Planes, Trains and Automobiles – traveling light in more ways than one!

A belated post written ‘In Viaggio’ from Italy to USA last week… as I’m sitting on a plane listening to tunes and in the mood to write I thought I’d specify the moment at hand..

Flight connections, seat allocations, friendliness of check in staff weighing the bike bag, success or failure of luggage arrival at destination these are all the anticipated elements that can make it or break it! As you’d probably guess travel is a large part of being an athlete especially in cycling.. like racing its a process that becomes refined.. each time it’s done with a little more ease, efficiency and hopefully a little more grace.

This current trip to he USA is my fourth international flight this year… so until I’m lucky enough to consistently get the pointy end of the craft It’s imperative to optimize life in good old econo class. Just for insight my refined list of travel essentials roll out something like this;

• Entertainment – noise canceling headphones, iPod, book
• Sleep – ear plugs, Eye mask, neck pillow
• Body – 2XU compression socks and tights, blow up ring cushion (not joking – for long flights!)
• Immune system – hand sanitiser / Barocca / Vitamin C
• Tummy – H2O bottle / fruit / nuts

But over and above.. travel.. as glam as it seems requires an intricate balance of astuteness yet poise.. remain alert yet chilled. Above all I’ve found putting ones mind in a ‘flow state’ so that when the day spits out physical mental challenges its water off a duck’s back and the stress doesn’t stick.

So.. when having to stand in line for an hour snaking through with a luggage cart resembling a semi trailer or pay $US300 for the bike to ‘possibly’ arrive at your destination you can simply laugh at the misfortunes, smile at the grumpy folk, and glaze over the chaos..

Something about travel no matter what.. if you let it.. (because there is no where else to be but where you are) can open thought and prompt pondering about where you’ve  come from and where you’re going.. and that my friends is the fun part!!

Part 2.. Liberty Classic Philadelphia

Philly is the home of North America’s biggest bike race also the home of our great friends Fuji Bikes, and of course ‘Rocky’ (as per some very un-tourist like behavior seen below). Pre race day we received some fabulous home town hospitality from the folks at Fuji and gave back with a sponsor ride and Q&A session with the Cadence Cycling Foundation inner city kids cycling program.

Race day it was on… all went as planned and our astute team work played out imperatively well.. with our team of 4 (Amber, Inga, Shelley and Myself) we covered late attacks by Cola Vita and HTC as it came down to a bunch finish where Shelley finished a close 2nd to Giorgia Bronzini (the current world champion)!

On the road again.. Part 1 Muri Fermani

A whirlwind week began last Wednesday as I boarded the trusty TrenItalia lucky it was not ‘sempre in retardo’ and I was on time to meet my team in Bologna. Continuing on the road south for the next 3 hrs in convoy, the team vehicles arrived at Muri Fermani race destination, Fermo on the Adriatic coast. (Thanks to our friends at Fuji Bikes I dont have to travel with a bike, my race bike stays with the team and my training bike stays at home in Lucca!)

Following the race we all piled in and drove up the coast (admiring a gorgeous a Adriatic sunset) back to team HQ in Montebelluna, after a 1am arrival and a short sleep we then departed for Venice airport for a 3 flight journey to Philadelphia landing us at the race Hotel at 1am. Here is where I was inspired to blog on ‘traveling light in more ways than one’!

snapshots & simplicity… la vista dalla bicicletta

May… warm gorgeous spring in Toscana… mostly my minutes, days, weeks have been filled with optimising a solid training program often involving spending half my waking hours in the saddle then when off the saddle trying to get my legs / body ready for the next day on the saddle… or so it seems…

One of the greatest things however in being a road cyclist is the daily ground covered and therefore BEAUTY of constantly being treated to eye candy in numerous forms – views from mountains, home gardens, quaint villages, old men at their local bar having aperitif at dusk…

here is a taste

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GP Comune di Cornaredo

I made my way up to Milan last weekend to race GP Cornaredo (22nd May – UCI 1.2) it was hot, flat and fast but considering the overpass was the greatest rise in the profile I was happy to be able to show some good form by being active and aggressive in the race and have a good role in team lead out for Alona our designated sprinter for the day, we had a great day of teamwork and Alona finished 3rd.

If you can read Italian or want to translate Here is the race report

And footage from the race here!