Today was a very special day in Arcugnano, marking the passage of the 2015 Giro d’Italia stage 12. Alicia and I planned for months in advance, from the announcement of the route, to ensure we got front row seats to this spectacular event. With our imminent departure, witnessing the Giro go through our very own neighborhood is a truly once in a lifetime opportunity.
Originally, we had planned to ride our bikes to our pre selected vantage point, just below the descent from Lapio. However, we ended up walking, not just because of the rain, but because Alicia’s brand new hand-made bicycle is not yet finished. From our house in Pianezze, it was only a 3km stroll to the 20km marker on the course of today’s stage.
Our area is sparsely populated, so we shared this stretch of road with only a few dozen other spectators. But as the peloton came down the hill, we had a view bested only by the moped mounted cameraman for RAI Sport and the helicopters circling above. As the main group zipped past at about 50km per hour, we joined in with our neighbors and cheered for no one in particular, just thrilled to be part of the experience.
The excitement was over in less than three minutes. The main peloton consisted of no more than 50 riders, as seen in our 48 second video embed. 20km from the finish of a grueling 190km across the vast expanse of the plains of Emilia Romagna and Veneto, the 20km marker signaled a brief respite from the roller coaster like climbs and descents of the Colli Berici. Such varied topography succeeded in stretching out the pack. Not that it afforded anyone the opportunity to relax. Two climbs remained after the valley of Fimon before these guys could call it a day.
We walked home in the pouring rain, and got caught in a thunderstorm. Not so typical for late May, but it has brought about an abrupt and welcome cool down. I’m sure the cyclists of the 2015 Giro d’Italia appreciated the cool shower as they powered through to the finish. For PashbyMaul adventures, it was a memorable experience.
Intentionally International 