Sud and DG finally meet up. Lanciano - Passo Lanciano - Lanciano. A great ride!
We got off to a rocking start taking turns pushing hard over the rolling hills to Guardia Graelle. I already had a good idea that Il Derny Giallo was going to live up to his reputation, apart from wearing yellow on a yellow bike he was only too happy to pull that heavy steel bike like a locomotive. I had to insist to stay out in front. The road climbs from Fara Filiorum Petri, but didn't become troublesome until out of Pretoro. At about 700m my fears regarding my 39x25 became reality as I watched the cadence drop from 70, to 60 to 50 (and I stopped watching). My legs filled with lactic acid and I came all but to a standstill (but didn't stop!). DG shared his last banana then drifted off up The Blok flaunting that 39x28, wisely leaving me to work through my own private world of pain. At 800m a guy dressed in red went rocketing up, making it all look so easy. At 900m a big bad muscle in my leg said it was time to cramp so I got up out of the saddle for a bit. It just keeps on going, up and up. Grades were between 6 and 10%. At 1000 m it got really cold and up went the manicotti. At 1250m who should it be but the DG coming to check on me. 1300m Passo Lanciano and a photo opp in the snow. DG had some family business to attend to so we had to go back. I was glad of the excuse, I might have made it to the top. But with the x25, but it would have been ugly. Really ugly. And the worst grades were still to come.

So we headed down. It was about then that that wind really picked up. Powerful gust strong enough to blow you off the road. A nervous decent buffeted by the wind. We stopped for a panino near the bottom. Shivering.

I was more than happy to let DG lead the rush for home, we took turns cursing on the hills. Pedaling, pedaling and pedaling all the way.

My GPS said 93k @ 22.2 kph avg, with 1837 meters of climbing.

I will be back to the Blok again soon, with lower gears (or perhaps a motor).

Slo, the mountain awaits you...
sud