Race Recap by Graham Howard
I'm back in GR now after being in Italy for the Pinarello Granfondo. I flew in to Pisa, Italy a little more than a week ago to adjust to all things Italian in hopes of having a good showing at the Pinarello Granfondo held on July 19th. From Pisa I met up with Joao and we drove to a small town in Tuscany where he has friends that were able to put us up for a few days before we headed to Treviso for the race. I've never been to Italy before and was pretty excited about the chance to see and experience it. Joao and I, along with another friend of Joao's, Thomas, who was also in Italy for the Pinarello Granfondo, spent three days in Tuscany, riding and eating before packing up our bikes and heading to Treviso. We met up with Andy Jacques-Maynes and Mark Bissell at the race hotel on Friday and went to preview the course. The course was 205k of lots of up and down. It contained large major roads, small cobbled streets and alleys through villages, tiny goat path climbs through mountain tunnels and little bike path descents on the edge of mountains. Everything about this event promised to be a new experience. Granfondo's, for the most part, are unknown to Americans, and rather difficult to explain. They are not races in the traditional sense that we have them here, nor are they organized group rides. They contain elements of both. They are mass start, single category races. This event had more than three thousand participants.
Treviso, along with being the location of the race is also the home of Pinarello. Being there a few days before the event gave us the chance to see the original and current Pinarello location along with the famous bicycle and jersey of Pinarello's founder, Giovanni Pinarello. Following finely hosted dinners by Pinarello on Friday and Saturday night, we woke up bright and early on Sunday for an eight a.m. start. We all lined up at the front of the race hoping to stay out of trouble, but unfortunately, a handful of the Italians threw back a few too many espressos that morning and there was a horrible wreck at the front of the field as excited, jittery Italians collided not 5k into the day. Joao and I managed to squirt clear, but both Andy and Mark went down hard. Mark got up, dusted himself off and soldiered on, but Andy was forced to abandon with mechanical problems. Joao and I stayed out of trouble and he was able to deliver me to the first major climb at the front with fresh legs. Thanks to our course recon, we knew that the courses major climbs all occurred within the first 100k, so our hope was to follow wheels and make it over those climbs with the front group, then look for opportunities on the flatter second half of the course. I managed the first part of the plan, making it over the major climbs with the front group, but my legs failed me on one of the courses lesser climbs. I was stuck in no man’s land for the remainder of the day until the final climb at 170k, where I was caught and overtaken by the second group. I descended and rode the last 15k alone, finishing in 51st. I was a little disappointed after having made it over the courses tougher climbs to be popped on one of the smaller ones, but still happy to have finished my first Granfondo in one piece. Sunday night Pinarello again treated us to a fine dinner and Monday morning we were off back to the states.
I enjoyed my first Granfondo immensely. I’d like to thank Pinarello for inviting and hosting us and also for sponsoring such a fine event. I hope to see more if Italy in the future and would like another crack at the Pinarello Granfondo in 2010.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Pinarello Gran Fondo
Race Recap by Andy Jacques-Maynes
The Pinarello GF was a mix of disaster and redemption. We drove the course a day before to see the climbs, and they were mind-blowing: Switchbacks inside tunnels, 14% pitches, tiny narrow roads with rock overhangs, and long climbs up to ski areas: this course threw everything at you!
We were lucky to line up towards the front, because there were about 1700 angry Italians behind us chomping at the bit. Once we rolled out of town, everyone was jostling for position and you could smell the impending doom. Sure enough, two guys touched wheels at the front of the pack and the entire field hit the deck. I think the crash started from 6th wheel, right in front of team BISSELL! Graham went right, barely missing tumbling riders, Joao went left, also just squeezing through. Mark and I had nowhere to go but into the pile. Someone swerved into my front wheel and I was tossed to the ground at 35mph. I slid to a stop and was buried under three more riders. After untangling myself and my bike, I gave it a cursory check and started chasing. This was 5km into a 205km day, not a good way to start!
I got back to the front group after 15 minutes of solid hammering. My rear shifter was not functioning perfectly, and I could only use my 14 cog. I tried to get it working, with some small success, and I pulled up to Joao saying, "I'm back, ready to race." he took one look at me and said, "no you're not, your top tube is broken!" I guess another rider had fallen onto my bike and the frame was almost severed in the middle of the tube! Massive disappointment.
I pulled to the side and stopped, then waited for the entire field to fly by. 1700 riders takes quite a while to come through! I limped back to town and our hotel, cursing my luck. Upon entering the lobby, a collegue of Joao's was also coming in, he had breathing problems and turned around before the mountains started. It turns out he rides my size, so I took his bike and was back in the game!
I rolled from the hotel 2 hours after our start, determined to get some riding in. I intended to follow the course and try to catch the back of the field through the mountains. Because of creative (read: missing) course markings, I eventually got lost. I found the course again, but I was going the wrong way, backwards! This was fine, as I would be guaranteed to meet my team mates if I proceeded. Aside from lots of looks from riders (I don't know how to say "you're going the wrong way!" in Italian, but I'm sure that's what they were saying), I had an awesome ride. After 90km of being a salmon going upstream, I found Mark and Joao and rode with them to the finish.
Big props are due for the big man, Mark Bissell, for toughing out 200km with crash damage to his whole left side. Mark not only rode the whole distance, he rode STRONG all the way to the finish. Very, very impressive.
Race Notes:
The Pinarello GF was a mix of disaster and redemption. We drove the course a day before to see the climbs, and they were mind-blowing: Switchbacks inside tunnels, 14% pitches, tiny narrow roads with rock overhangs, and long climbs up to ski areas: this course threw everything at you!
We were lucky to line up towards the front, because there were about 1700 angry Italians behind us chomping at the bit. Once we rolled out of town, everyone was jostling for position and you could smell the impending doom. Sure enough, two guys touched wheels at the front of the pack and the entire field hit the deck. I think the crash started from 6th wheel, right in front of team BISSELL! Graham went right, barely missing tumbling riders, Joao went left, also just squeezing through. Mark and I had nowhere to go but into the pile. Someone swerved into my front wheel and I was tossed to the ground at 35mph. I slid to a stop and was buried under three more riders. After untangling myself and my bike, I gave it a cursory check and started chasing. This was 5km into a 205km day, not a good way to start!
I got back to the front group after 15 minutes of solid hammering. My rear shifter was not functioning perfectly, and I could only use my 14 cog. I tried to get it working, with some small success, and I pulled up to Joao saying, "I'm back, ready to race." he took one look at me and said, "no you're not, your top tube is broken!" I guess another rider had fallen onto my bike and the frame was almost severed in the middle of the tube! Massive disappointment.
I pulled to the side and stopped, then waited for the entire field to fly by. 1700 riders takes quite a while to come through! I limped back to town and our hotel, cursing my luck. Upon entering the lobby, a collegue of Joao's was also coming in, he had breathing problems and turned around before the mountains started. It turns out he rides my size, so I took his bike and was back in the game!
I rolled from the hotel 2 hours after our start, determined to get some riding in. I intended to follow the course and try to catch the back of the field through the mountains. Because of creative (read: missing) course markings, I eventually got lost. I found the course again, but I was going the wrong way, backwards! This was fine, as I would be guaranteed to meet my team mates if I proceeded. Aside from lots of looks from riders (I don't know how to say "you're going the wrong way!" in Italian, but I'm sure that's what they were saying), I had an awesome ride. After 90km of being a salmon going upstream, I found Mark and Joao and rode with them to the finish.
Big props are due for the big man, Mark Bissell, for toughing out 200km with crash damage to his whole left side. Mark not only rode the whole distance, he rode STRONG all the way to the finish. Very, very impressive.
Race Notes:
- I had to hike-a-bike through a vineyard to avoid a stern policeman who wouldn't let me up the course.
- I earned $100 from Joao by riding the last climb (the Montello) in the big ring.
- Mark won a field sprint out of about 100 guys, in part due to my 15km one-man leadout train.
- With my various twists, turns, and backtracking, I rode more than if I had done the whole course: I ended the day with 240km, or about 145 miles.
AJM
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