Day 1

A bigger day has not been had. 

The first time we all officially meet was at Milan airport, 6:00am Friday 18^th May.  8 core team members, 3 vans and a round of jet-lag you can’t ignore.  

We found another two additions to the team.  Mark Hirst, the ‘flat-track scenic-only specialist’ you have met.  And Eric, who is now affectionately known as the ‘Wirey hole’. 

Note: Wirey hole is a clumsy English-to-Italian-back-to-English-translation that describes a person who has low body fat and is built for riding up hills. This describes half the group but as Eric is the epitemy of the standard, he gets the name permanently.

With clear intentions to blow out the cobwebs with a short ride, 10 of us agree to have a short lunch.  The 1^st beer was the mistake.  "9 Carona’s and a Becks thanks luv..."

The larger framed men had an idea. The day’s ride had been called off.

The drinking pace was at an Olympic standard.  Before the ‘wirey holes’ could finish their drinks, a lasso motion with the index figure would signal the need for another round.  The plan was simple: lighter, low body fat individuals couldn’t possibly match it with the larger units.  They would have their revenge on the road the next day, matching it for the first time with the lighter riders.

Whatever the merits of the plan, it’s byproduct was ‘fun’.  One of the great days.

We will see if the plan worked