Have a two-week layover in northern Italy in the back half of may (tough job). Looking for advise on a couple matters - here's the tentative game plan and would love to hear comments from anyone that lives there, or been there.
Planning to rent a car and stay in Brescia - no real good reason other than its got a hotel that allows me to accumulate marriott points that doesn't cost $450 euro a night like Milan or Venice - I am a sucker for hoarding points. It also seems like a decent enough size town to give our flight attendant enough shopping and stuff to do so she doesn't get bored and the strava heat map makes it look like there are some decent biking routes just outside of town, and a lc pool in town. Anyone been there before that can let me know what the city is like? We've also stayed in Treviso (found that a little boring) and Verona which we all enjoyed.
Towards the end I plan on driving up to Bormio for a few days and weather permitting hoping to follow a schedule where I'd ride the stelvio the first day, catch the Giro queen stage from the side of the Mortirolo the next day, and then take a crack at the Mortirolo/Gavia combio out of Bormio on the third day. Anyone care to comment on the logistics of hanging out on the side of the road for a grand tour stage? How long before the riders get there do the roads close? Would I be able to ride my bike up to a suitable spot for watching, or would it be hike a bike up and better to just drive and park somewhere near the bottom and walk up? I really have no clue what's involved for this sort of thing! Anyone from around there know what the snowfall was like this winter? I noticed there is a gran fondo that follows the queen stage route a couple weeks before the stage which leads me to believe the organizers are pretty confident all the passes will be open by mid-may.
Bike advice - not too concerned with the stelvio, but will a somewhat decent rider (4w/kg during race season) be okay on the steeper slopes of the mortirolo etc. with a compact crank and 11-28 cog? - not that I have options there anyways. I've done some longer climbs before (Haleakala, Lemmon, Mt Tam) but they are all pretty gentle gradients by comparison.
Would appreciate it if anyone has any tips on any of the above.
Cheers
Planning to rent a car and stay in Brescia - no real good reason other than its got a hotel that allows me to accumulate marriott points that doesn't cost $450 euro a night like Milan or Venice - I am a sucker for hoarding points. It also seems like a decent enough size town to give our flight attendant enough shopping and stuff to do so she doesn't get bored and the strava heat map makes it look like there are some decent biking routes just outside of town, and a lc pool in town. Anyone been there before that can let me know what the city is like? We've also stayed in Treviso (found that a little boring) and Verona which we all enjoyed.
Towards the end I plan on driving up to Bormio for a few days and weather permitting hoping to follow a schedule where I'd ride the stelvio the first day, catch the Giro queen stage from the side of the Mortirolo the next day, and then take a crack at the Mortirolo/Gavia combio out of Bormio on the third day. Anyone care to comment on the logistics of hanging out on the side of the road for a grand tour stage? How long before the riders get there do the roads close? Would I be able to ride my bike up to a suitable spot for watching, or would it be hike a bike up and better to just drive and park somewhere near the bottom and walk up? I really have no clue what's involved for this sort of thing! Anyone from around there know what the snowfall was like this winter? I noticed there is a gran fondo that follows the queen stage route a couple weeks before the stage which leads me to believe the organizers are pretty confident all the passes will be open by mid-may.
Bike advice - not too concerned with the stelvio, but will a somewhat decent rider (4w/kg during race season) be okay on the steeper slopes of the mortirolo etc. with a compact crank and 11-28 cog? - not that I have options there anyways. I've done some longer climbs before (Haleakala, Lemmon, Mt Tam) but they are all pretty gentle gradients by comparison.
Would appreciate it if anyone has any tips on any of the above.
Cheers