Ange McClure CT Blog: Muri Fermani

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Another Italian race, another lesson or two learnt and an Autogrill. Thursday the 2nd was Republic Day in Italy, hence the public holiday and a reason for a bike race. The scene, 12 laps, 8 of which was on a short flat loop with a few dodgy corners, followed by 4 laps on a larger loop that had a nasty 2.5k broken road section thrown into it and to top it all off the final lap involved a climb to the finish line of 2k.

 

Unlike Australia where you show up to a race perfectly timed an hour out to fit all your normal routines in, here in Italy you get there within 3hours just to be time conscious. First up my team mates and I joined all the other teams in a camp like atmosphere dining hall to chow down some pasta. Then it was onto the team bus where I floated around thinking about the race and taking amble time with pinning on my number to my jersey (good time passer) and soon enough at 3pm it was time for a bike race.

 

The race unofficially started before ‘go’ was even thought about being said to get good position on the start line.  Once we all were settled and everyone had marked her territory the peloton and myself waited another 15minutes for I assume is mental preparation time… The race eventually started and all was tame for the first few laps and I felt good. After 3 laps that feel good feeling vanished. I was suffering stomach cramps. I’m not a cramp sufferer in a race I never have been so this was a new one for me. I thought my race was over at 4 laps, but with a quick word to our team leader a bit of ‘tranquilla’ time at the back and then see how I feel in the next few laps. I suffered a lot in the following laps but at lap 7 I was back on. The race spiced up in pace and with entering the final 4 laps of the big loop it was on like Donkey Kong. With the peloton staying together we hit the last 2k climb to the finish with speed and that’s about where it finished, every girl and here bike clawing up the steep ‘need a 27 tooth cog’ climb. Rasa Leleivyte (Vaiano Tepso Solaristech) took the win. Results went down to top ten…well that’s all I could find, I reckon the 15^th-20^th bracket I fell into.

 

The lesson of the week went to what I drink before the race. The cramps was a result I discovered of downing a few bottles of Gatorade supplied by the dinning hall before the race, I wanted to make sure my hydration safety cap was on. However consuming too much led to mineral salt overdose thus my introduction into the other extreme of the cramping world, lesson noted.

 

After the race it was onto the showers …once they had been found then it was time for a quick Aussie catch up pointing out our highs of the week. The in form Rach Neylan (4^th in todays race) and I discussed the joy of discovering that to get internet on your phone is only 3 euro a week, good bye mindless reading of Italians magazines at the café!

 

Then it was off home but not before the Autogrill. This could be best described in Australian terms as ‘the best bakery in town’ kind of place. Every Autogrill is close to the same in Italy and stocks a healthy supply of focaccias and all other bakery type items, when your on the go it’s the best choice. I now have what I regularly get down pat, placing my order as if I was 13 years old again telling my mum what I want in my happy meal.

 

Finally it was the second good bye to everyone you knew from the race and it was back on the road again. Lucky this time it was only a 2hour drive.