When choosing a holiday destination it might seem counter intuitive to spend those precious days of vacation staying in the hometown (Fonzaso) of the company (Sportful) you work for… This fact was pointed out to me on multiple occasions; some offered suggestions – Seychelles, Barbados, Mauritius, apparently all nice at this time of year.
However as a cyclist I was looking to ride my bike, I’d penned down a list of cycling destinations – the pros & cons.
Priorities included; varied terrain, low to high altitude options, traffic free roads, sunny weather, friendly people, good food and coffee…. What can I say Fonzaso came out top of the list!
As they say it’s all about location and Fonzaso is perfectly situated, close proximity to the Monte Grappa, Croce d’Aune… A gateway to the Dolomite national park, easy access to the rolling roads of Marostica and Bassano del Grappa…
But for me it’s those hills, those mountains that really define the area and to an extent the Sportful brand… (But that’s another story – a mountain story!)
A photo opportunity with some product placement! On the slopes of Passo Cereda; the R&D Ultra Light Jersey with an accompanying R&D Bib-Short proved to be a perfect combination for a long day in the saddle.
I’m no photographer, which is clear to see… but armed with an I-phone 4, I wanted to share a few photos (taken on the fly) from one particular ride… I can only say it’s more spectacular in real life, the photos don’t do it justice.
To quote the G.M and cyclist, Steve Smith “They built these roads for us!” The switch back turns of Passo Cereda never fails to put a smile on my face…
Passo Staulanza was truly spectacular, the light picking up every crevice of the mountain face.
Climbing the backside of Passo Cereda, late in the day the legs were suffering but the views provided the necessary distractions, inspiring us to pedal onwards…
When ridden from Fonzaso, it’s approximately 200km but given the shorter days and the late start (I was on holiday!) we decided to drive to Fiera di Primeriero to start the ride… It’s a simple “lollypop” loop taking in both sides of Passo Cereda, Passo Staulanza and Passo Duran. It’s 150 km in distance with close to 5,000 meters of climbing and stunningly beautiful, if a little challenging! The GPS link is below.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10453170
Thanks for reading,
Paul.
