Today was all about the headwinds (25km/h), the rain, poor road surfaces and yet another puncture for Richard W! Another 100-miler in the bag, though! Even the goats were impressed, although they tried to hide it!
Before a well-earned siesta, John had a light(?) pasta lunch with beer and tiramisu (the cyclists meanwhile had monster panini)! As you can see above, he did rally to meet the team and cycle them in to Termoli. He just forgot a zero and did 10 miles instead of 100!
In the slideshow, there are two photos immediately after the one of John’s lunch. They are almost identical except the first is pre- and the second is post- the day’s ride…clearly they hardly broke a sweat. You can also see that Paul has now clearly perfected the art of consulting/advising on the repair of punctures! It might be more useful to consult/advise on the art of avoidance, haha!
From Richard W:
Today's ride was probably the hardest of the trip so far. Although the plan looked OK - long but manageable - the reality was so much harder than expected. Over 100 miles into what felt like an unrelenting headwind from the north. Of the 7 1/2 hours in the saddle, 5 were on roads that barely qualified as such. Gravel, potholes and endless ruts created bone shaking vibrations and, yes, another puncture for Richard W. The endless juddering sapped whatever energy we had. Paul had started the ride a bit below par and the exit from Barletta reminded everyone just how poor the standard of Italian driving is. There is a random nature to how the cars move through the streets and at junctions, with every driver seemingly on their cell/mobile phone. Progress was so slow on the small roads that we tried the main routes, but these were filled with large lorries and tractor-trailers thundering past. So we reverted to the rutted, gravel roads. Eventually lunch came in San Severo, which was more like a ghost town with barely a shop or restaurant open. We were glad to eventually find one that served a large panini and the now obligatory gelato. Feeling somewhat revived, we were able to continue into the hillier part of the ride which combined hills with headwinds. It was a tough day in the office for sure. Arriving at our destination was a big relief for all. Tonight's dinner was in the same restaurant as John enjoyed lunch in the hills above Termoli. Simple but tasty, including truffle cheese and salami, pasta with pesto and a delicious chocolate dessert. We were allowed to bring our own wine and broke the “go local” rule reverting to type with a 2013 Boscoselvo Brunello di Montalcino! An early night after a long day.
Data: 100.3 miles (161km) and 3,103 feet (940m) elevation. Cumulative: 1,634 miles (2,614km), elevation 82,070 feet (25,226m).