It’s hard
to know where to start with this... sorry that the updates have been a bit
slow. I have been all over the place recently with racing and travelling.
We have been racing twice a week most weeks, all over Italy and even up in eastern
Belgium for Liege.
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| Team Presentation |
So
starting off from where I left the last blog, I have had lots of racing. I have
competed in 3 UCI 1.2's and 1 Italian National (U28) race. These races have
been incredibly tough and a huge learning curve for me. I haven't had the best
luck in these races either. I had a mechanical issue in Collechio and a crash
in Liege Bastogne Liege. Most recently I've came down with a cold meaning I
missed GP Venderiano and GP Libraziano. This has been a bit frustrating.
However, on a positive note I was very happy to get round my first Italian
national - Vincenza Bionde. The parcour for this race suited a sprinter and the
race was really fast averaging 45kph for 170km! It gives me confidence for the races I have soon.
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| Dressed up for Belgium weather |
Aside from the racing, I have gained a ton of new
experiences along the way. It's hard for me to even remember all of them which
is crazy as it’s less than a month since my last blog! My journey to Liege in
the van with Flavio and Owen was certainly a trip I’ll never forget for the
tremendous scenery on route. Driving past Lake Como and then through Switzerland
was just awesome.
Probably the most memorable event for me would be following
my crash in Liege. I was out of the race, riding by myself, in the middle of
the Ardennes in the cold, rain and wind. I was following little yellow signs
for the finish and questioning my sanity whilst shivering away (it was just 6
degrees and I’d left Italy at 26 degrees!). Anyway, before I could get lost, I was
picked up by the guys who were collecting the signs for the race. I flagged
them down, used my best French and jumped in to the van with my bike. It
certainly made a very entertaining journey back to the Finish. Safe to say I
soon forgot about my race with these lads. After some very exuberant driving, a
few cans of Jupiter later, we arrived. It was late and I arrived in a very
different manner to how I’d planned on the Start Line that morning!
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| Crash in Liege Bastogne Liege. Note my red Zappi leg in left ditch!! |
I feel very accustomed to the Italian culture now and
it's felt like I've lived out here for ages. It is very different to the UK. I
appreciate each for different reasons. I feel the Italian culture suits me
pretty well with everyone seeming to constantly be moving at 200kph. Also it's fair to
say I enjoy Italian gelato and coffee a bit too much. The town in which we are
staying seems to feel a little more alive each weekend as more and more
businesses open up for the season. Only problem is Italian weather has been
treating me a bit too well because I was in for a shock with how cold I felt in
Belgium. It’s definitely making me soft being out here.
We have enjoyed a few chilled out evenings in Rimini
which has been a laugh, be it mostly at Paul’s expense for having a few too
many…. Going to each race in a different location lets you explore new areas
for a brief period most weekends. We have been to lots of picturesque towns and
fabulous cities such as Verona. It's been great to take in some breath-taking
scenery as well. My favourite of which was still passing the Italian lakes on
our way up into Switzerland on route to Liege.
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| Stunning Scenery |
Ciao for now
