Stelvio.
R called me on Wed. to invite me to take on Stelvio over the weekend. His Dad a 72 year old cycling enthusiast was coming along for the drive. I didn't have time to clean the bike or even oil the chain. Just loaded up and went. It was a 10 hour drive up and the three of us talked about cycling the whole time. R's dad remeberered the famous broadcast in '53 when Fausto Coppi emerged alone from the mist of Stelvio "Un solo uomo al commando".
R's friend Claudio had organised a group of 22 cyclist including ex pro and Giro runner up. Even before we go our suitcases in the hotel were already sitting around drinking beer and listening to accounts of Pantani, Hinault and the Stelvio. The average age was around 40. Almost everyone was lean and looked fit. There were a couple of big guys (100kilos) that would turn out to be remarkably fast. There was one woman.
At dinner I was sitting with two younger riders. Not a gram of fat between them. They gave us the low down on Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo... They had done the Nove Colli 10 times and one of the lads gave me some useful advice for starting up front... all you have to do is finish in the top 500. Now why didn't we think of that? His best time? 6:11 and 55th overall (out of 9000). He was a little concerned about riding the Stelvio the next day with a substitute bike and 39X23. I figured he would be ok.
It was a good crowd, wine, beer, pasta, steaks... we were feeling no pain.
The next morning we were lined up and ready at 8:30. There was a formidable assortment of bikes. Colnago, Pinarello, De Rosa, Time, Look, RDS. Mine was the bottom end. A couple were on MTBs. Our Giro friend rode his original bike from his last season in '94 drawing some smiles from the younger riders. He said he hadn't ridden it since but had done 2000k to train for this trip.
The road was full of cyclists, between 3and 6000. We found out that it was the "festa del ciclista" Stelvio would be closed to cars, buses and motorcycles. It was sunny and about 18°.
It was a jovial 15k decent to Prato where the climb begins, There were a couple of pretend "scatti" and joking around "I expected Stelvio to be harder". Everyone zeroed their computers at the sign for Prato. I was towards the front sitting on Paolo's wheel, who was sitting on Flavio's. The climb was still fairly gentle, through that trees at about 18.5 kmh. My heart rate was a steady 152. We rolled through Gomago (are we only there?) and I decided I was pulling too hard and backed off. I was afraid of exploding on the run up. The pain of the last 6k of campo imperatore was still in my mind.
Up to that point I had been passing everything. Racing bikes, MTBs, Bikes with panniers, trailers. There were older men and women on what looked like WW II issue machines, bicycles with kickstands, baskets... recliners, tricycles and at least one crazy bastard running up on foot past all of them.
As I slowed people started to pass me. A babe on a MTB with gorgeous legs zip, zip, zip...
Stelvio is the third highest pass in Europe and the highest in the Alps. It has 48 numbered switchbacks (alp d'huez has 21). It's not the steepest, but it's certainly the most famous in Italy. We had been climb for forever when we arrived at the first of the 48. How cruel, they are all going to be numbered. My sunglasses fogged so I tucked them into my back pocket. My stomach was angry about last nights food. I felt heavy and a little noxious. I will spare you the details. At Trafoi I had the good sense to eat a power bar. Reminder: Next time open those stupid wrappers before hand.
Two guys in white went hurdling past me like two motorcycles... my dinner pals from last night... They were the fastest thing on the mountain that day (39x23!)
My cadence bottomed out, with the 34x25 I was turning Ok, but a 34x27 would have been ideal. I felt much better than on Blockhaus, but i was still only averaging about 7kmh. My heart rate was a steady 147.
I paced myself, mostly sitting down, standing up to rest my back and attack the steeper parts. By hill 34 all kinds of things were going past me, an old man on a creaky 10 speed. A big guy with tree stumps for legs lumbered past...are those lederhosen i see?
At one point i had my head down and was concentrating on peddling when a bright red frame with Eddy Merycx in yellow couagt my eye... and it came to me... I was riding the same hill where Coppi, Merycx, Hinault, Indurain and Pantani had all left their mark. I was riding a legendary path.
At the last hotel on the way up a band was playing German waltz. You could hear it almost all the way to the top. Lot's of people were stopping to admire the view, or just take a break. Not me.
When you come around a corner at the top of the tree line you can see a wall with the last 15 or so switchbacks criss-crossing up. A woman behind me screamed "Noooooooo!!!!".
the view is spectacular. Stunning.
I started to feel hungry but there was now way I was going to fiddle with aluminium wrappers while i dodged the slower riders and the fast riders dodged me.
An blonde had stopped to tie a sweater under her ample cleavage... "una bella panorama" said the cyclist beside me... "bella davvero".
- 5km from the summit (numbers kindly painted on the road). Now I am going to give it all I have.... no.... no I'm not that's a silly idea.. now I felt a little dizzy.
- 1km: I am going to make it.
- 200m: the sprint.
- 24.45 km in 2 hours 40 min, from 915m to 2758m.
On the summit was pandemonium. 1000s of riders jammed together looking for friends, food water and photo opportunities. I couldn't find anyone from my group. I called Raniero's dad, he was stuck 2km away at the Swiss border w the car. it was pretty warm at the top. R came up an hour later, tired and happy. He had stopped for 20 min at a restoro.
We rode down the swiss side. It started to rain. A twisty decent with a long unpaved stretch of well packed grey gravel with a slight washboard. We stopped half way down to drink beer, eat sausage and swap stories. The rest of the ride to the Hotel was a blast. Fast descent on tidy swiss roads at 70kmh. There was a long column of cars waiting to go through customs but the cyclists just blasted through.
The total distance was 65km but I had turned off my GPS at the top.
Got back to the hotel the piazza outside our hotel had turned into a raging party of Alpini with their feather plumed hats. The Hotelier offered us more beer, and we swapped more stories. Ordered more beer.
We were all supposed to meet up later in the afternoon at the Forst brewery, we got stuck in traffic and arrived late. Many off the riders had already started home. The rest were already well baked. From what i understand everybody made it. Two riders did 2:05, another 2:10. Paolo 2:19. Flavio after that, I don't know by how much. The big guy finished at 2:43, the girl at 2:45. The rest finished behind them. R at 3:07 if you don't count his downtime. Next year i will try to do better, perhaps even train first. R will do it without stopping. It's hard for me to compare it with Mt Ventoux all these years later, but i would have to say that it is the toughest climb i have ever done.
My two dinner friends? 1:35.
sud (and satisfied)
