Here I'm back from a beautiful day at the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz from today Uphill Time Trial stage of the Giro d'Italia

There is not much to talk about, I let the pictures speak but first I want to start with the serious stuff that we are not used to see that much on the Dolomites. Especially, after the long winter like the last one, it was difficult to see so much skin all of a sudden:

Yes ok, there are also other pictures ... the more theme related now:

5 days before the Giro d'Italia reaches the Dolomites mountains it was time for me and Oskar Irsara to cycle up the road of the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia 2010. The Time Trial from San Vigilio di Marebbe to Plan de Corones.

Yes we know, we can ride this road whenever we want because we live in this beautiful surroundings, but just in this period of time you find the graveled road starting from Passo Furcia to the top of the climb at the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz in perfect conditions.

And this is one of those climbs that you ride maybe once or maximum two times a year ... just to see if it is still so hard cycling it up. And as every year, I'm still trying to catch the man that under the roads elevates the gradients... 

Here some pictures we posted during our live tweeting today:

First some details of the climb of the stage. Nice right?

Let's talk about gears, we are mountain mans boys, young, viril, full of power, so I rode it up with a simple 39x25 and Oskar with a 34x23 gear.
Honestly we don't have time to change wheels and gears, we have to train after the challenge launched by our friend Andrea on the last Holimites Newsletter.

After the Passo Furcia, that is not an easy climb, and we can compare it as Dante's Purgatory what came next was Hell, and Oskar was reading on the piece of paper the following phrase:
"Abandon all hope ye who enter here"

But Oskar after 2 km was still feeling strong, at Nencini's switchback he was still in a classical Valentino (The Doctor) Rossi position trying to not loose to much speed for the next turn

Hahaha, but things can change really fast, one km you feel good, and shortly after, on the steepest part you are on the ground crying But luck is again on Oskar's side, here it is "Südtirolman" the patron, protector, defender, backer of the fat cyclists in trouble

And finally after all this craziness we reached the feet of the Concordia Bell at the peak of the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz

If you are visiting the Dolomites for the Giro d'Italia and need some informations about places to stay, tips where to watch the stage and so on just drop us a line in the comment section. We hope to see you on the Plan de Corones on May 25th.

 

A picture of a Cyclocross race in year 2007 sent in by a fan asking if I'll race Cyclocross again in autumn.... maybe!!! :-)

This year only me and Oskar took the risk to cycle from home (Dolomites) to the Garda Lake. Here some pictures of our ride

Snow covered landscape in the Dolomites while climbing Passo Gardena

Short before the town of Bolzano, for the first time of the year we don't need anymore leg warmers.
Disclaimer: no animal/pet was hilled or even hurted for the preparation of this great fur

What is great in Bolzano? For sure the cycling paths. Starting from this South Tyrol city you can cycle down until you reach Lake Garda. That's over 150 km of cycling path. What is not anymore so great starting from Bolzano is that if you cycle south, and if you are on the road after noon, you get such a strong head wind that's even if it is flat, it's hard to keep 30km/h. Luckily sometimes you catch some people and can rest a bit behind them. Game Over short after the city of Rovereto, where our 'Mistresses' catched us and wanted us to go further (last 30km) by car with the excuse that both didn't know where we booked the hotel.. hehehehe

 

Last ski mountaineering race of the season. And this was as always THE RACE. The "Roda de Col Toronn" that reached his 25th edition and is a race in the race.

Yes because first of all, to reach the start in the Dolomites Fanes Natural Park you need to walk/ski up around 1,5 hours:

Once you arrive at the start, if you already have your team (teams of 3 persons are allowed) you just need to pick up the starting number. If not, you are on 'auction' and try to find the partners who suit better to you for the race:

Then nothing stops you and you are ready to chase your competitors:

By the way, you can see it was a gorgeous day in the Dolomites on this edition.

Of course some refreshment on the course cannot be missed:

 

After race, well no pictures about that for privacy reasons :-)

And now let's start officialy the cycling season.

After 2 snowy days, the avalanche risk was pretty high so we just decided to do a little ski rando excursion up to the Sennes Natural Park from Pederü. Clear sky, cold, and a lot of snow up high. At least 30 cm fresh powder in some places.

Enjoy some pictures:

Wide fields of ... white gold

Skinning up towards Col de Lasta, Sas dla Para (Lavinores) and Croda Ciamin in the background

Steeeep ... (little fake) ... in the background Sas dles Nü (Cima Nove)

First idea today was to go on the Sas dla Para (Lavinores), the peak on the left of the pictures, but too dangerous

Col de Lasta (m.2327) and in the background Muntejela de Sennes where @albertodegiuli have been today

It was around one month that I was waiting to go on the new Tour de Sas skirando racing course with a couple of friends. So after a really early bell ring nothing could stop me this time.

In the new course, there are two hiking spots and couloirs that honestly, I didn't know we could be able to hike up and ski down in a skirando race. The sad news are that we haven't been able to ski it completely. The snow falls of 2 days ago (20 cm) and the wind, packed the last couloir full of unstable snow and so it was to dangerous to continue.

Last year's course was already long and hard, but this year ... WOWWWW! People that exaggerate at the beginning will pay it at a high interest rate after.

Here some pictures of todays reconaissance:

Start in the early morning hours (6:45 AM)

The first technical hike, really steep!!!

Our group preparing for the first technical downhill after the first long climb

At the Lavarella hut, good meal and beautiful landscape

The track towards the second couloir

Hmmm, to dangerous, better to turn back

In red the technical downhill after the Jú de S. Antone, in blue last years downhill

 

Today I had the pleasure to do a very nice ski randonee trip with Alberto De Giuli (aka: BG) on the Croda Ciamin in the Sennes Natural Park just a few km away from home.

It was one of those perfect days in the Dolomites. Maybe a little boring (hihi) ... you know ... no clouds in the sky, just that perfect clear blue color. That's why we didn't remain much on the peak, as there was nothing to watch above us, and we had to concentrate on the pow under our ski's (hihi)

It was the perfect day:

weather: superb
temperature: cold enough
snow: powder

So we had to skin up on one of our favourite ski mountaineering tours. Starting from home and doing the full Antersasc-Puez-Ghernacia
loop. But adding to it the Piza de Pöz. So in total it is a 6 hours ski randonneering tour, the whole day kissed by a perfect dolomites weather.

And here are some pictures and a little video that we would like to share with you