Gran Fondo Di Roma Part 2

Bags packed, bikes packed, all weighed as we have 23kgs each and we are set. Off to Heathrow to get the early flight to Rome!
We arrive mid morning in a damp and dreary capital city... this isn't how it's supposed to be in Rome- where's the sun!?
We collect our bikes and head off to get a taxi- plenty of them here- like flies round sh*t wanting a fare. "I have good taxi- where you want to be? yes, I know that well €80"
"HOW MUCH!? Jon, tell him to ____ off!" We'd seen signs in the airport saying taxi to Rome should be about €40.... well maybe that's each? "Ok, Ok, let's go"
Great hotel, not in the centre- about 3km out but great price and facilities. Our room was pretty big too- needed to be as we turned it into a workshop to get the bikes ready! MIND THE WHITE SHEETS WITH THAT CHAIN!

So, with the bikes built, we headed off to the Circo Massimo and a very damp event village. Now languages are not my forté but I'll give it a go and struggle/mime my way through any communications but registration was an absolute bun fight. No shelter for people registering and all trying to get to a desk to speak to someone. Meanwhile, Jon and I- looking very confused try in a very British way to attract some attention eventually find someone whose English is marginally better than our Italian. This is the point where we find if our race licenses are any good.... and it's all fine. They have a good look at the license- pass it round and a few shrugs and nods, we're signed in- no problem! Phew. We collect our race chip and jersey, have a look at the damp displays and head off for food and shelter. Walking through this area of Rome is bizarre. It's kind of like Pompeii but still in use. So you get a mixture of, say 80AD buildings with 20th Century buildings tacked on or built round. The Colosseum is a classic example: it's surrounded by offices, restaurants and roads!

I have no idea what this archway is (I'll look it up and add a link) but it is STUNNING. And it's right next to the Colosseum. The detail is incredible and, guessing this is about 2000 years old, amazing for it's age.

Back to the hotel, dinner and an early night. We checked our weather apps to see what was in store for us on race day: in varying degrees, they all said....rain! Bugger. Was hoping dry at least. Oh well, no choice I guess, just take it easy on the descents. Also, within the race pack, total time allowed to complete had been changed from 7 hours to 6.30 hours which we felt was borderline for us doing the long course. We'll see on the day!

shot with my iPhone on the new 'panorma' setting- fantastic and good size files!

As you can see, the sun came out and the rain stayed away. Slight technical problem at the start: Jon's bike had been bashed in transit on the plane and his rear derailleur adjuster had been bust (so much for the tough bike box he'd hire!) so we got one of the many mechanics to sort him out. We were set!

Once we set off we had a sort of 'procession' stage which was 7 km around Rome and the Colusseum- plenty of pavé to ride on which played havoc with people's cameras! Once we'd completed this amazing loop, we were out on the road. Fantastic course and all closed roads. 5000 cyclists is quite a sight! We stuck with the 60 mile route (though with hind sight, we could have completed the 95 miles) - the climbing was wonderful, the roads were fast as were the descents. I lost Jon which I kind of expected as we were all in the same jersey. Some people had ribbon attached to their helmets- good idea and one to remember!!

One image that was mildly amusing was an ambulance with sires and lights coming toward us and the passenger paramedic was smoking out of the window!! 

Short film showing some of the day...Run VT!

Time for this one was 3hrs 34min. Back to the race village for some pasta, bikes back to the hotel then off into town for some proper food...and wine!!

The following day we had some free time before we had to be back at the airport so we did the tourist think... Vatican, Trevi Fountain etc and with the weather still holding (it was supposed to be rain and lightening this day!) we even went looking for a bike shop! well, that was why we were there!! 

Finally we set off for the airport. We'd book a taxi at the hotel. Got to Fiumicino and was charged.....€40- totally ripped off by the previous taxi but we know for the future! Ciao x

Pain and Disfigurement

Recently I've been getting a load of pain where I was operated on.... Not gonna blow this out of context- it comes and goes- and is a max pain of 4/10 so it's more 'a pain' than a proper pain if you get me. However, with all this cycling I seem to have changed shape a bit- for the better...BUT the scar tissue under my skin from the operations is starting to bulge and, to me, is starting to get unsightly. Not happy about this new revelation and I don't know what to do- I think a trip to the Docs is in order purely for reassurance that nothing is turning into a hernia. I certainly do not want any more surgery. maybe I just need to know it's ok and 'normal' and not gonna turn into something nasty. Hmmm....

I distinctly remember being told in hospital that the scar tissue would disperse over 12 months... well it's 2 years now and I feel like John Merrick!

UPDATE:
So, I went to the docs. Initially my main reason/concern was all of the above. However, things change pretty quick in the head of Phil Crow and to say I've hit a low would be an understatement. I feel at my lowest point, I feel undervalued, paranoid and so alone. I daren't talk to anyone about what happened and what I went through because I feel like I'm boring them and they don't want to hear it...again. I'm struggling with work: do I want to work- not really; do I enjoy work- yes, I guess so; do I need to work- unfortunately, yes. There has never been a time I could process everything that happened. I came out of hospital, got fit again, started work because I had to.... never a time where I could sit and do nothing and I think this is having an effect now. It's so frustrating that just when you think you're on top of it all, it comes back and knocks you for six. I'm so tired of it all.
Anyway, thought I'd drop this on the Doc- 6 questions on a bit of paper is how I'm diagnosed and, yes, I'm referred.... Again, that'll be another 6-8 weeks until anything is done. FFS!
Meanwhile, my physical shape- apparently everything is okay- no hernia- plenty of scar tissue but that's normal (HA!) The pain could be cause by intestine stuck to my abdomen wall when the operation happened as everything gets stuck together after an operation but it's nothing to worry about (easy to say when it's not you!) so that was that. In the mean time, I'm sat here with a massive sense of loss, worry, foreboding and general panic. Yesterday I cried too much. I want this to stop.

Cat & Fiddle

The Cat & Fiddle is a pub overlooking the Peak district near Leek. For today, it is a 55 mile 'club' ride beginning in darkest Burslem at Brian Rouke Cycle shop. Allegedly Sean Kelly was riding (and Jonathan Tiernan-Locke had tweeted he too was riding) though there was so many people out for this one, not a chance of spotting them. For myself and Jon, this was to be our final longish training ride before Italy next week.
We left Lincoln about 0545 arriving in a very foggy Burslem at 8 ish meeting up with my old college mate Al whom I'd 'persuaded' to come along and haul his ass around this course.... well, he needed the exercise :-)

 Registration was easy and we headed off pretty much straight away. The first 20 miles was main road out of the urban areas into the main climb. So many traffic lights and roadworks (with traffic lights) to get through- it began to split us up so we had to keep regrouping. By the bottom of the climb, we'd lost Al though I think he had not trained as much as us (that's what happens when you become a dad for the first time- lovely little lad too!). I might also add at this point, ice was forming on us due to the wind chill. Great. As we began to climb, though, we broke through the fog into beautiful clear skies. This really is a reason to cycle. (It turns out we were über lucky with the weather: last year it pi**ed down and the previous year, 40mph winds were blowing cyclist over! gulp!!) The climb across to the Cat & Fiddle was stunning, just stunning. I've not enjoyed such views since last years Swiss ride. It's moments like this that make me so happy and full of life. I had also realised at this point I was riding quite well for me. It's a long gradual climb- no idea what gradient and it goes on for a while- totally suited to me and definitely the way to get up this hill, rather than Mow Cop! At the top, I waited for Jon at a cafe: the Cat & Fiddle was another half mile away. We regrouped and moved on to the Cat, had a drink and energy bar and carried on.

The roads were in great shape and the descent was fast. Lovely!
We descended down into Leek (and more roadworks) A59 - A53 taking us through Dunwood and Norton Green with some short sharp climbs. Staffordshire is full of these short steep sharp climbs- alot of people don't like them as they seem to keep coming and coming.
Arriving back at Rourkey's and signing off, I completed in 3hrs 30m taking out my stop. Jon was another 20 mins, while Al was still 9 miles behind us (I had him tagged on an app on my phone, so we simply 'watched' him come in!)

gerrof yer bike and have a picture taken!

that's better!

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS LESSON No. ONE

HOW NOT TO DO IT

Let's do a little extra piece here... there is a photographer in attendance at this event... Codsall Photographic. You can Google them, easy enough to find. I'm giving them no other publicity than that. They shot from one point on the ride... not the best viewpoint for an image and with THE worst advertising to flog their pictures... it took me AGES to find them. What's the point?! What is the point of shooting all this if you are not advertising where the pictures can be viewed- might as well have stayed in bed mate! 

Well, I now know why they have kept advertising quiet. The prices! WHAT A RIP OFF. Print prices are verging on bad but their digital file download...£16 per image! JESUS! This guy would make more money by dropping this to a fiver per download. At least he'd make a load of sales. It's an event picture, not a fekking wedding!

THAT'S THE WAY TO DO IT!

Sportograf who shot the GF Roma charge €5.99 for one download and these are really good photos. Position of photographers is carefully chosen and there's an army of them PLUS if you buy all your images (and there were at least 10 of me) you can have the lot PLUS 45 'impressions' of the whole GF for €19.99. Now that is how to sell event pictures. Let's face it, no one else wants them. Better to sell more cheaply and get return business than price high and sell hardly any.

Gran Fondo Di Roma part 1

With about 10 days to go until it's time for the Gran Fondo di Roma, Jon- the guy I'll be riding with- planted a little seed of doubt into my head....

"do we need medical certs?"

"I dunno... do we?"

And if you check out their rules and regs, it's really not very clear-


Open to all adult male and female riders with a 2012 valid FCI (Federazione Ciclistica Italiana – Italian Cycling Federation), UDACE license and foreign riders in possession of a valid national 2012 license.

The event is also open to all cycling tourists between 15 - 18 years and over 64 who are entitled only for the classic course, 99 km.

For the non licensed there will be the possibility to buy a one day FCI license, for Euro 15,00, valid for a global responsibility and personal insurance for the whole event. This license can be handed out only after having showed a valid medical certification for agonistic races (for the 154 km Route) or a medical certification of good health (for the Classic Route 99 km).

and

Signature
With the online sending of the enrolment form, the participant declares being in possession of the medical certificate according to the Italian D.M.V. 18/02/1982, of the license, of private accident insurance, general third party liability insurance. Furthermore the participant declares having read and unconditionally accepted the above mentioned instructions and declares to accepting them in each point. The participant authorizes the use of his images and datas according to the Italian privacy law no. 196 of 2003

so there you have it. I rang British Cycling who were not very helpful as each event [abroad] can vary and also vary in classification as an event or competition. In the UK, a sportive (or GranFondo) is classed as a non competitive event. Doesn't really clarify anything does it!

So, to comply with the rules what have we done? Well, upped our BC membership to Silver so we at least have a provisional race licence; been to the GP and got a medical certificate signed and stamped (a word of warning here- book an appointment with your GP and ask him/her. Do not hand the form in to the receptionist as you will possibly be charged. My GP signed this without charge as I spoke direct to him); emailed the event organisers for clarification on exactly what we need to bring from the UK and if a BC prov licence is acceptable.

We probably won't need any of this and will sail through the sign in procedure. When I cycled in events in Switzerland and America, I wasn't asked to show anything. I kind of expect the same to happen here. The only reason we are more cautious is that Jon, last year, came off his bike on an event, so he's a little bit more cautious. Fair enough, and we aint getting any younger! hahaha!

Watch this space. If more information materialises, I'll report back!

BUT...

before then, there is the Cat and Fiddle to ride this Sunday!