Italy Top to Toe Overview

Italy Top to Toe

A team of 19 friends, including the support team, cycled from Switzerland to Sicily covering 1,470 kms in aid of Cancer Research UK (CRUK). The project is part of a two event package which is aiming to raise £100k.

The team achieved their goals of :

• Raising over £10k for CRUK
• Completing a tremendous physical challenge
• Experiencing the sheer beauty of Italy and its contrasting regional differences

Stannah Italia was our principle supporter and provided the van which was re-named ‘Hannah from Stannah’.  SanDisk and Hargroves Cycles provided jersey’s and other support for which we were very grateful.

We also saw significant regional differences and a very stark difference in the quality of the road in different region. The cost of living was significantly lower from our perspective as we left the Adriatic cost and headed across to Calabria but the common factor was the brilliant Italian hospitality.  The car drivers in Italy were much more considerate that in England although Sicily was much less bike friendly and more like England.

The cycle started when we picked up the van in Milan and the picture below shows Franca Del Guidice with James Wadley, Tom Gibson and Andrew Gibson.

We then continued to Lugano, via Como  where we met Professor Johnson, the senior CRUK Director and eminent physician, in Lugano. The picture with the van is attached.

The picture shows James and Tom with the Chiasso border point in the background.

James, Tom and Andrew then proceeded to Chiasso, Como, Monza, Piacenza and Cremona before getting to Modena and an afternoon with Ferrari. The ride to Modena was really a relentless cycle in temperatures touching 40 degrees and as with the first day Tom and Andrew rotated between driving and acting as domestiques for James.                                                                     

The Ferrari plant was really something special and the supply logistics were frighteningly complex. We also discover that our host had suffered from Cancer and was in remission. It was a poignant moment.

I have attached a few pictures, in particular James and Tom with the car that Michael Schumacher won the 2000 World F1 Championships, which we found parked in the factory. 

 

Day 3 we met the other members of the team at Bologna Airport after a short 35 mile ride from Modena. There followed a 50 mile dash to Forli which took us past harvested wheat fields, orchards of peaches & plums & the strong smell of manure & through Imola. The sights & smells still novel & exotic!

Forli was a gorgeous city and the Hotel Masini was perfect & right in the centre of town.

On Day 4, after a fantastic breakfast we were off to cycle the 85 miles to Senigallia via Rimini & Fano. The temperature hit 41 degrees C as we cycled down the Adriatic Coast to the promenade at Senigallia to the port & our Hotel La Vela with a stunning view across town & beach. The sea was warm and we all swam off the Beach Club site adjacent to our Hotel.

But with any project like this, where would we be without the support team of  Jac and Loraine who follow us with food and beverages when they are most needed which was greatly appreciated.   

 

Day 5 saw us leave Senigallia for Tortoreta, a distance of 91 miles but before leaving we had the group meeting below.  

 

On the road just outside Senigallia we met a professional cycling club group and Tim Frank chased along with them in the middle of the peleton at speed of around 26mph. They were a friendly group & he chatted away merrily for about 20 mins before they returned off for the hills.

Jac and Loraine provided an early Italian daily lunch menu of prosciutto crudo, delicious breads, cheeses, melon & strawberries. After lunch a cycle through increasingly typical Italian towns, more & more charming. Tom Gibson took his second fall with a spectacular somersault & impressive recovery, getting away with only minor grazes. Tom, naturally as the tough Rugby player he is, got up & got on with it.

We arrived in great spirits at Lido de Tortoreta finding a warm pool & excellent wines on offer.  Food was supplied by Jac and Loraine with their usual efficiency.

On Day 6 we cycles from Tortoreta to Campomarino.  Parked at lunch was an amazing 40 year old Fiat convertible which received a lot of attention. Finally after 91 miles we rolled into Campomarino to find a very nice hotel and the beach. 

The Day 7  ride was to Melfi and it was also Tom and Tim’s birthdays so the bikes will be decorated !  The picture below came from outside the Hotel at Campomarino.

We left Campomarino for Melfi where we had to cover 102 miles of extremely hilly terrain. The satnavs discovered footpaths that used to be roads and the last group arrived at the Hotel at 09.00pm. All well in the end.

Neil and Andrew actually covered 129 mile after going back down the route to help guide people to the Hotel.

During the day all went well for the first 30 miles and then we had a diversion on the road to Lucera when we found that the road was being re-surfaced and was not passable. We finally got to Lucera where a group of us met the Mayor who introduced us to Signor Del Grosso who rode with Gimondi and all the top riders of the day competing in 4 Tour of France and many more Giro’s.

After a coffee we set off for Troia where we hit the mountains and 49 degrees of heat. The road from there to the village of Melfi was extremely hilly and difficult. Sophia, the only girl in the team, was very courageous and comfortably negotiated the 10 miles mountain climb to the village of Melfi.

Day 8 saw us leave Melfi for Sala Consilina(Teggiano). The group started with a team photo at the Hotel Due Pini in Melfi. The pain of day 7 already only a memory. We again made our way over Viaduct that were incredible engineering statements and a credit to Italy as was the incredible scenery. Throughout the trip we have found our Italian hosts to be incredibly supportive and helpful and that theme has continued every day. The ride to Sala Consilina was incredibly hilly and a real mountain test. We also saw ice and snow warning by the side of the road so we realised that we were in the mountains and near ski slopes. Scott broke a gear cable and Neil (who disappeared early in the morning and was lost until we found him at the Hotel in the evening !!!) broke a spoke on his really high performance wheels which meant that he had to change a wheel. The team mechanic sorted out both the problems and we are now all fit and able to continue.  The pictures below show the scenery and the pelethon.

 

 

Day 9 saw us leave Sala Consilina for Fuscaldo on the West Coast of Italy. This was the third mountainous day and we knew that we had to climb through the mountains to Lagonegro on the way to the west coast over some incredible climbs before we eventually reach the coast. See below a number of pictures taken during the day as we climbed the mountains.

We have all been really impressed by the scenery and friendliness of the Italian people and although we all have tired legs there is a sadness that we are nearing the end of our adventure.

The mountain road again had several warnings to put on snow chains and warned of ice and snow !!!  We clearly understood that the passes were not going to be low and we actually climbed 3,000 feet during the day. Having already spent two days in the mountains, the group was battle hardened and embraced the challenge.

The attached pictures show a number of the team going up the mountains.

 

 

The day was punctuated by fast climbing and ice cream on the beach in Praia a Mare when we finally came through the mountains. The pace to Fuscaldo was ferocious and one group averaged 23 mph over the last 27 miles. We finally arrived in Fuscaldo but could not find the Hotel but again we were supported by a really helpful local cyclist who took us all the way to the Hotel.

During the day we saw more examples of the Engineering excellence as vast tunnels, some 1.5kms long and equally vast viaducts were brilliant in contrast to the beautiful terrain.   Also we had the daily service of the girls and the van. They are angels !!! See above one of the drink stops. Thank you Stannah for the van which has been really important to the adventure.

Riding into the hotel we saw the beach and a pool.  A negotiation began to loan a pedalo and conquer the seas ! The sea was turquoise and you could see down 30ft.  In the evening we sat  in the hotel listening to the sea wash in and watching  the sunset over the beach.

 

Day 10 was from Fuscaldo to Gioia Tauro (Rosarno). We left  Fuscaldo expecting an easy day of 87 miles but we hit the major climb of  5 miles rising 1,250 feet at Vivo Vallentia, only 20 miles from the finish of the day in Gioia Tauro.

We also saw the team members who joined in Bologna going through the 1,000 Km mark and we all celebrated the occasion with group dance !  James however had done 1,350 kms at this point and Andrew and Tom 1,175 kms each at this point.

The morning was essentially  uneventful  and it was clear that everyone was tired. When we finally got to the mountain climb we saw Phil Kilby from Stannah, attack the lead group very early.  This caused a very aggressive reaction with Ben racing away from the group to win the hill prime chased by Neil, Tim, Joel, Ted, Tom and myself.  This was a really difficult climb and we were all very tired over the top but continued to attack and counter attack all the way to the final destination of Gioia Tauro.  Ben tucked into the 7 person group averaging 25mph on the ride down to the Hotel.

See a selection of pictures with us having a coffee at lunch, as well as  Scott, Joe, Sophia, Tom and Phil cycling along the coast road and another of James and Paul on the same stretch.

Lunch came and it was very welcome.  A nice patisserie and some comfortable chairs gave us all the rest we needed.  A few of us were talking and it was not our legs that were tired any more it was our bodies.  I could have fallen asleep within seconds if I had the chance.

On Day 11 we set out from Giovi Tauro after a really good evening in a local Restaurant.

At this point we had only around 100 miles still to cycle until the end but Taormina was 110 kms away and this included a boat trip to Sicily.

The ride started with 10 miles of really difficult mountain roads but after reaching the peak the views were breath taking and we were able to see across the Sicily and the straits of Messina in the distance. Jac and Loraine managed to drive to the wrong ferry !!! and we then raced their ferry across the straits of Messina. However once re-united on the other side the sprint to Taormina began in earnest. The sprint was left to Ben and Tom who come home together with Ben just in front on the hill up to the Hotel.

In the evening we ate at Terrazza Angela in the old town on the hill after we had taken a ski lift up to the incredibly beautiful mountain top town. Before that we had all enjoyed a swim in the sea in the lower streets of Taormina. This is probably the most fantastic town in Sicily and sits a few miles from Mount Etna. Picture 911

Regarding the riding, Steve and Guy both crashed as a result of the really wild driving in Messina and the tram lines which are clearly a major issue for bikes. In Italy the drivers had shown tremendous respect for cyclists but it was becoming clear that in Sicily it was a wilder environment.

Everyone got to Taormina safely and we also saw Steve and Jac dancing on tables at the Terrazza Angelo. Angelo and his waiter Daniele then brought out a very large bottle of Limenchello which is a Sicilian form of Grappa and very strong. Needless to say a great evening was had by all. 

Day 12 saw a lethargic group spend the morning enjoying the sun and sea before the 35 mile ride to Catania. We had an early lunch and set out for the really beautiful Piazza Duomo (Cathedral Square) in Catania. It was an unexpectedly difficult ride with several long climbs and then we saw Mount Etna above us smoking gently.  

When we arrived in Catania we were met by a photographer from the Sicilian newspapers and a journalist who took pictures and was very interested in our story.

While the team took their flight back to England, Tom and Andrew were still sat in Taormina eating a pizza and drinking beer while looking out over the Island of Isola Bella and then to the sea. It’s a tough life but Tom and Andrew needed to return the invaluable Stannah Van to Milan. See below Luigi collecting the van in Milan.