This is normally a task I would do when in the throes of jet lag, however here I am still in Austria but with such crap weather I am frustratingly confined to be indoors with little to do.
Overall plan
Foiled on day 1 when my bike failed to arrive on the plane with me...or indeed the day after. Apparently it never left Melbourne on my plane . It arrived 2days late and I had to go to Venice airport to get it. NOT impressed seeing as I am a Silver Frequent flyer card holder with Emirates. A letter of complaint will be sent on my arrival back home. However lesson learned...don't skimp on time...if I'd been locked into water tight plans I'd have been doomed.
Too much unnecessary to-ing and fro-ing was a lowlight of my first week or so..next year I wont go so far south at the beginning. I love Feltre and the cycling in that area and knowing the place facilitates training, but there are other options further north and too much driving is exhausting.
The 2 weeks in the mountains was brilliant for my climbing ability and general fitness...next year it's going to be 3 weeks.
Arriving in Hartberg on the day of the first race is not ideal..next year I'll be there earlier. The accommodation was good, friendly and although there was far too much cream, the food fantastic. The distance (10km away) is an issue but given the above plus the tranquility and the low cost, I'll go there again next year. Hartberg police are a tad keen on parking fines, so I now have the requisite piece of cardboard to display and am 20 euros poorer for the lesson.
Money
Not having too tight a budget is a must. Both my sunglasses and my prescription glasses died on me as did my HRM chest strap...a total of 89+270+70 euros respectively of unplanned expenses (prob about $A700-800 all up).
I bought quite a few clothes(cycling tops, T shirts, shorts, groovy long sleeved tops) and bike bottles...too good to go past (!) and all will be used. Also 2 jigsaws to keep us amused when not training and 1 major indulgence a panoramic photo of Feltre. What with the latter and the 2 jerseys I won, our local picture framer is going to make a mint!
Staying on after the races.
A good idea if the weather is ok! however as tedious as all get out if it's not.
Monday is a ruhetag around St Johann...some shops don't open and since I had a lot of trouble getting my pedals off I spent all day, well not quite, trying to find a bike shop that was not only open but that had a mechanic working. I tried 2 shops in Kirchdorf, 2 in Going, 1 in Kitzbuehel, 1 in Kirchberg and finally found one in Klausen. Memo to self remember to tell mechanics NOT to tighten my pedals up so damn much...they seem to think that if they are not super tight they'll fall off...they dont!
That's all she wrote...and as the sun sets slowly in the west we say farewell to Italy, Austria and all my OS cycling friends old and new.
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