Day 23 - Cortina to Pordone

Blimey! what a difference a day makes, my legs came back, and all is right with the world after a fab day's cycling.

I left at 9.45 on yet another scorcher, the climbing started straight away on my last "Big Pass" of the Alps the 2233m Passo di Giau, this is one of the toughest climbs in the Alps...........from the South side but I was climbing it on the slightly easier north side. The first half was pretty steady then there were a couple of steep sections at 10 - 12% before an easier finish. I'm not sure if I have mentioned before that climbs up to 8% I find ok, anything steeper, and you are searching for a lower gear that doesn't exist, and end up really struggling, pulling the handlebars, and it is these climbs that take it out of you at the end of the day. My best advice is to plan to do the hard climb in the morning when you are fresher, I think this is why I struggled yesterday afternoon.

View from the top of Passo di Giau showing the road and yet more spectacular scenery

Anyhow the views from the top were superb (PHOTO to be added), also the climb was quite quiet, and more importantly I felt good. The desent was, as expected, really steep and full of hairpins, the road had a good surface apart from places which had been snow and ice damaged resulting in mini trenches in the road! I was on the brakes the whole time, desending well, but it is really tiring on your arms 14ks of braking. There were also loads of cyclists climbing the classic side. For once outnumbering the motorbikes (Martin you really do need to get out here on your motorbike)

After the desent to Selva di Cadore there was an easy (400m) climb to the top of Forcella Staulanza (1773m) I had lunch here and chatted to 5 English cyclists who were out here doing some "Etape" training, and who I had briefly met on the Passo di Gaiu. One of them  remarked how quick I desended it. I must admit my desending has improved and I flew down the Forcella Staulanza, overtaking cars and really enjoying an easy desent. After 30k of downhill I came to road works traffic lights, straight after that there was another tunnel (I hate tunnels) and even though this was well lit, I just shot through it as fast as I could and got over 60kph and dropped all the cars that were behind me.

Feeling rather good with myself I started my 12th, last, and smallest Alpine climb. Just 400m climb up to Passo San Osvaldo at 827m. I thought this would just be an ordainary road but it was spectacular gorge which had recently being damned. As a result it had being resurfaced but was quiet and superb cycling country. The gradual desent was even better just following the river valley down another wondeful gorge. I stopped in Barcis by a turquiose coloured lake had an ice cream (I was too early for pasta) and relaxed. I left Barcis and tried to follow the old road to avoid the tunnels I managed to get around the first one, but then got stuck, and had one more beast to get through, a 3954m tunnel. I was amazed that they allow cyclists through these (some they dont, but on this one there was no "cycling forbidden" sign). I had no option but to go for it. The first part was slightly up hill but the last 3k were slightly down hill and I just blasted it, the only good thing about this tunnel is that they are lovely and cool, but what I hate is the noise. In this one it was deafening. The air blowers were very noisey but these are totally drowned out by the echoing noise of lorries and motorbikes, and you can only hope in the dim light, that the drivers who probably still have their sunglasses on can see you. (One last note on tunnels then I will stop whinging - one of the cyclists I had met at lunchtime had once met a pro cyclist said that their technique on the mountain pass tunnels (which are hardly lit at all) is to close one eye for about 30secs before entering the tunnel, so when you open it as you enter the tunnel you have some night vision so you dont have to slow down much!!!)

Well I got through the tunnel ok, nearly overshot a hairpin bend, went around another corner, then looked up and all the mountains had gone, all in front of me was flat land. It was quite amazing it was like being transferred to a different world - really weird. All that was left was an easy 21k to Pordenone. This was actually gradually down hill (but it looked flat) and I flew it, enjoying cycling on good, smooth, flatish roads again. I struggled to find a hotel in Pordenone and ended up in a 4 star hotel (79Euros inc Breakfast most I've spent, in the mountains were there are loads of hotels it was between 30 - 45Euros). I thought I'd better smarten myself up as I probably reeked having being on the bike for 7 hours and it was still 28C at 8pm, so I thought I would take my helmet off, that would impress them!!!

Todays stats
Distance 146.02k
Climb 2171m
Riding Time 7:02:04
Average speed 20.7kph
Total Time 10:27