What a name! Inspired by the mother of all self-supported bikepacking races, the Tour Divide in the USA, this Italian version started in Rome on 23 April 2016. The destination was Torbole on the northern shores of Lake Garda. In between were 840 kilometres and 16,000 metres of altitude.
The subtitle "Unsupported Bike Adventure" described the event a little more specifically, as I was able to experience it on the road. Last year I was on the Tuscany Trail, a slightly shorter but similar event. Back then, the route was quite easy to manage, as it included quite a few road sections. I assumed that the route would be similar, but this turned out to be completely wrong!
I was actually perfectly prepared: I had my new 27.5 plus bike from Velotraum (model Finder) at the start, equipped with the brand new bikepacking bags from Ortlieb. My training level was also satisfactory. After all, I already had a good 4000 off-road kilometres under my belt since January. And I had agreed with my buddy Markus Boscher (Velorado/Nuremberg) that we would ride the tour together if possible.
As always, there is of course a certain amount of nervousness before the start. Questions such as "do I have the right equipment with me, hopefully no major physical or technical problems will occur, will the weather play ball, etc.". I wasn't worried about my mental state and the right race tactics. After all, I had already completed several events of a similar calibre in recent years.
Finally the race started. The start in Rome at the Colosseum was a bit hectic. 91 participants from 7 nations started in a closed formation in order to get at least the first few kilometres behind us in the chaotic traffic. After endless traffic light stops, Giacomo Bianchi, the organiser, finally gave the race the green light. The route was quite varied. First some tarmac cycle paths. Then it became hillier and the surface changed to gravel and meadow paths.
The weather had been fine up to this point. Sunshine, fairly warm temperatures and even a little tailwind allowed us to make good progress. But as soon as it started to get dark, the cosiness was over. It became noticeably cooler and the onset of rain also dampened the mood somewhat. Markus and I decided to have something to eat first. Two loaded bikes were leaning against a pizzeria. Two Czech friends were already sitting in the pub with beer and pizza. We joined them and shared our experiences of the first day.
Trail Magic: When unforeseen opportunities arise
By now it was dark, 130 km and a good 2000 metres in altitude were already behind us. So we decided to look for a place to camp for the night. Not far away, we suddenly saw 5-6 other participants. When we asked them where they wanted to spend the night, they asked us to follow them in a mishmash of Italian and English. We were quite surprised when we were allowed to set up camp for the night in an uninhabited house with no electricity two blocks away. Of course, in addition to our sleeping bags and camping mats, we also had small one-man tents with us. But spending the night in a dry place in this weather was just too tempting. Such unpredictable possibilities during a self-support event are called Trail Magic. What a comfortable night :-)
The second day started early in the morning at 6:00 am with rain. Great views! There was endless mud on the way. The dirt stuck so badly to the bike that the wheels sometimes stopped turning. Pushing on the flat is very frustrating. Almost the whole day was rainy. Markus and I passed the first hill with an altitude of 1000 metres above sea level in the worst weather. At around 6.30 pm, we saw a restaurant at the side of the route - quite soggy and hungry - and decided to top up our food stores first.
Three Italian participants were also making a stop here. When we asked them where they would be spending the night tonight, they replied: "We'll drive 15 kilometres back and stay in a hotel." Driving back was out of the question for us. But neither was sleeping outside in dirty and wet clothes. True to the motto "it doesn't hurt to ask", we persuaded the restaurant owners to let us sleep in their cellar. A little warmed up and with dry clothes, we enjoyed a delicious dinner. Cheers!
The next day we were well rested and felt fit. And that was sorely needed, as 3000 metres in altitude awaited us today. The weather had improved in the meantime. Although it was still raining at times, sunny spells and acceptable temperatures made up for it. We were now in Tuscany and followed the white gravel roads of the signposted vintage bike race in sections L'Eroicawhich involves cycling on historic racing bikes in the style of the 1950s.
Bivouac under the canopy and the problem with the tyre
As we were behind schedule due to the bad weather, we decided to drive at night from now on. At 10.30 pm we passed through Siena, a beautiful medieval town. We reached a small village at around 11.30 pm. The lights were still on in a small bar - so we quickly had a beer and a bag of crisps. A few metres further on, we saw a covered ledge by a sports field. For us, it was the perfect bivouac spot for a peaceful night. However, we didn't sleep particularly well, as we were a little cold in our light summer sleeping bags at temperatures just above zero degrees.
The weather improved noticeably. Dry from above but quite a few muddy sections due to the heavy rainfall of the last few days. There were hardly any tarmac sections on our GPS track today either, almost all dirt tracks, meadow paths and single trails. In a small village, there was a sudden "pffft" on my rear end. "Crap, flat tyre", I thought. And it was, but at first glance the problem was bigger than I had feared.
Due to all the mud of the last few days between the chainstay and the voluminous B+ tyres, my casing was chafed around the entire circumference and the carcass was visible throughout - and in one place there was a 4 mm hole! Well, I glued a patch on the inside of the casing, put the inner tube in and continued on with the feeling that this tyre would not last the remaining 400-450 km.
A few hours later, we were crossing Florence. Smartphone out, googled for a bike dealer and found one straight away. Unfortunately, he didn't have any plus-size 27.5+ tyres. However, he knew what to do and sent us to another dealer who had these tyres in stock. "This way 3 km, then you're there. Best regards from me," he said. Well, the dealer actually had the right tyre size. We quickly changed the tyres and drove back to where we had left the GPS track. (Note: In self-support races, you are allowed to leave the track, but you have to return to the starting point). I now also know that 3 Italian kilometres are about 8 km by German standards. So we had cycled 16 km through busy Florence and certainly lost 3 hours in the process. At 10.30 pm we finished the day with a clear conscience about the successful repair.
Then the worst day of the tour
The following day was to be the worst of the whole tour. We knew that we would be crossing the Apennine mountain range today. It started quite easily. The first hill was 750 metres in altitude, which was quite manageable. However, I had been worried about my hydraulic disc brakes for a few days. I often lost pressure on the brake levers, but this could be remedied by pumping them several times. But now on the descent it became dramatic. I had zero braking power at the front and maybe 30 per cent at the rear! The braking power was so weak that I had to push downhill to avoid becoming faster and faster like a ski jumper.
Various attempts to repair it failed and I had no choice but to look for a garage again. In San Piero a Sieve, I was given the tip of finding a bike shop in the neighbouring Borgo san Lorenzo. This tip was spot on and the mechanic was very competent. He bled both brake systems. So far everything was fine again. However, this operation also cost us another 3 hours.
But the stress of this day was not yet over. After all, the highest point of the tour (1250 metres above sea level) was still waiting for us. The climb of around 800 metres in altitude was so steep, muddy and blocked that we had to push most of the way. The organisers should definitely remove this part of the route from the next Italy Divide, as it was more like a mountain hike! Well, eventually every hill is crossed. At 23:00 we finally found a hostel and once again had a good time :-)
As we knew that the rest of the route would be very flat from now on, the mood was perfect the next day. The weather was also getting better and better for us. Lots of sunshine, pleasant temperatures and no rain in sight! Markus and I only had a few more hills from the Apennines to master. From then on we headed into the flat Po Valley.
Giacomo, the organiser, had chosen a nice route here. We were mainly travelling on embankments, the ground was mostly gravelled or covered with grass. This meant we made perfect progress and were able to cross the beautiful city of Bologna with its medieval centre - the last major city on the tour. Nevertheless, we were always glad to have escaped the chaotic city traffic.
Today we also cycled until 23:00 and reached the only checkpoint of the whole tour. A cool biker has rented a small, beautiful guesthouse here. We were quite satisfied with the day's performance of 185 km and 1140 metres in altitude. Now we had a beer and slept in beds again.
The next morning we set off at six o'clock for the last stage. Normally, Monte Altissimo would still be on the programme today. But the organiser had already informed us days ago via Facebook that we would have to follow the road along Lake Garda from Bardolino, as there was a lot of snow on the Altissimo and there was even a risk of avalanches.
Only 3 participants, first and foremost Jay Petervary (the eventual winner of the Italy Divide), were "allowed" to let off steam on the mountain in the snow. To be honest, when I was told to avoid the Altissimo a few days ago, I was a little disappointed. But today, although I'm already a little weary, I'm happy to be heading towards the finish on a flat route. The traffic from Bardolino to Torbole was less chaotic than I had feared. Markus and I arrived safely at our destination on 29 April at 16:00.
Finally the destination: BIKE Festival in Riva
Summary: We mastered the 850 km and 13000 metres of altitude in 6 days and 6 hours. The defects on my bike certainly cost us 6-7 hours. In hindsight, that wasn't really too bad. It was much more important that we arrived safely and had fun :-) The arrival date was perfectly planned. After all, the BIKE Festival in Riva del Garda/Torbole started today. We moved to a campsite with our bikes, met lots of friends at the festival over the next few days and had a great time :-)
What thoughts remain after such an event? Once again, it was a great adventure with friends. With various highs and lows. The weather could have been better, the defects could have been avoided and nobody really needed the running sections in the Apennines. But let's be honest: if everything had been perfect, it wouldn't be so memorable.
As Wikipedia so beautifully defines the term adventure: "An adventure is a high-risk endeavour or experience that is very different from everyday life. It involves leaving one's familiar surroundings to undertake something risky that promises to be interesting, fascinating or even dangerous and where the outcome is uncertain."
Ride on, Walter Lauter
