UCI Gran Fondo – Trento, Italy

So my pro riding brother was coming over from Australia to compete and qualify in the ‘Charly Gaul’ UCI Gran Fondo World Series in Trento, Northern Italy. Inviting his non-pro riding brother to join and compete with him, I opted for the Medio Fondo as one climb up a neighbour of the nearby Dolomites was enough for me as apposed to doing it twice for the Gran Fondo. So plans were made to meet up in London and fly to Italy with a ‘moral’ support crew of Mum and Dad in tow.

On arrival into Trento with Darren driving, me riding shotgun and Mum and Dad ‘in the rear with the gear’, we came upon a town sitting happily and peacefully at the feet of the nearby hills and mountains Darren and I were about to willingly traverse the next few days with nothing but our legs and the bikes attached to them.

Trento offered us a lot in our brief stay. Mum loved the seafood pasta, Dad the architecture, and myself and Darren the local smooth tarmac and ‘alpine’ scenery it laced through, around, and very very much over.

We scouted the route of the time trail the day before the event. This allowed our unboxed bikes a pre race shake down and a chill cruise around a highly scenic turquoise lake I have every intention of coming back to.