The Italian lakes

Italy is a hilly country.

Had a mixed week but focused on the hills.

Ride one --- 100k ride including about 17km uphill at around 7%
Ride two --- an hour recovery ride -- pissing about really
Ride three --- 2hr 10% hill ride --- hard but good, lots of steep bits and hairpins
Ride four --- 115km including a 20km climb
Ride five --- 7 hours including the Mottarone (a giro Cat 1 climb) --- 19km hill which was hard but good despite the torrential rain. However, I was the defeated by the second cat 1 climb that day. I only got 3/4 of the way up. I have an armful of excuses (it was raining, it was getting late, i had no water and as it was the last day I had run out of energy food so just had a banana ) but it was a dissapointing end and makes me fear the Hautacam.

Things I have learned from my week in Italy

1) dont put sun tan lotion on your forehead --- you just sweat it in to your eyes
2) take a nurofen for the last couple of hours
3) on big hills you need to eat so much more than normal riding. I plan to have three of four bars and gels saved for each of the etape climbs
4) I need to fit in a couple more low cadence 2hr grinders at the gym
5) Hairpins are great it's the long drags that stretch high above you that are the demoralising bits