Longest Day, Longest Descent

Descent day. And the longest stage: 130 km.

We ride from the Dolomites – the highest point of the tour – to Conegliano, which sits at 60 meters above sea level.

The first two kilometers are rough: the bike path goes uphill on coarse gravel. We switch to the road and then roll easily downhill for the next 20 km.

There’s occasional drizzle. After about 50 km and a beautiful descent on the SS51, we stop to wait out the first heavier rain.

After that, it gets harder again. Even though it’s mostly downhill, the day still adds up to around 1,000 meters of climbing. The legs are tired.

We get soaked at least once, but our clothes dry surprisingly quickly.

The last 40 km are the toughest. Purely a mental game. Counting down kilometers.

At 3:30 p.m. we reach the hotel – just in time before the sky completely opens up. On our evening walk to the supermarket, we get drenched again. Thunderstorms rage through the night.