Day Fifty-Two to -Five: Val di Sole

Since Salzburg on Sunday I have gone back to Innsbruck where I met up with my dads friend to go to Val di Sole in Italy for the UCI Mountain Bike World Champs. So here I am, in Italy, getting to see the best riders in the world go at it this weekend.

So from the beginning. 

Having spent a night in Salzburg I was satisfied with what I had seen (it’s smaller than it might look and super super touristy with the whole sound of music thing going on) and decided that moving on was needed. Furthermore it was raining. So after organizing my lift to Val di Sole I booked a train back to Innsbruck where I would stay in the same hostel as last week. In Innsbruck not much happened (I had already stayed there for four nights so I had been there done that already. It was also raining. Yay me. I did however meet four Canadian fellas that happened to be good company and we spent the night drinking beer in an Irish bar that I had failed to notice before (dammit).

   
 The next day I was picked up by Dewet (the friend) and off we road tripped to Val di Sole in Italy. The scenery changed quite a bit from Austria but it remained beautiful none-the-less. Val di Sole is pretty much a valley in the Trentino region made up of many little towns with names I can’t remember. Our accommodation is pretty cool (and very very strange and small and cramped). We are staying at a ski resort called Marilleva 1400 (the 1400 indicates the height above sea level) which was designed in the 70’s by an architect on drugs. The place is so old school futuristic even we feel we’re in sort of space ship. The biggest issue with staying up here is that we are super far away from the towns and race venue down in the valley (so I can’t just go wondering in town if I wanted to). I also don’t have a bike here so I’m a bit out when everyone rides and I am reliant on Dewet and the car for transport. Yay me. But it’s been good so far, just what I need before heading to Spain next Monday.

 

Italian dolomites

  

Cloudy view from our digs

 Our first day down at the race venue James Reid, one of the South African riders here, was kind enough to lend me his bike and pretty much all his kit so that I could ride the cross country course (goodness I was stoked). Dewet and Gert Heyns (the other guy in our three man gang) went riding down the valley while I rode on the course. It was super exciting but the ride was cut short due to me wearing no cycling pants (chaffing for days) and wearing James’ size 9 shoes (I’m an 11). I was happy though.

 

Got to cycle in style on James’ Specialized Epic and all his kit

  

Feeling like a boss above the 4X course

  

This river is claimed to be Europea best river (whatever that means) but it has like uninterrupted rapids for the whole length i jave been able to see

  

Beer on the course

 The days here are slow and not exactly busy. Our day usually starts with a 9:00 wake up, coffee, cereal, wifi session in the common area down the road, breakfast/brunch (because it’s already 11:00) then an hour or so of getting ready (Dewet takes crazy long with everything he does) and then finally heading down into the valley to the race venue to ride. Yesterday I couldn’t organize a bike to ride down at the course so I spectated a bit and watched the downhill practice session which was pretty cool. After riding and eating and shopping and drinking beer we head up to our digs to relax, wifi, cook and eat. It’s chilled but it’s what I need right now. The weather is also quite crappy and unpredictable (it’s cold up on the mountain and rain and sunshine come and go) but it’s a good change from the heat I’ve had the past month or so.

 

Walking through the team area

  

Downhill finish line

  

Final jump

  

Downhill practice

  

Cross country rock garden

  

More downhill action

  

Venue is super colourful

 
Yesterday Gert lent me his bike and shoes (better fitting) and I rode around here on the mountain (which means all I did was go up or down at any moment. It’s honestly so crazy beautiful up here (and super cold, like Pretoria winter cold). 

 

Beautiful italian alp pass for some cycling pleasure

  

Once again borrowed cycling kit

 I’m enjoying the South African company talking some Afrikaans for a change. I’m here until Sunday when I catch a train to Milan for my flight to Barcelona. Super excited! I’m now 5 weeks from home time with lots of good times still ahead of me (Oktoberfest!). 

Ciao