Sono arrivato in Cuneo

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Possibly the most pleasant 200km cycle you could ever wish for, excluding the semi-arctic conditions at the French/Italian border. The day didn't exactly start well, with my petit dejeuner consisting of half a breadstick and a glass of jus d'orange, however from that point on (particularly after my croque monsieur at 25 miles) things couldn't have been much better. More long gradual descents on perfectly smooth roads and beatiful climbs alongside lakes and rivers, all watched over by a not too overpowering sun.

Having lunch in Barcelonette, only 21 miles (granted 11 of them uphill) separated me from Italy. The sun was out and things were looking rosy, my recent run of bad luck with Italian weather looked to be at an end. Over the next 90 minutes however, a familiar story began to form overhead. What on paper should have been the easiest climb of my trip, turned out to be far from as I battled the wind and rain (albeit minimal rain) to the summit at just shy of 2,000m. What followed was a 35 mile descent into Cuneo, the first 15 of which I lost feeling in my feet before the sun broke through and warmed things up once more.

Another reason the climb wasn't as easy as it might have been, is I think my legs are tired. I've covered roughly 1,450 miles in 14 days without a day off and it's possibly beginning to tell. The next two days are flat, before Sunday where I head into the Dolomites to begin 5 days (and 500 odd miles) in the mountains, hopefully coming out the other side of the Austrian alps in Vienna. Need to figure out how I'm getting home at some point too... 

 

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Comments

[Beryl and Frank]

we are impressed
We are impressed - first the col du Tourmalet and now the colle della maddalena (col de Larche)- We have done the colle della maddalena twice but by car. Cheers