Slo stayed up all night tuning his old Colnago for me. DG was dressed in his finest trademark yellow jersey. An excellent cappuccino at the start, gatorade in the middle and two pints of outstanding Guinness at the end of 60k of Torono's best riding. Fast and technical along the bike paths. What more can a cyclist ask for... Except to do it again as soon as possible. Thanks guys.

My first training back in patria was a 6k run in the scorching heat with a swarm of Italy's closest contender to the deerfly feasting on me. Hope to get back on the bike soon, if only to out run the pests.
sud

Great ride beets, and to think it was all for a good cause. I just can't imagine how well you slept at night.
Sud

forgot my cycling shoes today. Running shoes slipping all over the place.
sud

On Sunday i was back on the bike. Iggy drover over to my place and I took him up the big hill for a warm up (350m) From there we rolled on up to Selva, and the took the roller coaster to Cisternino. I was feeling pretty good. Alergies out of the way... getting used to the heat.... Slo... I saw a sign with a street name that caused me to look over my shoulder "via Calongo".... rearrange those letters and see what you get.... we were on our way to ostuni when ig caught a call on his cell and we had to stop for a while. The ride back would have been fast and furious with the wind at our backs but my buddy was suffering from cramps so we were almost coasting.
Stats: 85km @ 26.5kph (no comment). Max heart rate 165. Hills, lots of them. When i download the info I will add it for posterity. DG, get a gps, altimeter or invest in some charts. i have just invested in the oregon scientific RP 109. i will let you know how it goes once I get it back from repair for the second time.

Today a 5k run at lunch.
sud

Snuck in a quick hill climb before dinner. 16k, 350mv @ 27.7kph avg (19.2 to the top).
sud

DG, glad to hear that you are finally suffering the heat there too. I am finding it hard to do long rides in the sun.

Sounds like you are setting yourself up with a good hog. Tubulars are certainly lighter and performance is superior. Personally I can't stand the glue part. Remember to make sure that they are well stuck before you ride. Think Beloki.

On the block it took several kilometers of 8-10% grade before my cadence dropped intolerably low. There's nothing like that around here where i ride, certainly not in Southern Ontario where i assume you will do most of your riding. I am sure that you can do Rattlsnake or longer just fine with a 39x25. I would get the gear charts out and consider a compact 50x36. The smaller gears at the front give improved efficiency but you would need an 11 or 12-23 on the back. Slo can correct me if I am wrong.

Since I mounted the 50x34 compact my cadence has considerably increased which i feel is a good thing.
Sud

Today I watched two stages of the 1997 and 1999 tour won by cipolini on eurosport classic. This is how I pass my time waiting for the tour to start. Petacchi still has a lot of ground to cover before he can be compared to the great one. I ran 8-9k with my son on his bike in the 30° heat.
sud

Primitivo yes. I feel better already. OK, so I am jealous already of all of the fast flat riding that you do.
I was on holiday today so I toodled on down to the "complanare"... the roads that parallel the highway. They are of no scenic value but make for great training. It was hot, sunny and windy. After 30k I dropped down to the flat roads that run through the olive groves parallel to the sea. The breeze was cominc off the sea and was a crosswind the whole time. On the return I rode the "litoranea", along the sea. It was green like the carabean at times and deserted.

On the way back I passed a cyclist, an old boy. I was doing over 30kph, he was going slower. A couple of k later I noticed a someone on my wheel I picked it up a little... 35, 36, 37... 38 (the wind was not cooperating either). He was still there so I backed off a little and started talking about the weather.

He was 72! And could kick ass. He'd rode 9 colli 7 times, along with dozens of granfondi including Sharm El Sheik and Morocco.

Hey guys, that'd give us atleast 30 years of hard riding the way I see it, so we better get our sorry asses in shape for it.

::::::: 72k @ 31.5kph with 100m of climbing max + another 6 across town winding down.

sud