Day 9 – South of Bolzano to Schio (113km, 5hrs moving time, 1,400m vertical ascent)
The noise down the home straight was deafening. The fans were going wild as I leapt out of the saddle to sprint towards the finish line….or, in the real version of events, El Burro came trotting into town being barked at by defensive dogs & angering drivers as he decides which way he needs to turn to reach Gavin’s house.
Today was not about the cycling. Now that I’m finished, I can safely say that it was never in doubt that I’d cover the remaining ground. The ride itself, whilst enjoyable, was always going to be slightly anti-climactic. Like any great adventure, it’s about the journey rather than the end (although I do look forward to receiving my medal, t-shirt & goodie bag at the finish line).
Whilst having breakfast at the top of the Stelvio pass I became aware that, exactly one week previously, I hadn’t even turned a pedal in anger on this bike trip. It made me realise what can be achieved, especially when one has a purpose. My goal was always to reach Schio by Wednesday, not a day later. I asked a lot of myself – 100 miles a day average distance over unknown terrain, without any contingency time, and with a route planned in the space of an hour at the computer a couple of nights prior to departure.
But what it shows is that, by sheer force of will, some good fortune (e.g. no mechanical problems), and a real focus on the ultimate deadline, it is possible to extract the most from yourself. There is no way I would have squeezed in those 3 big days between the Vosges Mountains and Stelvio without a focus on the end game. There is a downside, of course. Had I taken a more leisurely approach and factored in a few more days cycling, I may have stopped more frequently, taken in the views etc. but I don’t feel that I have missed out as a consequence.
There’s a phrase I’ve learned through playing the piano called ‘Da Capo Al Fine’ or D.C. Al Fine. It means repeat from the beginning to the end. The phrase came to me in the middle of the night, leading to a cold sweat at the thought of being marooned somewhere deep in Germany’s Black Forest once again! Whilst it’s been a most incredible journey, it is an experience that I am happy to regard as a one-off, but I’m so thrilled to have done it.
And so, thank you, merci, danke schon and grazie to all of you for being such good listeners, readers & contributors. Focusing on this daily blog has also given me a useful purpose, not only by trying to think up something to write but also by ensuring that I keep on track of my schedule, otherwise I run the risk of being pilloried for ‘failing’!
This great adventure comes to an end. It has been emotional. It’s goodnight from me, and it’s good night from El Burro.
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