Tag: Colin Giffney

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Gavia Pass

BORMIO, ITALY

I was extremely disappointed today when James Shanahan, our Trek Travel guide, informed us we would not be riding the Mortirolo. It was the one climb that I wanted to do on this trip. I would say my ignorance of Italy before this trip was showing. Mortirolo and Gavia were the only two mountain passes I knew, completely ignoring or missing Stelvio Pass.

Rainy day in Bormio

“Italy has its Mortirolo, mountain of death; 124 persons to date have died on Mount Washington. Windier than Mont Ventoux, deadlier than the mountain of death; this is why for cyclists, Mount Washington stands above all other climbs. It is not hard just because it is steep. It is also windy and cold enough to be dangerous.” — New York Cycle Club

I wanted to add Mortirolo to my list but that will have to remain unachieved. Left to my own devices, I would have ridden it and almost decided to without support. But it was better to be safe than to be sorry, especially on the mountain called the mountain of death.

Bormio

The original ride was to be a loop ride with Mortirolo around to Gavia Pass and then a descent back to Bormio from Gavia. Instead of the loop, we were given a choice to ride to the Gavia pass and back. The beauty of an out-and-back (or up-and-down) was is that it is all uphill. Anytime we felt like turning around we could have. And this was good. This was the iconic climb where Andy Hampsten rode into history during a blizzard in 1988. Or we could not ride at all.

Colin Giffney

Last of the group leaving again, I always seemed to misplace something or needed one more item. Our group left and I chased, although it was not far before latching on.

Caitlin Steel navigates the cobbles in Bormio

For most of this week I rode with somebody. Only two of us came with nobody and today I rode with Colin Giffney (the other person who had no one) and Caitlin Steel. I was sweeping and felt better chatting with the last folks rather than simply riding ahead.

Chilly day on Gavia Pass

Although it had rained in the early morning, it was overcast and at first, I was overdressed. I stopped to remove my jacket and rode only in my short-sleeve jersey.

Climbing Gavia Pass

On the climb, Colin decided to really enjoy the memories of Stelvio and not suffer today. He turned around and went back. Caitlin and I continued and were joined by Jim Ashton, who had stopped with his son, Chris, earlier. So Jim, Caitlin, and I made the climb together, talking the entire way.

The bad weather made for some nice views

Our first day on this trip was a simple up-and-over in which I rode the ascent with Caitlin and her husband, Nick. On the second day, our first real climbing day, I rode the first climb mostly with Chris and Jim. Looking back at the week these were the folks I rode with most.

Rocky views while climbing Gavia Pass

Today’s climb was steady. There were sections that got to be a little bit hard, I saw 15% or 16% on the Garmin, but we went up together. On the lower section, I was wearing just my jersey but stopped to add my jacket as we got higher. I was now underdressed. Severely.

Caitlin Steel and Jim Ashton climbing Gavia Pass

At the top of the climb it leveled off, still a climb but only 1-2%. And it started misting a bit.

Caitlin Steel and Jim Ashton ride off into the sunset on Gavia Pass

As with many passes, there is a restaurant at the top and our folks from Trek Travel provided lunch for us plus a fireplace to warm up and dry out. For the descent, I changed to mostly dry clothes. It took me a week but I learned to include a dry jersey for the descents although today everything would soon be wet again.

Inside the restaurant the lunch was great. Many of us ordered soup and we all wanted to sit by the fireplace. My phone had died completely and I could no longer take any photos. I asked someone to take some photos inside and share them – but got none. It was, as might be expected, a tribute to Andy Hampsten’s iconic ride in 1988.

(Here I was tempted to grab one of many images on the Internet but any user can search and see Andy riding through the snow on his way to Bormio in horrific conditions. He did not win the stage – he finished seven seconds down behind Erik Breukink but had enough to take the lead in the Giro d’Italia. A great account titled Gavia 1988: Andy Hampsten’s Epic Stage, may still be available at PEZ Cycling News. It’s worth a read.)

Gavia Pass – The restaurant is to the right

Headed out, it was raining. Cold. Fog. Visibility was poor, maybe 75 meters. One of our riders headed down in the wrong direction. Ouch.

As I started my descent I passed three or four high school-aged boys coming up the mountain, all pushing their bikes. What a reminder that not everyone can ride up this climb. I gave thanks for good health and strength.

I passed three of our riders descending very cautiously then was on my own for a while. Not ironically, I was later joined by Chris, Jim, and two others. If they wanted to ride faster today I was willing to let them. Slick wet roads were no fun. But we all settled in and took it as fast as we could cautiously go.

Barry at the summit – Gavia Pass

It was here the realization set in that I would suck as a professional rider. Besides not being able to keep up with the peloton on the climbs, these guys take incredible risks on the descents. The thought occurred to me as we descended that if I was racing and someone wanted to go faster than me in these conditions – I would let them. Maybe as a 20-something I would take the risk but as a 50-something I was happy staying upright on the day. And cold.


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Stelvio Pass

BORMIO, ITALY

I will claim ignorance. As a cycling fan, I am embarrassed. Or I should be embarrassed. I knew nothing about the famous Stelvio Pass.

Caitlyn and Sonya in Prato

It was just a few weeks ago during the Giro d’Italia that the Stelvio pass made cycling news for days. The weather was so bad that the Giro either did or did not tell the teams that the descent would be neutralized for safety. The leaders flew down it, everyone else went reasonably and lost chunks of time.

Trek Travel bikes ready to go in Prato

Today, we would climb the famed passo Stelvio. And I knew nothing about it. Perhaps that was a good thing.

Trek Travel Guide, James Shanahan

We left the hotel in Moena by shuttle and drove a couple of hours to Prato. Once there, we offloaded at a hotel by an intersection of the roads. I sure hope Trek Travel had permission because we took over all the restrooms for changing. (I’m sure they did.)

Post Hirsch, Posta Cervo Prato where our climb started

We rolled out at an intersection and I went first this time. I had no intention of being first up the climb and within one hundred meters I pulled over as my spokes were hitting the speed sensor on the fork. Everyone rolled past me as I readjusted the sensor and then rode tempo to catch onto the back of the group, but only after also adjusting the bike pump which was being hit by the crank. (This was a Trek Travel bike with a bike pump – not mine.)

Lowest slopes of the Stelvio

The first four kilometers were flat or trending up at one or two percent. Once at the base of the pass, the road turned up into a beautiful forest with no idea of what lies ahead. It was warm and I was sweating pretty heavily.

Hotel on the lower slopes of the passo Gavia

Having been last I caught up with and rode with Caitlin Steele and Colin Giffney. I have ridden with them quite a bit this week. We chatted without hardly noticing the steepness of the road in the forest. When we went by the Trek Travel guides they were astounded that we were chatting away. We were supposed to be out of breath.

L-R: Caitlin, Colin, Barry
Credit: Trek Travel

Colin and Caitlyn stopped at a planned water/rest stop and I rode ahead, passing Bud Hoffacker and Anne Marie Redmond and then caught Chris and Jim Ashton. I’ve ridden with Chris and Jim quite a bit this week as well.

Stopped to smell (photograph) the flowers

Near the top of the forest one sees the first sign – Tornanti 48. That is turn or switchback number 48. Only 47 to go. It would be another kilometer before the next turn. The switchbacks on the lower section are much farther apart than near the top. On one turn we were in our lane, the outermost part of a left-hand bend, when a tour bus coming down the mountain was also trying to navigate the turn. The driver went as far wide as he could, either not seeing us or not caring. We stepped off our bikes and into the dirt and grass to let the bus pass.

Looking across the valley

Eventually we left the forest and could see nothing but road and hairpin curves ahead. I tried not to look for the summit but could not help it. It was so beautiful. Amidst the quiet of solitude of the forest was a constant din of motorcycles’ engines. This is a beautiful tourist road for everyone and sports cars and motorcycles use it too.

Barry

Jim and I started using the switchback numbers to talk about what we were doing and where we were living at that age. So 48 years ago I was ___ years old and was living ___. It made the time go by real fast. We were joined for a while by James Shanahan, our Trek Travel guide, and Chris and he rode about 50 meters ahead while Jim and I talked.

Chris and Jim Ashton

Nearing the top we watched two snow plows coming down the road. This morning the road up here was snow-covered. But with our two-hour shuttle followed by a two-hour climb, the road was clear although still wet in a lot of places.

Looking back at the road up Stelvio

At Turn 3 James stayed behind watching for other riders coming up the road. Chris, Jim, and I rode ahead until Turn 1 when I pulled over and made 10 or 12 beautifully packed snowballs. The snow was the perfect consistency for this purpose. I lofted one down two switchbacks below and it landed near James’ feet. Then another. And another. He looked up and thought I was trying to throw snowballs all around him. I wasn’t. I was trying to hit him but my throws sucked.

Jim, Barry, and James
(Source: Paid photo)

One more switchback and I reached the top. It was cold although the Trek Travel van was parked just before the summit and it seemed to be 10 degrees (5.5 C) warmer on this side than at the top or going over the other side.

At the top.
Credit: ? – Someone had my camera and a finger in the way

Lunch was on our own at the top. Although there were two restaurants that offered warm seating inside, James recommended “Richard,” an Austrian who sets up a grill and cooks bratwurst. That was good enough for me.

Richard’s Bratwurst

There were a couple of shops and I found a Passo Stelvio jersey although the hotel had a nicer version that I would have preferred. We did not linger long at the summit as we were starting to get cold.

Haven ridden up the pass with Chris and Jim, we descended together. On this side there were tunnels. Were we warned by James and Sonja? We surely must have been. What to expect could have been best expressed by a former pro.

“In a post Giro interview with Rouleur magazine in 2007, Brian Smith said of the descent to Bormio: ‘It was the most horrible descent I’ve ever done. I was never one to get scared on a descent. But coming down the Stelvio that day, with my hands freezing, having to close one eye for the tunnels, and then hope for the best once you were inside, is something I’ll never forget. I was petrified.’” (Source: EpicRoadRides.com)

The tunnels would mess with my Garmin’s satellite connection for a while as we zipped in and out. It made for a weird elevation profile, obviously incorrect.

Barry at the top of Stelvio

Both Chris and Jim were excellent descenders and I fell in behind Chris’ line. We were flying as we entered a tunnel. It was dark and featured a sharp right-hander followed by a left hand curve at the exit. The eyes did not adjust from bright snow-covered mountains to the dark inside the tunnel (with sunglasses on) instantly.

Looking at the descent towards Bormio

I followed Chris’ flashing rear light as we went wide in the turn. It was wet in the tunnel with snow melt. Chris went wide so I did too. As he recovered and went back to the right side of the road I was still over the center line when a car, with no lights, appeared in front of me. I touched the rear brakes and my biked fishtailed right in front of the car. I adjusted and brought the bike back under control and missed a head on collision by six inches or so. We did not enter a tunnel with speed after that. Chris apologized profusely.

Jim and Chris Ashton (Photo: Trek Travel)

There are a number of switchbacks on the Bormio side of the mountain as well although not 48 of them (I think there are 40). One of them, as I would discover later, passed within 10 meters of Switzerland and there is a road at another switchback that goes to Switzerland (Umbrail Pass). The border there was about 100 meters away.

Stelvio Summit

We didn’t know to stop to visit Switzerland but for me it was a moot point as I will be in Switzerland later in the week. We followed the road to Bormio then checked into our hotel for the night.

Just down from Stelvio Pass on the Bormio side

Stelvio Pass is the highest paved pass in Italy. It is a classic climb that, quite frankly, wasn’t that hard, just very long. Of course, I wasn’t racing. But at no point did I think of it as too hard or had to fight myself to keep going. I doubt I get to ride this again but I would love to. It is a great one.

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Cold, Wet, Sleet

MOENA, ITALY

After yesterday’s big effort on San Pellegrino (it kicked my butt) the prudent thing would be to go easy, possibly even taking the day off. Some did. I did not. Not everyone showed up for today’s ride. I did. At the start it was gray and chilly with rain in the forecast.

Climbing up towards Sella
Climbing up towards Sella – Part 1

We rolled out at 9:00 a.m. Well, they rolled out at 9:00. I had to go back to my room to get my Garmin. I left it in my room then had to chase for three km before I got back on.

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Riding in memory of Jamie Roberts

We had a quick rest stop in Canazei. James Shanahan, our guide, encouraged us to ride (as opposed to standing around “resting”). James was always a big fan of moving and not resting. The weather did not look good. Unlike yesterday when I was first to go, I was last to roll out from the rest stop. I was going to take it slow. I rode for a while with Colin Giffney, a New Zealander.

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Like the roads we climb, this waterfall down in the mountain
is much steeper than the camera captures

Colin and I chatted about the difficulty of riding on the “wrong side” of the road. About his grandsons. About the Sydney Zoo (he took his grandsons). I asked if they have all American animals. (See, in our zoos we have koalas, and dingos, and duckbill platypusses/platypi*.) Colin had a new camera that kept giving him a disc error so when he stopped to take pictures he always had to reboot.

The climb up the Stella is 5.5 km at 7.9% grade from the crossroads to the Pordoi. We started in Canazei which was another 5.5 km of climbing.

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At the base of the first climb in Canazei

I caught up to Nick and Caitlin Steel from California. Nick is a beast of a rider but we rode at Caitlin’s pace, which was more my pace, and really enjoyed the climb. Reaching passo Sella, the winds kicked up and it began to rain.

a

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Climbing up towards Sella – Part 2

Caitlin decided to turn back, which was a prudent decision. Colin did too. Apparently half the group did too. Prudent. I didn’t. Not prudent.

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Source: http://www.thomsonbiketours.com/
We did not see stunning views because of the weather
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We did not stay long at the top. Just long enough to grab a jacket and put on some warm clothes for the descent and crappy weather.

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passo Sella – Just before the rain

As we descended off the Sella the rain turned to sleet. The ice pellets stung as they hit.

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At the bottom we began our second climb. In the opposite direction I was passed by a Team BMC car followed about five minutes later by a BMC rider. I don’t know who that was but was probably Daniel Oss or Manuel Quinziato, both of whom are from the Dolomiti region in Italy. (Unbeknownst to me, Tejay van Garderen passed our group yesterday on Passo Fedaia. But it didn’t look like Tejay.)

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The second climb was over passo Gardena, a pretty easy climb except for the cold blowing rain. It is rated as just 5.8 km with an average grade of 4.4%. I had passed some riders who were up the road and we waited at the pass. But then Bud Hoffacker and Anne Marie Redmond took seats in the SAG wagon. Prudent. It was a nasty bitter day.

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That meant I was last on the road. Well, I was along with Sonja Schmidt, our guide. I took off first on the descent although I stopped for a photo op. In the pouring rain. She passed me and had two full switchbacks on me as a head start once I was done taking pictures. I’m not sure what she thought when I caught her in those weather conditions.

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Beginning of the descent from passo Gardena

Sonja and I reached the bottom in Corvara and began another climb with switchbacks. This was a 6 km climb at 5.8% to passo Campolongo. We caught Jennifer Gands. I noticed I was mashing and Sonja was spinning. I asked her what size gear she had on the back and she said 30. I was running 27. She said “would you like a 30?” Well, yes. Later she switched the cassette and the rest of the week would be a tad bit easier.

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The three of us rode to the summit together where the most serious decision of the day would be made.  Trek Travel had lunches for everyone inside a restaurant. I was cold and soaked and did not want to sit down for an extended period. At all really. While everyone still remaining went into the restaurant, James gave me directions and off I went on the descent before the final climb. Solo.

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James had said if I turn onto a road full of switchbacks, I’d know I was on the right road. He didn’t say 32 switchbacks. The rain stopped about halfway up but the wind picked up. Each switchback meant a different direction for the wind. The headwind was nearly impossible to pedal through. But the tailwind was almost strong enough to coast up the 6% grade.

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Helicopter Landing Stop Lights in Arabba

It was a long climb and I feared I would be brought back by Nick. I don’t know if my psyche could handle being caught two days straight after being spotted one hour. The climb up Pordoi is 9.2 km and averages 6.9%. Apparently it has 33 switchbacks so I must have missed one.

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Passing a fenced field of cows, there was one poor cow standing out on the road by herself. She was probably scared, not knowing how to get back in the field. And I was scared go go past her. I crept over to the far left, never making eye contact (challenge), and got by.

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Photo Credit: Trek Travel

Those switchbacks seemingly went on forever. Eventually I could see a building that looked like a hotel at a pass. It was a hotel, but it wasn’t at the pass. There was another three km to ride after that but I could finally see the summit. The real one.

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Photo Credit: Trek Travel

After going over the summit of pass Pordoi, I had a pretty fast descent down 28 switchbacks, the first 12 of which we rode this morning before turning up to Sella. I was cold. Freezing. Soaked. Showing beginning signs of hypothermia. But I would make it down safely.

Colin told me he was in full hypothermia mode. He was shaking the entire way back and he had turned back after the first climb (Sella). It was cold.

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Once back to Canazei it was a matter of retracing our morning route. There were some sweet descents on the road. I didn’t realize how much climbing we had done to arrive at Canazei. Arriving back at Moena, I was two kilometers short of 100 so rode out and made it a metric century. Then hit the shower. Rarely have I enjoyed a hot shower so much.

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*There is no universally agreed plural of “platypus” in the English
language. Scientists generally use “platypuses” or simply “platypus”.
Colloquially, the term “platypi” is also used for the plural, although
this is technically incorrect and a form of Pseudo-Latin, the correct Greek plural would be “platypodes”. Source: Wikipedia 2014

Day 3 Itinerary – We did the Sella Ronda


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