View from the Back
Ramblings of a retiree in France
Tag: Ivan Basso
(Finally) Postcard from Siena and Strade Bianche
We drove along the Autostrade dei Fiori enjoying the sunshine and glorious sea views until we turned off at Genoa and headed for Tuscany and Siena. It’s a six-hour drive from home and we stopped just the once to refuel the car and my… Continue Reading “(Finally) Postcard from Siena and Strade Bianche”
Postcards from the Alps IV, V and VI
According to L’Equipe, spectators wait an average of six hours to watch the peloton pass. At one end of the spectrum are those who watch it at home on television nipping out just before the riders zoom past their front garden. At the other… Continue Reading “Postcards from the Alps IV, V and VI”
Endurance
In preparation for next week’s hills, I’ve been doing endurance intervals. Basically, riding in a higher gear than I would normally to replicate effort on a steeper ascent. I don’t mind these exercises as my natural inclination is to churn a higher gear, and lower… Continue Reading “Endurance”
Carnage
Returning from my Sunday morning ride, a bunch of kids, who live in the Domaine, challenged me to a bike race. I would guess that they’re aged between 12 and 14 years and they were riding a motley collection of bikes. I agreed to the… Continue Reading “Carnage”
Dead cert, no really
A bit of a mix up with my cycling coach this morning. Last week, he asked me if I could ride with him on Thursday. I said Tuesday would be fine and wrote the date in my diary. My coach is not particularly punctual so I didn’t… Continue Reading “Dead cert, no really”
Place your bets please
There’s always a lively debate about whether it’s best to ride the Dauphine or the Tour of Switzerland and what one can read into the form of each of the participants. Personally, I feel it’s unwise to draw too many conclusions. History is rarely an… Continue Reading “Place your bets please”
Wrong place, wrong time
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre continues apace. The last two mornings we’ve been woken by the roar of saws. I think it’s fair to say that with the exception of our olive trees, which were pruned last year, everything on the Domaine is fair game. No bush or tree… Continue Reading “Wrong place, wrong time”
Divine intervention
I was saddened this week to learn of the untimely death of Aldo Sassi, one of the most reputable cycling trainers, based at the Mapei Centre in Varese. It was he who had worked with Cadel Evans to lift the rainbow jersey in 2009 and had… Continue Reading “Divine intervention”
Une Edition Record
The day of the event was warm and sunny: just what we’d ordered. For once there were no professional riders at the start , as the event clashed with their professional commitments. No matter, a good time was still had by all thanks to the… Continue Reading “Une Edition Record”
Lazy Sunday afternoons
My beloved returned yesterday evening from a hectic week in the UK. I let him sleep in this morning as there was no pointage, just a club ride to Aspremont. Instead, we decided to ride over to Menton and tackle the Col de la… Continue Reading “Lazy Sunday afternoons”
View from the Back 