Finding My Inner Strength, Grado to Valdobbiadene

I hope I didn’t leave you feeling discouraged with my previous post, but I wanted to give it to you straight up. That evening, I decided that something had to change. I came to the realization that you have to expect the unexpected and be prepared to deal with challenges as they arise. Although we’d like to think that things will go smoothly, they most often will not. So, I began Stage 3 with a different attitude. I was cautiously optimistic about my knee pain, and was prepared to deal with the fact that I may not be able to complete the Giretto in its entirety.

Stage 3 was our longest ride with 198 kilometers. The day consisted of mostly flat riding with a little bit of climbing at the end. I decided that it would be better to use caution and play it safe rather than risking injuring myself more seriously. So, we started out with a slower pace that day, around 17-18 mph. I hung in there with the team for the first 40 miles or so but after that I started having intermittent knee pain. My Dad suggested that I ride in the van for a little while, at least until we were through the “grunge” miles (long, flat, boring riding). So, reluctantly, I hopped in the van where I spent the next 1 ½ hours. I made the most of riding in the van, yelling at our driver, Danielle, to pull over at every good photo opp (which was amusing since I spoke no Italian and he spoke no English), and waving to all the spectators on the streets who thought we were part of the Giro Caravan!

Gino Gets the Sprint Points!

As time wore on, I grew tired of being in the van, anxious to get back on the bike. Finally, we approached the foothills and I knew it was time. I had been massaging my leg regularly in the van and I felt that I was ready to complete the stage. Plus, it was going to start getting interesting!

I hopped out of the van, eagerly threw my gear back on and headed out with the team. As we made the first turn, however, we were met with what would be the steepest climb of the entire trip. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I didn’t have any warm up whatsoever and I thought for sure my knee was going to give out. I looked ahead and saw the van driving off in the distance, which meant I was committed. I had to climb it now. As we approached the hill I used as much momentum as I could, shifting as I went up. I tried to shift into the granny gear but couldn’t get it in the third ring so I was stuck in the middle! The only way I could get up the hill now was out of the saddle. There was a little pain at the very beginning, but once I really got into the climb that went away. Pretty soon I passed Jennifer, and then my Dad, and not long after I couldn’t even see them behind me anymore! There were HUGE crowds on either side waiting for the Peloton screaming Vai, Vai (GO), Forza (Strong), Brava! At two different points in the climb, spectators came out and decided to give me a little push which I was happy to have. The hill just kept going and going, not giving any reprieve from the steepness; but the crowds kept cheering, and before you knew it, I made it to the top! This was exactly how I needed to start in order to reestablish my confidence, and there was no looking back after that.



Mass Amount of People at Finish in Valdobbiadene