April 29, the Mountains!

Today was the Epic stage of the Giro. The mountain stage. 95 km of pain and suffering. Three significant climbs.

We started the day on the bus. The stage start line was 60 km from the hotel. We opted for the bus transfer. The start of the race was on top of a mountain, 600 metres, or 1900 ft elevation. The first 5 km were fairly flat. The next 10 km were downhill on grades of between 8 and 10%. There were many hairpin corners, the same as you would see in the Giro Italia or Tour de France. Very exciting. While many riders hit 80 kph on the descent, I held back to around 72 kph. Control and Focus were my mantra. That and “bring him home alive”.

Because of my caution on the descents, I ended up chasing packs all day. Up hill was another story. The week of racing has given me a significant increase in climbing strength and power on the flats. On the first and last hill of the day, both around 10 km in length, I was the lead rider for the entire hill. However, one of the problems I faced was that because I was slow down the hill, I ended up losing significant time overall. On the flats I was able to crank out a 37 or 38 km pace for several kms.

Overall my goal for the day was to place in the top 10 in my age group. Today I placed 10th! Apart from my Individual Time Trail, this is my best placing for the Giro road races.

Today was the last official stage of the Giro. While it is billed as a 7 day stage race, it is actually a 6 days race with a 1 day “age group” race added on. I will give the age race a pass as after today I cannot think of anything that can top the mountain stage. So, I am done.

This has been a fantastic week. The racing has been incredible. The stages have been amazing. The scenery? Well, it has been fantastic. I have left out so much. The people I have met from around the world. The amazing performances each day by the top racers. The calibre of racing here has been unbelievable. The winner on the mens side was a former Tour de France and Giro Italia multiple stage winner. The women were equally as talented. The food. Ooops....not the food. The food has been boring and nothing to write about.

Tomorrow I head across the Island to the Lemon House B&B. I hope to find time over the next few days to post some pictures and further thoughts. Until then, ciao!

Wednesday & Thursday....race news

Wednesday, Stage 4, 115 kms

Wednesday was the first race in full sunshine. This was a welcome relief but added the element of heat and proper hydration to the race. The race took us through more beautiful countryside. It was a hilly route with 4 long climbs ranging from 4 to 15 kms with grades up to 12%.

Once again the race start was fast. The average over the first 20 km was around 40 kph. Then we hit the first climb and the race was on. Unfortunately I was near the back of about 200 riders when there was a small mishap that caused about 50 of us to slow down. This happened near the crest of a hill. The result was that we were dropped by the large group. On the first long climb of 10 km I rode with 2 other riders going the same pace. We would ride together for the rest of the race.

Overall it was a great day. Of our trio I was the strongest hill climber so I did most of the work on the hills. On some hill I would lead out and drop back to bring one of the guys back to the other one. On the down hill I sat at the back and let the 2 others lead out. There were 2 or 3 occasions where we could have dropped one of the group and I would sit up and encourage the racer to continue on. Neither of the 2 guys spoke any English but it didn't seem to matter. We crossed the finish line in 3 hours 24 minutes. A few minutes after one of the guys, Massimo, came up to me and handed me his cell phone. I asked who I was going to speak to. He said a friend from Canada. I took the phone and said hello. On the other end was a Canadian gal in Rome. She said Massimo wanted her to say hi to his new friend from Canada. It was a special moment.


Thursday, Stage 5, Team Time Trail

We completed the team time trial today. Yikes, it was tough. We went 31.5 km at an average of 38 kph. Our Team started with 6 racers; John, Chris, Dave, Marcus, me and a fellow we met here, Dennis, he is from Toronto. We dropped Marcus about 5 k from the start. Dave dropped half way. 4 of us roared along and finished strong. There were 79 teams in the event. We finished 42nd at 47:30. I worked very hard yesterday and my legs were tired but I managed to contribute. I think the team is very happy with the result.

Tomorrow is the last stage of the Giro. It is the mountain stage. We have done some big hills but tomorrow will be the toughest climbing of the week. I'll report out on it tomorrow.

Ciao!

3 days of racing, 4 more to come

Hello from Sardinia. One thing I have found in Italy is that nothing works as it should. Technology included. I have broken down and am using the "pay as you go" wi-fi internet available only in the lobby of the hotel. 7.50 Euros per hours.

I have been keeping a daily journal and will post the complete story of my stay at the Horse Country Inn, and of the Giro di Sardegna when I can find fast reliable internet service. For now, here is a short summary.

I arrived in Italy completely exhausted last Wednesday. My team mates arrived Thursday and Friday. Our resort is okay, but nothing like it was advertised to be. For the most part the hotel is in major start-up mode with facilities such as restaurants not fully open. It took they hotel staff 5 days to get the phone system to permit outside phone calls from your room. Very frustrating. While the said there was free wi-fi, it has never worked. There is a pay internet kiosk in the lobby and now pay wi-fi. This is all the complaining I am going to do, for now.

The racing started on Sunday. I did very well i the Individual Time Trial. It was shortened course, 12.5 km. My time was 19:03 good enough for 5th in my age group. There are 25 in my age group. I also got bragging rights for the day with the best time for our team. Things would change tomorrow.

Monday was the Grand Fondo. The course was lengthened to 160 kms. It was cool and raining for much of the race. I did not do as well as I wanted but I did survive. My time was 5:15, a long time to be on the bike. The course was beautiful. Very hilly. It was great to finish and get off the bike. I wasn't feeling positive about tomorrow.

Today (Tuesday) was a 107 km race. Hilly but nothing like the Grand Fondo. I finished strong at 3:01. Average pace of 35 kph. Very fast! Tomorrow is a 115 km race. The stage looks flat, or rather not as hilly as today.

That is a brief summary of the racing to date. I'm having a blast and "livin' the dream". The scenery is very Tour de France. We race through small villages. The towns folk are out cheering their support. Not the numbers as in the Tour but very cool none the less. I miss home and I dreadfully miss Dana. I am living in the moment and concentrating on riding safe. I have a story about the scariest corner I have every gone around. It happened yesterday in the Grand Fondo. I can tell you it is something that will wake me up in a sweat for some time to come. Fortunately I am okay. Focus and Control are words I have taped to my handle bars. I will be careful and race in control.

That is all for now. I have many pictures but I cannot upload them right now. I will when I can. Ciao from Sardinia!

Barry

Giro overview - 554 kms of Sardinia countryside....

I thought i would provide a bit of an overview of the Giro of Sardinia, distances and metres of climbing. The total kms that we will travel for all the stages is 554. The breakdown is as follows:

Sunday 24 (Easter) – individual Time Trial (20 km, completely flat)

Monday 25 – granfondo sardegna (145 km, 1,509 metres of elevation) not "difficult" but lovely race in “wild” countryside: Arborea, Marceddì, Guspini and Montevecchio, then descent to the coast to the Costa Verde then climbs back up to the old mining village of Ingurtosu then to Uras and back to Montevecchio, before descending to the Costa Verde once again and then to Marceddì and Arborea (we really will be “in another world”- near to the Dune di Piscinas there’ll be 5 km of unmade road and two fords where we’ll make a crossing!)

Tuesday 26 – from Arborea to Ales and Mogorella (up-and-down, but mostly flat). 105kms (overall climbing m. 860)

Wednesday 27 – from Arborea to and Lago Omodeo – the odd little climb but pretty fast. 114 kms (overall climbing m. 1092)

Thursday 28 – Team time trial (30/40 km flat)). 30k (overall climbing 90m)

Friday 29 – from Arbus to Fluminimaggiore, Iglesias, Nebida coast, Buggerru, Arbus – tough mountain stage along a beautiful coastline. 96 kms (overall climbing m. 1.688)

Saturday 30 – from Arborea a 40 km flattish stage probably by age category.

There you have it. 554 kms of Sardinia countryside in 7 days. For more information on the course profile and other Giro information you can visit their website. A link is provided in the blog.

New Look, same Blog

I just edited the Blog layout. Last time...... It's Saturday and time for a spin on the bike. 3 days to take off. Vroooom.....

Barry

Counting down.......

Training is mostly completed. A lot of small detail remains. Am I excited? You bet!

4 weeks to Sardinia

In 4 weeks, less 1 day, I will arrive in Sardinia. How exciting! My training in Mesa is on track and I am feeling very confident that I will be well prepared for the 7 day Stage race on the island of Sardinia. I can't hardly wait.....