TransAlps 2015: Day 5 Aprica to Kaltern

Day 5. Aprica, Italy to Kaltern, Italy.

138km. 2,400m of climbing.

4hr07min. 6th in Masters on the day. 10th in Masters GC.

Another great day in the saddle with very little drama. Well, maybe a bit of drama.

We've figured out who we're chasing to get into the top 10 and who we need to be staying with to move up spots. Makes the stages quite interesting and a little "racey".

Stage started with 17km downhill neutral. Road turned up for a 1000m, 28km climb. Again, crazy hard at the start. My hardest part of the day as body not yet warm and legs felt like lead. Was fighting it to hang onto our group. Top of climb was followed by downhill, rolling 50km, so if we lost our group on the first climb, we would have gone backwards today. 5km from the top, I let a gap of about 200m form. Told Wilbur I felt bad. Fortunately 2km from the top, body came around and managed to drill it to catch back on and descend with the fast group.

Group was quite large but thinned out as there were some small climbs that popped riders before the day's final climb. 22km, but only 800m, so not very steep. Both Wilbur and I were feeling good as this point. 

Here's where the drama started.

Italian twin brothers from Livigno were in our pack today. They got lots of attention yesterday as we started in their hometown. The were with us on the final climb. At some point, one twin shot up the inside to get on his brother's wheel. Big bump as he went past me. Dangerous and unnecessary. I may have told him to f-off but revenge is sweeter. Wilbur then hammered at the front and when we crested the climb, the twins and the rest of the group were gone.

We knew at least two groups ahead of us int he GC were in the group just dropped so we descended hard. A bit too hard. I did a Tokyo drift around a hairpin and at that point Wilbur suggested we dial it back a bit. Put 30sec on the chasing group.

Gave one of the twins the stank eye at the finish line.

Timing ended about 6km from the finish town so was able to take some photos as we rolled to the ceremonial finish.

"Nice(r) bikes", aka the mixed leaders whom we've tagged as one of the teams we need to be with.

Wilbur's buddy from day one (no helmet). What happens on the road, stays on the road. Have now made friends with him - kind of.



Total routine day-day here. Finish line. Eat finishers' food. Find hotel. Checkin. Put kit it sink to wash. Massage. Lunch, hopefully wheel and beer. No wheel close to hotel today.

Referenced clown Canadian Express friend #1, Ribs, from our 2012 and 2014 tours. I'd be remiss not to give clown friend #2 a shout out as well. He tells us he was the only guy in Vancouver "working" on Canada day. Sure.



End in sight tomorrow.