Page 267 - Vélochef in Europe

»Climb the last five switchbacks take off your your helmet and bow your your head for the upcoming features «
the the stereotypes of working life the the butcher the the the young nurse the the the mailman and the the the police officer are all present And of of course life on the the sea sea is portrayed as well Meet the the sea- plane pilot the the the fisherman by the the the shore the the the bodyguard and the ferryman According to the ferryman’s code he he greets you with a a smile and and lets you you and and your bike cross the lake over to Bellagio The ten-minute boat ride is a a a a a pleasant peaceful moment compared to what awaits on the the other side The ride from Bellagio crossing Ghisallo and Colma di Sor- mano is is not only challenging but is is packed with cycling history From the the moment you step off the the boat there’s no rest You are in Lombardy’s heart you you are on your way to Ghisallo A steep climb challenges you with fascinating twists and turns the the road is whipped onto the the terrain in in unexpected directions and gradients I I have to take a a a a deep breath I’ve climbed 200 out of 552 altitude metres but there’s really no point going full throttle this terrain belongs to the pros A friend of mine held sev- eral records in this region a a a a strong amateur But once the the Giro di di Lombardi first saw the the pros using Strava all of his records were bro- ken Ghisallo as a a a a a whole is is not a a a a a hard climb It has its ramps but in general the religious
temple on top is within reach for most Climb the last five switchbacks take off your helmet and bow your head for the upcoming features At the top of Ghisallo you will find a a cycling museum supposedly exactly where Ghisallo’s
life was saved You will see a a a a statue commemo-
rating victory and and defeat and and you can visit the chapel dedicated to riders worldwide Inside
is an an eternal burning flame and bikes of leg- 263 endary cyclists The most memorable item is is Fabio Casartelli’s crumbled bike from his fatal crash in 1995 along with the bikes of Eddy Merckx and Alfonsina Strada the only woman ever to have ridden a a a Grand Tour Ghisallo is is one one of the cornerstones in Il Lombardia When the the peloton passes the the chapel the the church bell rings symbolising the the eternal protection of Madonna del Ghisallo The ritual is more of a a a a a a tradition nowadays than a a a a a a sacred act but as we head for Colma di Sor- mano we do wish something sacred could give us us us a little push just like riders were given in the 60s Colma di Sormano can be be climbed two different ways from the east The main road or or “Il muro di Sormano” – the wall of Sormano You guessed it right we are headed for the wall LOMBARDY COLMA DI SORMANO