Hi again,I apologize that I have not kept up with the blogging lately . With traveling around the world and I do not even know where all this time went . Cross is here and the road season is over . The last Grand Tour( Vuelta ) is almost done . I really want to finish our 2010 Giro/camp blog so you can read about it and decide if this is something you should put on your calendar for next year, since we are already about to send out the flyers for our 2011 camps I feel bad. Well anyway , were I left off was our trip up the Gihsallo , next day was an early rise , but not to ride .
A 16 passenger bus with a driver picked us up at 7.00 am from the hotel and we were on our way to the Giro. A nice day of recovery from riding and a very exciting day for us . Today was stage 19 and a very decisive stage in the race .
We would be able to to Basso and CO. twice on the roads we just rode a couple of days ago . We had a little extra time , so once in the Valtalina Valley , a very well known wine region in Italy , we made a stop at the Rinaldi Winery
The owner happened to be someone that Paolo went to school with , so they gave us a nice tour and some " wine factory outlet " discount on their fine wines .
A nice experience and unbelievable good wine . After our stop we continued to Tirano where we would see the boys come thru the first time . 
This is right on the boarder to Switzerland , so we just got off the bus and walked across the boarder. 
A perfect spot to watch , front row seats for sure .
The race goes by quick even it is on a climb,
but as a cyclist you feel the chills run down your spine when the caravan of police ,advertisements and the riders of course and then all the team cars come by. The guys you read about in Magazines and see on TV is right there, a few feet away.
Back on the bus and a short drive over the mountain ( Aprica , where they finished yesterday after going over Mortirolo which we also rode the other day ) Our next spot was on the slopes of Tonale where today's finish would be after climbing up Gavia from Bormio and then a hair raising decent down to where we were in the rain .
We found a nice little bar and since it was raining a little now and it was lunch time , a perfect spot to have a bit to eat and watch the race on TV until we had to back out and see the real action.
We bought our Giro souvenirs and took our spot on the road up to Tonale .
Boy , was this race shattered by now .First the guys in Pink 
Then the Groupetto ,these guys had a hard day behind them and you could see that in their faces .
There was a lot of people here at this spot and we could feel the real Grand Tour athmospher , we were the 'Tifosi" today ! A very different day , but a great memory and motivation to ride again tomorrow . 
Marco Pinotti , a friend o Paolo had a good Giro .One more day of the camp and we will get to spend that one on the bicycle again. An other great dinner was waiting for us the hotel and a nice way of ending a perfect day .I love riding my bike , but taking one day off to experience the Giro was well worth it and I hope we can do this again next year.
Ciao
Roger
The 
A few rain drops, but nothing that would spoil the day. Legs were good today and if it was a race, I think I would have had a chance! 
At the top there is the very famous Madonna 
This is bike “heaven “ with a museum next door and a restaurant, which we picked over the museum, it was lunchtime and the boys were hungry! 
We ride by all the lakes around the Como region and after a nice 4-hour loop we are back at 
A perfect ride, perfect timing to watch the Giro while having some cheese, bread and wine. Big day at the Giro, 
A relaxing night and more great food !
To be more exact; Cita Alta. Some round stone covered streets, not exactly easy to ride on in the rain and uphill, thru the famous gate where the Giro and the World Cup Race; Tour of Lombardi has passed thru so many times.
Quick stop at the town square and by now it is raining pretty hard. Enough of the sightseeing and time to head back towards the Hotel, we passed some slopes with wine yards and some really old building all surrounded by a wall, with the road snaking along the wall in between some really cool old houses, what a great place to live. Paolo takes us by his property he bought and intends to start an apple orchard on in the future, a really cool hidden location right in the middle of history. The rain just picks up and it is a couple of inches of water on the road by now and it is starting to get cold. We are soaked to the bone by the time we get back to the Hotel, but no big deal. 2 ½ hours in the rain is not the end of the world. Little lunch and a good clean up is next on the menu. 
This afternoon we have a visit at the De Rosa factory scheduled.
We get to see the step-by-step procedure and a great explanation of the actual manufacturing of these sexy bikes. They are very open, no secrets here! 
These frames go through pretty stiff testing and the Italian craftsman ship is very is not compromised at any stage.
Now if we only could sneak one out. This one was actually presented as a gift to me at the end of the visit ( sold it already on e-bay , sorry) 
Many Pro Teams has ridden these frames and still do today.Riders like Pettachi and De Luca and Garcelli have all been on these bikes .
De Rosa has always been a bike that competed with Colonago and Bianchi, in other words the big league! Some souvenirs and we are on the way to a clothing company call Rosti . The Italian version of Verge . Cool to see how the cycling clothing is made and designed. We bought a few pieces to see what Paolo's Team clothing is like . 
A fun day and now we are recovered and re-energized to do another epic ride , I am thinking Ghisallo!
Paolo had a asked a few team mates of his to join us on this epic day and Gian Carlo and Mr Moreti himself showed up in style with the Moreti Team Van . 
I wonder where I am going to sit ? Mark is thinking ;not back here 
We arrive in Tirano and find a parking area and we unload the bikes and get kitted up, the girls would continue to Bormio for a day of sight seeing and shopping. 
Tirano is a border town to Switzerland and there is a train that goes up the mountain through the glacier in to St Moriz, always an option for a scenic day in the Alps. We head out of town, already an up hill right away, kind of an indication what was to come.
Mortirolo is not all that far from Tirano and we get o the base pretty quickly. This climb is not in the open and until you get to the top you are kind of in the woods going up a road averaging 12-18% pretty much the whole way. 
I have a 39/26, the other guys got 27’s or 28’s, but a compact would not be a bad idea!! This hill does not let up and it is like lifting weights for an hour. Kevin hit the gas and did not look back, the Moretti boys took it pretty easy, I rode fast some sections and then stopped and took pictures of the guys or views, in other words I did the Tourist thing. 
We passed the Pantani monument and eventually made it towards the top and guess what; there were already people camping out for the race (does not come up here until Friday) to get a prime spot.
A few more pictures and we put the rain capes on and started the decent. 
It was not as hairy as the uphill part, but it was narrow ad twisty and turny though the woods and eventually through some open fields with some incredible views once again and finally we pass by some villages, we are in the valley and making a left onto the main road. A good pair of aluminum rims and some solid breaks is what you need for this trip.
One down and one more to go, Mortirolo was everything you could ever dream about when it comes to steep climbs, so what would the Gavia be like? I could not wait!
Soon it starts getting colder and the road is o longer open or cars. We go through this tunnel, a very steep section and pitch black in there; I cannot even see my front wheel. It feels like we are riding on gravel or ice, but it is actually salt. 
We finally get out of it and now we have snow banks on each side of the road about 5 feet high in some places. Paolo is feeling good and we are hammering out a good solid pace to the top of the Pass (I think Paolo wanted to sprint for some KOM points, but we just decided not to) 
Now we are at famous lodge of Passo di Gavia, they are putting up a huge Giro sign outside and getting the place ready, it just opened two days ago for the season (the snow might have had something to do with that!) We dry up and warm up with some hot tea and a couple of panni’s all at the same time.
We go through Santa Caterina mach speed, in between old mountain building and this just goes forever. My rear wheel bearing is screaming and is about to lock up I think, but I cannot really slow down either. We make it in one piece to Bormio, a famous ski town and right at the bottom of Stelvio, which we will do next year! I would have liked to check this town out a little, oh well next time!
It is about 4.00 pm already and it is still a long way back to Tirano where we have our team van. 
Since it is still kind of down hill we keep a good pace, almost feels a little like a race. I guess the closest feeling in being in the Giro and I think after climbing Mortirolo and Gavia in one day the adrenalin was flowing pretty well! A couple of raindrops and overcast sky’s makes this valley look even more humbling. A few attacks and a final sprint for the Tirano town line and were are BACK! 
About almost 3 hours after having our tea party at the Passo di Gavia.A great day at the office and now it was time for some Pizza (we are in Italy after all) on the way back to the hotel, we knew it was going to be a late night and our ride time as over 6 hours, so we needed food and a lot of it! The Italians were looking at us and thinking, man those Americans can eat!!
