Dolomite (non)-round II.

Because the memory is short, I try to find out after three years how it was back then during Dolomite round. 

Chase the boys from Mr. Lefevre

There is nothing more to write about it. I'm off again after years, which I usually got sick during this week, with Dr. Fallah in the local village we are already quite close friends, for the long route of the Dolomite marathon, with a premonition and very over-weight +6.5 kg of my usual overweight (which is usually two to three kilos over weight , where I would feel normal, half-slim). Altitude annoys me more and more as I get older, but I go into the morning with a clear "determination", I don't get up early, I go as I can. After last time's experience, this time I not only have a good breakfast, but I also take cash and I'm ready to stop and eat every hour, we already know that I should rather skip the Hirsch ragout, I even do not take any energy bar.

I start with the well-known climb to Passo Gardena, as it is always said, that drivers abroad are much more careful than in Czech, so here it is not completely the case, partly because there is nowhere to dodge, wild Italian vans and trucks cut it to 30cm close, closing in corners, traffic like on the highway, hard start! There are beautiful views of Corvara at the top, but I say to myself not to stop now and keep going. ...As I go I'm starting but I don't know why I'm subconsciously looking more and more into the map, calculating the route, the ascent, the time, assessing the energy level... I'm speculating and thinking about how to fool non-trained body and still make it around the giants...

This math is not working for me this year! I say to myself: "Don't be lazy, you can shorten it from Long to Medium and take it over Passo Falzarego and not go all the way to Cortina, they only had that disgusting Hirsch ragù there anyway"... even so, it still comes out to more than over a hundred and 3+ thousand up. After passing Corvara, my nerves are breaking, I sit down on the Minestrone and whistle the whole thing that I'll just make it around the Ronda. I'm coming down from Passo Campalonga and down in Arraba I catch a loud group of perhaps Quick-step fans on the roundabout in the direction to Pordoi. Upon closer inspection, I'm finding out they are really pros from Quick-step.

As usual, it enlighten me and I immediately hook them... I thought I'd sell my evening 20min lazy uphills in my backyard, I'm on the phone with Petra ❤️, who I'm trying to explain by gesturing that if I take it now, maybe they'll draft me to Team-B, Team-C etc.... nobody on the phone takes any interest into my cycling, ... so I'm selling it... selling it hard... aaaand I just sold it! It lasted exactly 168m, before I step out the groupeto, the Team BMW overtakes me and I obediently sitting down. This lack of breath is taking its toll to about a halfway up, one of the quicksteppers is already coming down towards me to completely demoralize me, anyway. On the top of Pordoi there is really busy like in the Prague center, I keep going and there comes the last climb to Passo Sella, which I literally can't climb up, I'm thinking to stop cycling and getting of the bike... since when is it so steep here? I guess tectonics is still working and it's getting more and more spiky here!

I'm finish it, going down from Passo Sella and returning to reading books.

Today, I don't understand how I got through the entire Long version back then. Strava bio