Rome - we made it - 🇮🇹Via Francigena🇮🇹

September 1, 2023

Rome - we made it

End of the tour

We are finally back to Rome after 6 straight days of cycling for a total of 319km. This does not sound like much but when you anre riding the terrain that we did on a bike weighing 50+lbs and knobby tires even with a motor that is a lot. Although the rides were not long the days were because we had lots of stops for historical story telling, coffee breaks, long lunches and some technical riding. The wide range of skills in this group also impacted how the days played out. I can say that the novices are going home better cyclists but they still need to behave like novices and not get too cocky.

As you can see by the profile the ride was more downhill than up and mostly tarmac. We also had a nice surprise of about 8km on a stand alone cycle path just we came inside the GRA which if the ring motorway around Rome. The intracity part was tedious as you would expect with a group and many stop lights. Fortunately there were dictated cycle lanes for most of it. The ride was orchestrated so that we rode past Castle Saint Angelo and right down the main road of the Vatican to St Peter’s. After many photos we went off for lunch and the hotel. We have one last group meal at a pizzeria tonight before Tim and I catch the train to Riccione and the Belvedere for 2 days of road riding.

We took a little side trip to see the soccer training facility of one of the 2 teams around Rome. The other is Roma and they have a big match against each other tomorrow.

How many men does it take to fix a flat?

Fearless Marco leading some of the riders long the lovely Rome cycle trail.

Tim in front of a famous Ponte Milvio where a famous battle took place to decide not only who controlled Rome but also the confirmation of Christianity in Italy. Much of the movie Gladiator relates to the story.

A statue of the first Prime Minister of Italy when Rome became part of the country and not an independent state. It happened on 20 September 1845.

The gang in front of St Peter’s minus our two kiwis. Our injured one was discharged from hospital this morning and is resting in ou lovely hotel in Rome and her husband is with her.

I finally had a real Italian pannini for lunch.

Where we had dinner tonight. It is true Naples pizza with this restaurant being one for 150 years.

Our appetizer of an arancini balls, a potato croquette and a pasta frittatina.

We shared a pizza that was half Margarita and half marinara. I was still stuffed at the end of the meal.

Today's ride: 38 km (24 miles)
Total: 351 km (218 miles)

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