Fargo and Away

The first day in the Dolomites (almost) did not disappoint!

That almost was for Larry, whose bike crapped out before we even left for the morning. The battery for his shifters was dead and so he headed to the bike shop to see if it could be fixed. They thought they fixed it and sent him back on the road an hour after us, but by midday he was stranded again. Another trip to the bike shop and they replaced the battery — so hopefully he will be fine for the rest of the week. And hopefully he will get a pro-rated refund for his frustrating day.

The rest of us headed up to Passo di Giau, the steepest of seven climbs for the Maratona dles Dolomites, an annual amateur gran fondo ride in which 9,000 cyclists compete. Today, it was just us and a few other riders competing for the road with motor cyclists, sports car enthusiasts, and the occasional truck.

The climb began gentle enough, but got steeper about a third of the way up, where the 29 switchback began. According to Strava, this was the biggest climb I’ve ever done. I agree.

https://www.strava.com/activities/14703844678

My right hip and leg weren’t happy for most of the climb, but by not pushing too hard I made it to the pass.

Two observations from the first climb: 1) hill repeats in Massachusetts are no substitute for extended climbs, but they were good enough; 2) there aren’t many bathrooms in the Dolomites. I’ll leave it at that.

We ate a quick snack and filled water bottles and then started the long descent to our next climb after adding multiple layers to stay warm. Things that didn’t need help staying warm on the descent: my hands and wrists, which cramped up from all the braking as we made our way down the switchbacks. The scenery was incredible, and I wish I had stopped to take some photos. This isn’t my photo but it does capture the grandeur better than I could have.

Just before the second climb up to Falzarego, we spotted a hotel. We stopped for a much needed break and espresso.

I chatted with a local gentleman who spoke no English but wanted me to know that the lights on our bikes were still on as we drank our coffee. I think that’s what he said. anyways, it was a pleasant exchange, we said arrivederci, and we went back to the bikes with the lights.

The second climb was shorter but still took me close to an hour. The espresso gave me a bit of a lift. Our guides had a full lunch spread waiting for us at Passo di Falzarego.

We took our time as we had finished the last climb of the day. A few intrepid souls decided to take a gondola up to the summit overlooking the pass. Several of us thought better of it.

Steve trying to get everyone to ride the Gondola.

Those of us not on the gondola headed back to the hotel, which was a bit more eventful than planned due to some road closures and confusing instructions on how to modify the route. We found our way back, though not before light rain began to fall.

The gondola crew wasn’t as lucky, and got a bit more rain on their ride back.

Eventually, everyone was back at the hotel, and after showering, stretching, fixing bikes, and checking in with loved ones, we met up for a massage demonstration and a shopping excursion into town.

Steve and Rich said we would all get a chance to have a shoulder and back massage but they were lying.

After waiting for the promised shoulder rubs in the stairway for what seemed like minutes, we gave up and headed to the market for room and cycling supplies.

There was a pizza place near the market so we stopped in for a slice and a beer. The pizza was OK. The beer could have been colder. The Dolomites aren’t know for pizza or beer. We now know why.

Tomorrow we are going to do another ride. It will be longer and with more climbing, that much we know. Right now, however, it is time for sleep.