6k with the Big Guy. Straight up, and straight down. He's a pretty good climber given his solid build of late. Watch out for him on upcoming editions of the Giro.
sud.

A cool 27° today and cloudy. 44k with Ignazio and two nasty little climbs (300 and 200 m/v).
Took it easy on the downhill runs so the average was slow 22k.
sud

Saturday: 1hr of treadmill and a 20k flat ride on the big chainring.
Sunday: Went for a ride on sunday with my friend Raniero, of last years Stelvio fame. We set out from Cisternino. Down the gravina (ravine) following the epic steps of the Moser and Maertens in the 1976 world championships (Maertens pipped Francesco for the win). Raniero on his mtb, me on my old Karbo. After 15k I flatted. A leak at the valve. I put on my last tube and quoted Murphy, i knew what was coming next.... 2k later a new flat. A punture this time. I put the original back on. Raniero had this crazy idea that if we pulled the valve to one side it might not leak. Absurd but it worked. See the attached photo. We had the wind on our tails on the way back and were managing 40+ kph on a steady upgrade.

Going back up the ravine i was reminded of the time in 1996 when I followed Uschukov the hill at 50kph (I was in car, he was not). The group caught him on the last curve. Cipollini won the stage.

It was a short 30k ride but pleasant, and the valve held all the way home. Best news is my back is good.
Both of us will need to do a lot of training if we want to take on Stelvio this year.
sud

The old "Go to the beach, I will join you on my bike" trick. It worked like a charm.
30k 300m vertical. Hot at midday, but few cars.
Strong winds this year.
I was working my way down the hill as a fat guy on a Vespa, no a Piaggio came into view.
I gave him "the look" as i went past.
He gave me an entirely different look.
sud

I threw caution to the wind to day and went for a ride today. The roads were clogged with weekend Shumis and Valentino Rossi wannabies. Today Ferrari and yamaha were bent on securing their championships.... World cup fever was in high pitch and Italy geared up for the big game. Drivers seemed to have their thoughts elsewhere.

30k @ 26.5 kph 300meters vertical. Strong winds that helped me up the big hill. Still riding my old down tube shifter Karbo bike... Can't imagine how we got by all those years. Taking your hands of the bar to shift? that's insane!

The roads were moslty cleared after the storm. I came around a bend to find that the rain had lifted up huge sections of asphalt. I avoided that and my wheel plunged into some soft white clay that i wrongfuly assumed was a thin layer of sand. Fortunately no harm done.

Getting ready for the big game. Forza Azzuri.

sud

Finally back on the bike again. I loaned a friend my mtn bike for a short but tough ride. 20km 400m vertical with sections at 10% and 12%. Hot, about 35°.
Slo, do you remember the climb turning left out of the hotel?
I felt pretty good, took the climbs slow, looping back freaquently for my friend riding my 20 kilo hog. Spent an hour in the gym after.
So much work to do to get into shape for... next year.
sud

Hi guys, I am back at work but managing to do some training too.
I have been doing streatching, treadmill, light weights and stationary technogym cycling.
I like the treadmill best. I ratchet up the slope to 15% and set the speed at around 6-7kph, or about as fast as I can walk. It feels a little like cycling up hill. I do that fo 15m, then back off.
I have also been swimming on the weekends.

It hasn't dropped below 31° in about a month... and they say a heat wave is coming....

sud