What it’s like to… DO A MULTIDAY EUROPEAN GRAN FONDO
Geoff Horton, Toronto
I took up cycling in 2009. I’d always been a runner, so I found cycling an easy transition. I’d done single-day fondos (such as rbc Whistler and Collingwood), but I had never raced. A friend turning 50 had a European stage event in Europe on his bucket list, so that’s how we chose the sevenday Haute Route Dolomites this past year. It looked like it would be beautiful cycling, a bit of a challenge and that the weather would be temperate. This was also a chance to see a couple of different countries I hadn’t ridden in before.
At first, I was a bit nervous and struggled to get into a good sleeping pattern. Also, the last climbs of a big three-to-four-climb day were a bit of a struggle. But by the third or fourth day, I’d sort of figured out pacing myself better. There were certain people I got to know and I’d say ‘hi’ to them in whatever language they spoke. I kind of like that you can find a pack that works for you. Compared with racing, cornering is not as critical and it’s a bit more spread out. I like the fact you get to see a lot more, as opposed to just focusing on the wheel in front of you.
One thing I did, and that I recommend if you can afford it, is to hire a tour operator to look after logistics – booking hotels, figuring out meals, providing a mechanic, etc. They’re on the course a couple of times so you can eat their food versus gels and stuff like that. They come with a cost, but it definitely made me feel more like a pro.
I had been injured in July, so I didn’t train as much as I had hoped beforehand: I basically had the month of August to make up for it. But I think I ended up where I would have otherwise. I was in the third quarter of finishers. I’d have liked to be a bit higher, but that’s where I thought I would be. You feel great after. We’re thinking of looking at another for 2019.
Suffering Spectacularly