The dessert of "La Bella Italia", an
ice cold dessert which is called "Passo Dello Stelvio"
What a last week... We started 6 days ago in Venice with comfortable temperatures and a sunny blue sky. After a flat ride of 140 kilometers the Dolomites loomed up, and the good weather of the last weeks was gone. Rain came down in buckets when we had camp in the beautiful located Tramonti Valley. The wind and thunderstorm made camping a bit less comfortable than we were used to.
And also the cycling conditions became far from ideal.
The tough stages in the Dolomites were characterized by rain and cold temperatures. We climbed great passes
above 2000 meter like the Passo Pordoi and Passo di Falzarego, but the stunning granite peaks stayed most of the times covered in thick clouds. To keep the hungry stomachs running Richard and Rosana made excellent lunches in the friendly refugees on the top of the climbs. The lunches, together with warm chocolate and homemade apfelstrudel, gave the riders enough energy to continue their rides under extremely challenging conditions.
And what means rain and cold temperatures... yes... SNOW... Yes, we got thick snow on top of the Passo dello Stelvio. It were Siberic and definitely heroic circumstances. Everyone did his/her ultimate best to cycle to the top at
2.757 meter above sea level. The youngest of the group Michael reached the top as first, 5 minutes later followed by Luke. It were not only the strong guys which fly to the top, but most participants managed to reach the top of the Stelvio.
Reaching the top in a magnificient white surrounding is one thing; going down in snow and freezing cold temperatures is another thing. 7 layers of cycling cloths, 3 layers of gloves were not uncommon. The "wise" persons took a place in the support vans to go the Stelvio down, but a majority of riders were determined to be EFI. Cycling "Every F**cking Inch" between Palermo and Como. That means also the 25 km downhill of the Stelvio in extreme conditions : freezing temperatures, cold wet roads, fierce snow in your face, bad lightened tunnels, heavy rain, dangerous
hairpins and bad working brakes. All heros came safely down and a comfortable hotel was waiting at the
end in Grosio.
One, relatively flat, day was left till Como. The sun was shining on the beautiul Lake Como and the champagne at the finish line was well deserved.
Everyone was a winner, everyone was a hero, a HERO in capitals.
Next year you can be a hero... You can already sign up for "La Bella Italia 2011".