Off the Back

Ciclitalia Day 2.

The day didn't start too well ; a misjudgement on the size of a grate at a junction saw my front wheel slide, very gracefully, into the drain and deposited me, ungracefully, over the bars. No harm to me, but a slight buckle in the front wheel and the recall of Sam and the van for a spare.

The pace was lively today which didn't present too many problems in the first 30 miles. Unfortunately when we hit a few hills, that McVities habit of mine started to come into play and I slid off the back. It was something of a pattern ; slide off the back and push to get back on. You have to work as hard as you can to stay in touch, but there's no way you can push beyond your limits for long.

On the two decent climbs of the day (600 ft and 1500 ft) I just concentrated on keeping my heart rate under control on what was a very hot day (35c). So I twiddled my way up the hills, thankful that I haven't yet pissed the whole group off enough that they don't wait at the top.

The sliding off the back on climbs thing is then compounded a little by the fact I've become a tentative descender and slip off the back on the descents too. I know I'm over cautious, but I just don't want to suffer the consequences of pushing too hard. It just means yet another extra effort at the bottom to get back on.

All that aside, it was another glorious day.  There were contrasting coffee stops, the first in a cool and spacious restaurant right on the beach and the second in a deli/mini-mart where we all stuck into freshly made ham and cheese sandwiches.

The drop down into Messina went from tree lined roads and cobbled hairpins into the scruffy traffic chaos of the city.  I'm not sure which needed the sharper wits.

Day 2: 92 miles,  4,770ft, 25.4 avg.

Ciclitalia Day 1

Ciclitalia 2017 - a two week ride from Palermo in Sicily to Como in Lombardia starts today. After arriving late last night and a hairy taxi ride from the airport, I'm still awake early. Leaning out of the widow of the B&B, I watch the swallows (or maybe they're swifts) zooming in, around and over the backstreet. They chirrup and squawk as they chase each other around, much as the eleven riders do as we sort out the bikes and load bags onto the van.

We finally roll out of Palermo at 10:00 after sorting out the group shot by the marina. Once we'd negotiated the traffic to the outskirts of Palermo, (at least the Italian drivers are predictably unpredictable) the day settled into steady riding along the beautiful northern coast road of Sicily.

It's lovely day. It's the culmination of months of planning and logistics, but other than for the fact were all riding on our classy azzuri blue Ciclitalia kit, you'd think it an unremarkable day. There's relaxed chatting, coffee stops and the inevitable puncture or two, but it's just a typical ride with old friends and new. The hot sunshine is moderated by the breeze of cruising along and unfamiliar sights and sounds spark the conversation.

All in all an unremarkably remarkable day; free to enjoy all the pleasures of riding a bike. It certainly bodes well for the next 14 days.

Palermo to Santo Stefano di Camastro
70 miles, 2700ft, 16.6mph avg.