Day 8 - still catching up...

The previous days' riding had caught up with everyone, and the only people keen to ride today were Borzi and I. Some opted for rest, some opted for the cable car run up the Pordoi, and Troy & Chris opted to run reconnaissance from the van in an effort to map another quality ride.

We opted to do a run up the Pordoi again - a 9km climb to the top (as if there was an option in this territory). It was Borzi's first ride with his hand in a cast so we took it easily at first. Despite the discomfort, he handled the ride well, and handled the steep decent down the other side even better, only for us to turn around and do the return leg also. All up, around a 50km ride with 22+km's of climbing in great weather and conditions. 

We headed back to the hotel and changed before heading off to watch the end of Stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia. It was running around 30kms from our location, and the quickest route to the finish proved to be via cable car and 2x chair lifts. We had a great afternoon in the sun, had many laughs, and got as close to the action as one can get without disrupting the race itself.

Borzi's first ride with a cast on
his right hand. Nothing can
keep this man off his bike...

That's him again, at the peak of the return leg of the passo Pordoi.
Not only has he ridden up one side, but he's had to ride steeply
downhill for 9km, then ride back up, and decend the other side.
All with a busted hand, and a smile on his face. Notice the sign on the right? That's 33 switchbacks we've ridden up, and that's only one side of the mountain...

At the Giro d'Italia - stage 19. This little kid in yellow is riding up a 10%
gradient hill on a small roadbike. He must have been 5. He was riding with
2 other boys, both around 8 or 9. These two (that's one behind in the blue)
were running DI2 groupsets! Is it any wonder the Italians put forward so many
world class cyclists when they get into the sport at age 5!?

This is how we watched the Giro ride past - with
a couple of beers, in the sun in the Dolomite
mountains. That's Dave bearing gifts...

We were as close as it's possible to get to the Giro and its riders without knocking someone off their bike. The pack was spread out, with this being the 3rd bunch to ride through past our location.

The team cars followed close on the heals of the riders. Once
all had passed, we trecked downhill to the town of Pampeago
where the stage finished. We watched the finish, the podium awards
and the associated lovely ladies handing out the trophies and champagne.
We were so tightly packed, I couldn't even get a photo off at the finish.