Leaving Colorado is always a bit sad, we have such a good time there but with a long road trip in Europe to look forward to it was a little easier. With a stop-over of only a couple of days our transition in England was always going to be a bit hectic, add a broken bike frame (damaged by the airline) to the mix and things were crazy busy - well for Dave at least!
First stop was Freiburg, a place familiar to many cyclists because of its sunny, warm weather - the best in Germany apparently. Two weeks gave us time to explore road and off road riding as well as the best places for coffee and cake, our favourite was the
Biosk - a hub for cyclists. It's a great place to train and there's always someone to ride with. Thanks to Betty Uhlig, Tom Janas and all the other people who went out of their way to make sure we had a great time.
 |
| Great times in Freiburg |
On the road again we drove to Italy for the
Val di Sole marathon, a new race but with great potential to become a key one. It makes the most of the many forest trails, including lots of varied singletrack from steep and technical (up and down!) to flowing singletrails traversing the mountain. Packing in 2500m of climbing over 65km gives an indication how steep it is. Male is quaint town with nice restaurants and cafes, a particular favourite was Caminetto La Piccolo Cucina where we ate everyday!
 |
| First place at Val di Sole marathon |
A few hours drive north east and we arrived back in Selva val Gardena in South Tirol, one of our favourite places and home of the
Sellaronda Hero. The mountains there really are special, troubles and worries fade away, leaving body and mind energised :)
 |
| Relax. Very important! |
The UCI World Series race
Val di Fassa was in the neighbouring valley last weekend. The first climb is certainly one to remember: 900m of climbing (max gradient 34%) over 6km was a rude wake up call, and the rest of the race didn't get any easier! Together with teammate Kristian Hyneck we had a double victory for Topeak Ergon Racing team! We really recommend
Hotel Patrizia not least because of the nice location, rooms and spa but also because the food is superb - and they prepared home made gluten free stuff for me including gnocchi, spaghetti and bread!
After a couple of days back in Selva we're now packing and driving to France for
La Forestiere, another UCI World Series race.
Wherever your riding takes you, enjoy it!
Sal :)
