Back at Feltre and final Torino pix

Door stop for when your door doesn't close properly

damp clothes

Have to confess I turned my head to look at this fountain during the TT

the hill we should have climbed in the RR..well part of the way

Yesterday after taking Alex and Chris to Chivasso for their train to Milan/Padova/Feltre, I loaded the car up with 2 collapsed bike boxes,2 MTB's, 1 road bike, 4 road wheels, 4 MTB wheels,1 ergo, 9 assorted soft cases/bags/backpacks, 1 computer bag, 4 helmets and 6 carrier bags of food and bike spares....and then there was just enough room for me!

It took me over an hour to pack the car and 5 hours to get here allowing for 2 stops on the way and 1 GPS induced wrong turn.

I then unpacked the car and took all of the above except for 1 exceptionally heavy case, up 1 flight of stairs to our apartment.

I was in bed by 7pm and then 4 hours later  having been  woken up by 1 incredibly loud Irish neighbour talking on her phone  finally had my evening meal!

Today's tasks are to have a really long ride and try to find a laundrette as 4 weeks of hand washing my clothes is 3 weeks too much!

Another thunderstorm

I've been in Italy 4 weeks now and I've lived through 4 mega thunderstorms.
The most significant one hit Torino just before our road race resulting in a delay in starting as they swept standing water off the road and a shortening of our course...taking out the 1 hill that would have made the course VERY interesting and also a challenge.  The delay also meant our course changed from 4 to 3 laps...making the race under 30 km rather than just over 40.  Esssentially it was just another Kermesse, but the mud slides down the hill meant using that part of the course was just not possible...shame.

I kept up with the lead group and only allowed them off the leash (!!!!!) for the sprint in to the finish since my competition wasn't present, and was in fact 5 minutes adrift. 

mouth open Tony Martin style in the TT  (on my road bike)

and also in the Crit

Today is a rest day and tomorrow we decamp to Feltre..me in the overloaded car, the guys on the train.

TT time

After yesterday's presentation fiasco, I wasn't even sure I'd race today.  But in the end I decided yes I would.  The boys were not keen to join me and I can't blame them 1 iota for that but my sister is made of sterner stuff and she joined me and was an enormous help looking after my stuff, cheering me on and taking pix.

Warming up took place around the park and up and down a 100m straight road but since there were also dogs, children and assorted other bodies there one had to keep ones wits on full alert while doing efforts.

As we got near to our start time a distraught  American girl was trying to get a re-start since she'd ridden only 1 lap instead of 2...no go though ..not a hope.  Then the rider in front of me was pulled because her chip was on the right instead of the left side of her forks......so I started earlier than my official time..but of course with a chip this doesn't matter.

I was lucky...I had a motor bike escort...with the rider waving a flag which I somewhat belatedly realised was to indicate the best part of the road.  Despite not using TT bars, I was able to get in a good tuck position 'cos I'd changed to my TT saddle.  The temp was hot and humid and actually as we drove home there was a thunderstorm.  The course was a bit rough underfoot and included a section of "cobbles"..not real cobbles of course... the modern pseudo type.

Anyhow I did 19 minutes, was half way down the list of all the women and generally felt pleased with most of my effort.....still need work on hills.

My road race is on Thursday...the weather forecast is diabolical, so it's a question of wait and see.  there's a killer hill we have to go up and down 4 times..so tomorrow is look-see day

WMG Criterium

Yesterday's race...called a Crit but if we're being picky was in fact not a Crit..more a Kermesse.  The info on the internet said 30 mins + 3 laps...but it turned out to be just 4 laps in total on a ~4km course.  does one believe internet info?..not here at the WMG since there were 3 different versions of the program all up at the same time.....the only solid correct fact was that my Crit start was at 1830.

In somewhat hot and humid weather our 16 strong group was all 50+ ages with 3 Aussies in the mix...Desrae Cameron, Fran Watson and I..Desrae ended up winning 60-64 age group, I won 65-70 and Fran was 2nd in 70-74 group.  Also there were Petra Kleunder and Maria Zander, friends from St Johann.

The course was good...the surface not and the pace was hot from the start with the 50-54's getting the speed up from the gun.  I stuck with the lead group until halfway through the 2nd lap when a surge at a corner saw someone dropping a wheel  and the elastic soon broke.  I was then in a small group of 3 who later picked up 2 stragglers from the breakaway.  We stayed together til the end with the other 4 sprinting to the line with me behind not bothering to contest since I had already beaten my competition.

Then the "fun" started.  The presentation was not to be until 8.30 on the big stage. There was no marshalling at the podium which perhaps should have warned us, but we gathered anyway.  Finally a guy came and told us only 1 age group would be presented on the stage, the rest would be presented elsewhere...later(!) We all complained...loudly, in many languages.  Finally they agreed and we all got on the stage...then they ran out of medals! We got home at 11pm.

 Hopefully there will be a change for the rest of the races or rather the presentations..although at least there were to be medals for all age grades..apparently for the races on the track they were  only going to give out medals to women in two age groups... 30-34 and then 35+.  Until someone protested.

My family have been given a leave pass not to come to the TT today since my start time is at 19.12 and it'll be bad enough for me but for them...unbearable. In fact I'm not even sure I'll race it.  The course is 2 laps of a 4.5km loop which goes across cobbles at one stage. I'm already not using TT bars and having looked at the course will be using my ordinary wheels but the real killer is having to drive home by myself late at night in Turin traffic.

A bit of a negative post I know..but it's such a pity when admin/organisational  problems overtake the racing side of the equation.

saturday was splurge day

..that's it for a while...back to buying fuel for the car and the body

Rides and races

Wagging school on Friday gave me time to get a fairly decent length ride in during the cool of the morning.  Nothing too long as I'm in a taper week.

this area is great for training...there are dead flat roads  for flat out TT training and also some nasty little pinches..including the final one up to our house.  Must be getting fitter as yesterday I rode the first part of it eating an ice cream!

the commute to Chivasso..our nearest train station.  Alex and Chris has the use of the car all weekend and so I rode/train/rode my way into Torino.  Saturday for a lunch date with an aussie friend and a chance to finally get the internet personal wifi 100% secure in order to access my bank and Sunday to pick up numbers and race chip.

One has to be a little careful with August rail timetables as I discovered last week....to get home from Torino  there are usually 1 or even 2 trains every hour that we can take ...but during August there no/zero /0 trains from 0900 to 1200.  not a problem?..well yes it is when you have a bike so can't go into shops/museums etc and have absolutely no intention of trying to ride out of the city.  Torino roads are...well bumpy...and there are trams and cracks you could disappear into....and what's worse...traffic!

Racing
ooooh dear...the organisation is showing a few cracks.  I'm not sure about other sports but its a bit worrying when your TT is definitely on Tuesday but could be at 0900 or 1830..depending where you get your info from and your RR could be on Thursday or Friday.....again depending which of the 3 (yes 3) versions there are on the website.  I'm de-stressing myself as much as possible but have prepared my house mates for the biggest dummy spit in history if I get there this evening to discover I've missed the race!

Etc's
Half way up the hill that goes to our house is where a group of ladies of an uncertain age (prob 70-80) sit and gossip in the early evening.....they have clearly been quite fascinated by us, so yesterday since I was on foot rather than on or in wheels, I stopped for a chat.  Reckon I fed them enough info to keep them happy for the rest of summer!

Side note...on Saturday Alex and Chris rode the roads near Pinerolo when Thomas Voeckler in last year's TdF (or was it 2011) rode off the road onto someone's parking spot.  Apparently it was much steeper than Alex had expected....glad I didn't join them!

Thursday's ride

Once again this ride was a bit shorter than planned but today I'm wagging school again and will clock up  quite a few more kms

then later on I have to go to the WMG event centre to have my medical...without which I can't compete. I'm interested to know how close to being a VO2max test it is...blood pressure with and without exercise sounds close to that sort of test...we'll see!..more anon

The weather is starting to warm up again...well the temp is staying the same but the humidity and therefore discomfort level is rising.  Maybe i should be happy since my acclimatisation will be to my benefit!!   The start list shows me the field is class...much better than I had thought.