Passo San Marco

Pappini ( an ex elite bike racer ) is giving us some advice about today's route , I think he said; "way don't you guys just stay here and watch the Giro and smoke cigarettes with me instead of doing this monster ride " , my Italian is not that good , so I could be wrong .

Passo San Marco, a famous climb from the Giro in the past , our planned ride time was about 6 hours , so a big day.We set off from the hotel @ 9.00 am, today we will have a 3 hour to Morbegno where the climb starts.

The roads are narrow (not just on the twisty mountain roads, they are narrow every where) and there is a lot of traffic going to Lecco with big trucks, so bike-handling skills are put the test following an Italian ( Paolo) zipping in and out of traffic circles, once passed Lecco it gets better and riding next to Lake Como is just very cool , watch Giro di Lombardi and you know what I am talking about. Rolling terrain thru towns with a lot of history and view that pictures cannot describe. The lake on the left side and the mountains on the right. Sorry the zoom on my camera was a little out of focus on this picture.

We make our way towards the Valtelina Valley where a lots of wines comes from, the sunny side of the mountain slopes are filled with win yards. Pizzockeri ( not sure about the spelling, I am sure about the taste) is another dish we have on the menu at our hotel that originates from this area.

After a fairly flat 3 hour ride we are at the base of San Marco in Morbegno , this is a beast of a climb ,it is not that flat anymore as you can see, as a matter of fact pretty steep and consistent , last time I rode this one it was pouring rain , so the visibility was about zero and freezing cold , today it was perfect weather and the boys are dancing on the pedals , this is the real deal and what you see on TV from the Giro is what we are experiencing!

After climbing for about1 ½ hours we start seeing snow, and first there are some fallen trees on the road, but that does not stop us, we just carry the bike over and continue up the climb. It was not a problem at all for a cyclocoss rider like Kevin!

All of a sudden we come a height were there are no more trees, about 4 K to go to the pass. There is snow all over the road, and avalanche! We can almost see the top and I hiked up over the snow a little, but it is so steep and there is no way we can make it any further! Snow and cycling shoes does not match all that well either.

There is no road!! We have to go back the same way we came, a 20 K decent and a 3-hour ride back to the hotel, like I said “ another day on the bike” 8 hours to be precise! This is not so bad, it is warm, unbelievable view and guess what; there is a mountain café/hotel where the trees where fallen and lady with a little Kid (Ricardo) comes zipping around on a 4-wheeler that is the who runs the restaurant! She was open for Business!

After climbing up the 20% steep gravel drive to the absolutely oasis of the mountain, about 20 K up and no one around we have cokes, pasta, cheese, bread and even desert.

I think the best lunch anyone could dream of, we were even thinking about staying the night, there were plenty of rooms available here. Even Giovanni Formagio looks very pleased with the spread!

Richardo was providing the entertainment while we were eating ( a mountain dance with his dog ) priceless!

We finally had to get going, the decent was a blast and back to Mobegno , then the death march started back to the hotel. 8 hours ride time and 11 hours since we left this morning, epic the least, but we all survived the ride back with some cokes and Nutella filled croissants along the way and there was even a sprint up the final K to the hotel.

Boy did the dinner tasted good after this ride , lasagna , crapes , more casancelli and wine of course! After some stories about the day and some good laughs about what we had experienced we all agreed we were going to sleep in tomorrow!

Kevin was wondering if these wooden bikes come with DI2 as well , he was think of maybe doing a demo ride later in the week up the Gavia Pass .

A day on the bike to remember.

Ciao again , it will only get better , so do not miss the next blogpost !

Roger

First real ride of the Italy Camp

Sunday 5/23/2010


Well, it was either this road or the Killington stage 2 TT, but since we were here in Italy this one made more sense -:) Had to rub it in a little !!

It was time to go to work ( riding I mean -:) ) nothing else to do , so a perfect day for a bike ride!

I slept like a rock (I wonder why -:)) I think about 10 hours. After breakfast Italian style; about 3 different coffees (Americana, cappuccino and espresso) and tea with croissants, cooked ham, cheese, bread, yogurts and yes; Nutella . A little different from we are used to at home, but I decided I am not going stress out about not having almond butter and Trader Joe’s stuff while here , so we are going with he flow and enjoying the superb service provided by Fabio and the Hotel owner Matteo.

The traffic was not too bad , since it was Sunday , so we got a chance to ease into the rytmen of narrow streets and a round abouts every mile filled with little cars and scooters. Bike handling skills are a big part of this camp as you will see !

To days ride plan was a 4-5 hour near by the hotel. It turned out to be an amazing route, thru the out skirts of Bergamo up a 10 K climb up to the town of Selvino, a very nice view and an awesome switch back climb.

A nice way of enjoying the view!!

Past the nice little restaurants at the top and then a decent down into Brembo Vally, a right hand turn passed the San Pellegrino water company and along side a beautiful river into the Taleggio valley/ mountain (where they make the cheese)

The road snakes along side the river and a nice steady climb past some little mountain towns, steady grade with switch backs and after climbing for a good 15-20 K of climbing we crested the top and now what was left was a 15K serpentine decent that the Giro came down last year as well.
Back up to the hotel, a 1.5 K (probably close to 16% at some spots) climb with the finish line at the top, I think Kevin took the KOM points today . Good amount of climbing and a nice pace and everyone did great. We had so many great rides ahead of us, but this loop would probably top the list at the end of the week I am sure. Paolo knows the roads here like I do around us back home and this is something that will make this camp unforgettable and a life time memory for all us!
The hotel is super clean, nice beds in very quiet rooms and when you open a window you have an picture perfect view, even from the bathroom , how could you go wrong first thing in the morning -:) With a courtyard restaurant it is the most relaxing place to eat and recover after the rides.

We have a balcony for our bike area, very private and a nice place to change and keep our bike stuff while over looking the valley.

Dinner is at 7.30 , but after having our R4 Endurox provided by Accelerade we switch over to R5 ( Vino Rosso ) , an amazing house red vine along with some fresh bread and about 10 different cheeses, so I am not planning on loosing any weight this week. Then dinner, antipasto ( all kind of thin sliced meats , cheeses, other specialty appetizers that we even never heard of ) The staple main course is for sure Casancelli ( a home made ravioli filled with meat known for this region) made right here in the Cascina Belvedi . The food here is unbelievable, everything is made fresh here and with a lot of pride. We sat at the dinner table for about 3 hours, eating and drinking wine, but not over eating just socializing and enjoying life.

Once done with desert and another plate of grilled meats -:) it was time to go to bed and get ready for another big day on the bike.

Ciao,

Roger

On European soil

Saturday

Landed and after a couple of miles walking thru the airport in Brussels we found a spot to camp out and we needed some sleep, did not get much on the plane and we all felt like we had not slept in days. Quick bite to eat, I forgot how expensive Europe was, 12 euros for a couple eggs, a bowl cereal and some fresh squeezed orange juice, delicious!
When you are really tired I guess you can sleep anywhere but on a plane, so the rock hard airport bench felt like a pastropedic bed in a 5 star hotel ( see the picture in the last blog ) . Finally back on a plane and off to Milan, a nice short flight and no problems with anything. Our luggage came right away and we out of there in no time. Our bus driver Carlos was there waiting to pick us up with a FinKraft Camp sign in his hand and Kevin Hines were there too (he lost his suit case in Paris, but it had came on a later flight so it was all good) Nice smooth ride to our hotel and now the weather is beautiful and not what we have seen on TV from the Giro the last couple of weeks.

The hotel is amazing, located on top of a slope over looking the valley, a very private and quite place that you could just dream about and not really think would exist.

The drive way or road ( last 1.5 K about 12-15% ) up to the hotel was steep with a little gravel at the last 100 meters to make every ride each day plenty challenging, just the way we like it at the FinKraft camps !

Kevin is eager to get on the bike for a quick spin before dinner, so I slap my bike together and off we go! The legs feel surprisingly good and we ride for about an hour without really knowing where to go, but is just great to be on the bike in Italy. Paolo already took the rest of the guys on a 2-hour “welcome” ride before, so when we got back it was dinnertime. Something we all have been waiting for since we left the US on Friday and really had not eaten anything good in days!

The hotel Cascina Belvedi is from the 1800’s, so very rustic and a great atmosphere and the food is out of this world, not mentioning the best wine I ever had!

An unbelievable first night dinner, a great start to a week. Now we just needed a good nights sleep and we can start what we are here for; riding our bikes and soaking up the Italian culture!

There was even plenty of mouth watering delicacies for our vegetarian -:)

Stay tuned for more amazing pictures and stories ,

Roger

Italy here we come!

It is my birthday and I am sitting on a plane to Milan, Italy with my wife, Finley and Megan, my stepdaughter…they are all really cute and adorable!!(My wife wrote this part!) Raced the Thursday night Worlds last night at Rochleigh, (my race # was 42, funny! that is what I am today) A great training race by my house and it was my first race on my new training bike,

Giant Advanced , a great riding bike and plenty fast for training races and riding around Italy.

It was a big turn out and quite a few fast ones showed up; some times I think these guys take this race more seriously than the weekend races. It is fun and I can ride there and back home after, how can you beat that! Most areas have these races during the week, I think it is a good mid week speed workout (if you are looking for one) and just a great time to turn the screw or just hang out with the local Hammerheads for an hour. For me it is a chance to race with a lot of my clients and see them in action.

This week I also got the TT bike I have been waiting for a long time, a Giant Trinity, the super tricked out rig that Menchov rode in the Giro last year, so I had to take it out for a few spins before we left to get used the new machine and after a few modifications with the handle bar set up, decided to go with the L shape extensions “ Contador style” it seems like a very good set up, we will see in the CT stage race when I come back. Now the rear Super 9 and the front 1080 is just missing!
Packing everything and doing 100 other things in the morning seems like a routine by now and within a few hours the bike is in the box and a special suit case packed with a lot of supplies for the camp from Accelerade

(the bottles arrived by Fedex , always on time, just as we were loading Eric Carlson’s airport shuttle, thanks Justin Fink at Accelerade!!) The usual 5 piece luggage + a car seat for Finley, could not have fit one more thing, my wife has this figured this out by now and checks everything in before we leave and guess what, it was only $ 50.00 extra, nice job! I guess that is why we are married!
We fly to Brussels, Belgium first and then eventually to Milan, the other camp attendees will already be there by then and Paolo will have them situated in the Hotel in Bergamo. The action does not really start until Sunday, so Saturday is just a day to put the bike together and shake the legs out from the trip over. A 6 hour time difference and an over night fight plays tricks on you and you do not feel all that sparky the fist day, let’s see how we adjust this time around, it is not like driving the Massachusetts for 3 hours.
Ok, dinner is done with and nap time, 3 more hours to Belgium!

An update from Italy will follow each day , so do not go any where !

Roger

Thursday Devil’s Den TT

After a nice Italian dinner at Primo’s with my wife’s family we finally got to my wife’s cousins house (our super nice accommodations on a horse farm) and we were ready for bed, exhausted and I was thinking; how am I going to be able to race for 4 days?

Finally got some sleep (actually slept in to about 8.30 am), I do not remember when I did that in years. Some breakfast and then it was time to put the bike together. Mark at Westwood Cycle had hooked me up with a special bike box for my Giant Advanced SL, ISP (would not fit in a regular box with the seat mast) everything went smooth and no damage from the flight and I was ready to go for a spin and shake the legs out.
Nice roads and no cars, the legs actually feel pretty good, a nice surprise I guess.

I will race in the afternoon everyday, so for late start time races like this, I try to sleep a little later and eat a light breakfast when I get up and then 2-2 ½ hours before the start eat my second breakfast, but now my Country Choice Organic oat meal with all the special toppings J. It works for me and it is a very solid meal any time of the day J!
My wife’s dad lives here as well, so he was kind to run us around and let us use his ‘Hot Rod” pick-up truck as well. Off to Devil’s Den and start the warm-up for the 9.00 min effort, a Pro racer broke 8.00 min, so breaking 9.00 would be awesome! Spoke to Beamon at the bottom of the hill and he said it seemed a little faster times this year, tail wind? It is not that steep, but consistent and no switchbacks. It is pretty hot by now, I have no idea who I am racing against, so I am just going to do my best and see what happens. I paced myself pretty good, but did not feel all that powerful, caught two guys, but that does not mean anything, dizzy crossing the finish line @ 9.06 which put m in 8th place or the day. Still in striking distance, but would have needed another 10-15 sec.

Friday, the 110-mile Road race, one big loop and a cool finish in the middle of Fayetteville on Dickson Street. Tour style I guess !

I still do not know who is who in the race, but I wrote some # down on the stem and kind of figured out some teams that looked that they had some firepower. This really put my “ reading the race skills to the test”. The weather is nice, but windy as hell. I was hoping nobody would know me either and maybe get into a nice early break J. Well that was not going to happen, it was like I had a red flashing light on my helmet every time I attacked or bridged to a small break, so that was a no go! All it did was open the door for a few guys to counter and get away, but the big teams were not in the move, so I was safe and I decided to wait. The wind was brutal and the course was just rolling until about the first feed zone (the 47 mile mark). Nice climb and the group split up, I was surprised and pleased at he same time. Got my bottles from my wife and just continued being patient. It all came back together with 2 guys 4 min out front. The Mercy boys and a couple other teams were on the front now and we were approaching the longest climb of the day, about 7 miles, but nothing steep, just kind of rolling, but I was looking around and seemed like they were hurting. It was mostly a big ring climb. I looked at the Cateye and we were almost at top, so it was time to go in my book!! All or nothing, I attacked hard and a good gap opened up, I see one guy coming across, but that was it. We caught the beak immediately, one guys was done and we just blew by him. We caught the last guy and he was able to latch on, amazing. We needed him for sure! 25 miles to go in a brutal head wind, we were going as hard as humanly possible 27-30 mph, some places less J!
We built the lead to 48 sec, but the chasers were not giving up, it went down to 35 sec. The moto was very good giving us the splits, but the early break guy was no all that sparky anymore and not contributing all that much. When I commit I will never give up until they catch me in a situation like this, so I am burring myself at the front and so is Robert ( the eventual overall winner) , we make it thru a very hard sections ( almost like riding against the wall) and we see the town , very cool finish , but with a few leg breaking rollers before we make that last left hand turn onto Dickson Street . We lost the 3rd guy and it was just two man up sprint to the line, I still had some left in the tank, but not enough, 2nd and a time bonus with a gap to the rest. A good day and feeling strong (not like on the TT).

Saturday, the Hog Eye Circuit race.

Wow , two Fins in one picture( 748 Janne Hamalainen) and me !

This course I knew and it has a pretty good hill in it , so maybe this could be another day for gaining some more time. You ride out to the 23 mile loop and then after 3 loops you ride back to the start/finish. The problem here is that it is about 35 miles almost downhill or flat rolling terrain to the finish after the last time up the hill. The first lap was crawling, one guy goes and puts 4 min into us again, I will wait and see how these guys will race . Nobody seems like they want to race, steady pace, but pretty slow and no attacks on the hill. The only way for me or Robert (yesterday’s winner) to be able to get away was to go all out on the climb on the last lap and drop most guys. A good plan and we tried , but it did not happen and right the 35 miles from the finish we all knew I was going to be a bunch sprint . Now they just needed to catch the lone break away guy, he was sticking it out , but no chance today . Caught him 10K to go and now it was just matter of staying up right and finishing with the bunch. Not a hard race and did not really feel all that spent which was a good thing. Little Mexican food and a beer to cerebrate my step daughter’s graduation from college right here in Fayetteville , AR. Congrats to Megan !

Sunday the 12 turn crit down town Fayetteville.

A super technical crit course and some climbing as well as you can see!

Watching the Pros right before our race I knew this was going to be hard. It was mostly single file and positioning was the key in this race. Once we got half way thru and the field was thinned out to about a 1/3 it was nice. Very smooth and fast with all the best riders left. It was a fu crit and really enjoyed the technical part of it and the hill each lap really sorted out things . I had to ride away and finish with a gap to win the over all, but at the same time I did not want risk my 3rd place either. I attacked a few times up the hill , but it wasted a lot of energy with no result, so my plan was no just to stay up right and try to finish well. The two last laps were so fast that there was no moving up anywhere , with only 15 guys left at the end I finished 12th , but same time as the winner , so no time gaps and kept my 3rd place in the GC .

All set and done ! 3 young guys on the podium !

Thanks for reading , Bear and Italy next !

Roger

Joe Martin Stage Race , AR

Joe Martin Stage race

I have been way too busy to be able to keep up with my blog lately. Sorry if I left you hanging-:)! The coaching is what my business is all about and my main focus is making sure our clients are getting the best possible service and writing is not my strong point unless you have not noticed, so it is not just the time that is the limiting factor here!

We had a pretty successful spring with several wins with our clients. 2 big cat 4 wins in Battenkill and in Quabbin with Greg D and Eli M. On an armature level these races are big and an early season goal for a lot of riders, so amazing results, congrats to these boys.

Since we came back from our Tucson, AZ camp the training has been going well, but I have not really ramped it up until the last 3-4 weeks, I had a good ride in Quabbin with the big boys and seems like I am getting a little closer to were I left off last year. Right now I am sitting on a plane to AR (Arkansas) to start the Joe Martin stage race tomorrow.
I have done this race in the past, but not since they gained NRC status, so it will be interesting. What I like about it is that they have an elite cat 1 2 separate race from the actual pro race. Same distances, but no trade teams, so when you race alone (just me and myself and the Giant) it makes the playing field more even and we still get to do the full 4 days.
I have only done 5 races so far this year, kind of a plan (race less and train more) this early part of the year. Something that works quite well when you are an older athlete. It is very tempting to race 3-4 times a week in all the local “ training races “ and get the intensity in, but then you just race and recover, not much else is possible or at least not a very productive way of training in my opinion. Do not get me wrong, you need to race for training as well, but do blocks of racing and then recovery and then blocks of training and so forth. Cycles of certain elements in your training are what you want, not the same thing week after week.
I had some success in my racing carrier I guess starting from XC –skiing to cycling, but I always look for new things to get faster such as races (I am trying a few new ones this year), equipment (new Giant TT bike on the way and even a 29er MTB) training methods (secret -:)) I am a big believer if your are not in your comfort zone you will stay more focused and push yourself to new limits.
Well that is it, the plane is about to land and now we just have to hope all the luggage is in one piece and on the same plane as me. I almost rather drive 2 days than fly for 3 hours, if you know what I mean! After lugging a bike box, wheel box, 2 sut cases and a baby car seat thru the aiport , I think maybe I should just become a normal "Family Guy " start drinking beer and watch Nascar on Sundays .
I will keep you posted on the race progress this weekend and how life is with the cowboys down south.

If your have not booked your trip to the Italy/Giro Camp yet, it is not too late yet. We are not leaving until May 21st -:)!

Thanks for reading again

Roger

2010 FinKraft Italy/ Giro Camp May 22nd -31st

Well , the Tucson Camp is done and it is time to think "Italy"If you read the blog or you attended the AZ camp you know what it is all about!

I am happy to announce that a long time dream of mine will come true this2010 spring. FinKraft, in partnership with our friend Paolo Zenoni who lives in Bergamo, Italy will provide a fully supported cycling experience in Italy. Often called “the mother country of cycling” in many people’s eyes, we will be riding on legendary roads and routes that the Giro d’ Italia and other classic road races like Giro di Lombardy have passed through over the years. There is no other country with such a strong history in cycling and such amazing scenery. Cycling here is a culture and if you love cycling, this trip is a dream come true.We will leave in the evening from the US on May 21st and arrive in Milan the following morning (May 22nd). If traveling from a different destination all arrivals have to be on Saturday morning to enable a convenient airport pick-up for all clients at the same time. We will have a support van (Team bus) which will be our transportation during our stay. Each client is responsible for his or her own airline ticket and bike transport to Milan, but group discount for airline tickets might be available. Upon arrival at our base camp Hotel Cascina Belvedi (http://www.cascinabelvedi.it/) we will get settled and after a short nap we will assemble our bikes and go for a light spin before dinner. The personnel is English speaking and our accommodations include a big breakfast and a nice real authentic Italian dinner every day. The ride program will be flexible with weather conditions and logistics such as travel to and from different locations.
Here is a preliminary route schedule:

Saturday: arrive at the airport; bus transfer to the hotel; bikes assembly and short easy facultative ride.

Sunday: scenic loop, relatively flat and visit to the old city of Bergamo (Citta`Alta). Spouses take public transportation (easy) and meet up in Citta` Alta. Riding time: 4 hours

Monday: hilly ride, Passo San Marco. Spa day/hiking for the spouses (stores are closed Monday morning but open in the afternoon around 3:30pm so shopping not possible in the am). Riding time: 5 hours.



Tuesday: bus transfer to the beautiful town of Stresa and flat ride around Lago Maggiore. Spouses can enjoy strolling through the town and taking a ferry ride on the lake, visiting the isles and the enchanting gardens. Riding time: 6 hours.

Wednesday: hilly ride to Madonna del Ghisallo and visit to the museum of the cyclists and to the sanctuary of the Madonna del Ghisallo. Spouses take bus to Bergamo and train to Milano to shopping/sightseeing - full day for them and rest afternoon for us. Riding time: 4 hours.

Thursday: travel by bus to Bormio. Climb the Mortirolo and the Gavia passes. Spouses have the opportunity to see this alpine town, where the World Ski Cup is held every year and ride by bus to the ski town of Livigno enjoying breathtaking mountain views (1,5 hour by bus from Bormio) and tax free shopping. Riding time: 6 very tough hours.

Friday: easy ride around the Bergamo area. Relaxing in countryside for the spouses. (Idea: take local bus to either 1) horseback riding in Valle Imagna for a few hours, 2) visit to winery locally, 3) indoor swimming pool for fun with the kids, etc) Riding time: 3 hours

Saturday: Giro d'Italia day! Bikes will be left at hotel and everyone can have a fun day watching the hill finishing 20th stage of the Giro (Bormio - Ponte di Legno - Tonale) - bus trip to location to watch stage and back later to hotel.

Sunday: Nice ride through the rolling vineyards of Franciacorta; bikes packing. Wives bus to Bergamo, train to Lake Como for the day) Riding time: 4 hours. Monday: Bus transfer to the airport. Program may change due to weather reasons.

Monday: Bus transfer to Airport Total riding time: at least 32 hours with some extremely challenging climbs.

Deadline for sign up is March 31st, 2010. There are a lot of logistics for this trip , so the sooner the better.

Thanks