Day 20 Sta Caterina to Trento

We cheated! Like many of the top Pro cyclists we cheated. We caught a train. On a day that started so well ended up being lost in an orchard and catching the train to Trento.

It was another lovely day as we started the Passo di Gavia at 9.45am (EL 1700m). The first third was quite steady through the trees.We got above the treeline at about 2000m when the views opened up, but it is not the prettiest of climbs all a bit bleak. The roads were also narrow and quite rough. At about 2300m it became very steep for a k or so, up to 17% the steepest so far (where was my white lycra lady!), and then at last the slope eases and the last couple of k were fairly flat. The lake at the top was still frozen and there was still lots of snow. As we had a long day we did not stop for long at the top (2658m) and started our desent.

The desent was rough an very twisty at first and after dropping a couple of hundred metres we turned a corner and were straight into a tunnel. Now I knew about the tunnel as I checked the map and had rembered to put my normal glasses on and not my sunglasses, but I had forgotten to put my lights on. Ooops. What do you do. The tunnel is virtually pitch black. If you stop, the cars behind may hit you, so you just carry on. After 100m of skidding on the wet trying to slow down, I saw a motorbike coming towards me, aaah if I miss the light on the right I should be ok, and so I was. It was more hairy then yesterdays tunnel. I regrouped with Richard (who also had forgotten to put his lights on) and we carried on. The next part of the desent was incredibly narrow (much narrower than hampshire lanes) but with a huge drop on one side. Fortunately it had been resurfaced due to the Tour of Italy coming down the same desent. It was great, a bit dicey, but fun. The last part opened up into normal roads and before we new it we had dropped to 1250m and had started the Passo del Tonale.

This was a drag climb through ski resort country. We stopped for lunch at the top (1881m) and then had a fantastic 40k desent to Cles. The roads were wide, not steep, but with lovely sweeping corners. The highlight of the desent was overtaking a motorbike who was obviously keepint to th 50k speedlimit. HeHe. We stopped for an icecream in Cles and it all went wrong.

The road after Cles the S43 soon joined with the S43D and from then on cyclists were forbidden as the road was classified as an Autostrada even though it was only single lane. We followed the old road through Taio, Segno and Tora, climbing up and down the the sides of the valley, before ending up in Mollaro. Here the road seemed to stop. We saw a cyclist and asked him the way. All he said was the road was "Closed" and that we must bike back 14k to Cles and follow the hills to Trento. This was not an option, we followed our noses down the valley along gravel tracks and minor roads before ending up in an orchard. It was now well gone 6pm. We headed back to Mollaro just as a train was due, jumped on it for the last 25k to Trento arriving at about 7.15pm.

Trento is a lovely town baking hot as it is only 250m above sea level. We quickly found a fab 3 star hotel that gives a 10% discount for cyclists only 45Euros each inc breakfast (pretty damn good I reckon). After a quick wash headed into town. And what a town it was, it was packed. It must have been some festival as the were fireworks, loads of bands playing in the streets and packed with young and beautiful Italian girlies. Even at midnight all the bars were full, a good way to spend Richards last night.

I dont even think the white lycra lady would have got a second glance!

Todays stats
Distance 106.57k
Climb 1715m
Riding Time 5.28.24
Average Speed 19.4kph
Total time 10.08