2000 – Rome

Day 1
4th June, 2000

Route:

Toul, Port de France, Pierre la Treiche, river Moselle, Villey le Sec, Maron, Neuves Maisons, Richardmenil, Flavigny sur Moselle, Crevechamps, Bayon, Virecourt, Chamagne, Charmes.

Notes:

Campsite on banks of river Moselle. Hot and sunny at first giving way to later thunderstorms.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time; 3 hours 24 minutes from 12.30 to 16.30.
Distance 70.77 kilometres at average speed of 20.7 km/hr.

Day 2
5th June, 2000

Route:

Charmes, Vincey, Nomexy, Igney, Thaon les Vosges, Epinal, river Moselle, Archettes, Jarmenil ,Eloyes, Mehachamp, St. Etienne, Remiremont, La Foirie, Vecoux, Rupt sur Moselle, Ferdrupt.

Notes:

Campsite near small farm at Xoarupt. Wet start, opencast and cold with headwind , later sunny and hot.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time; 4 hours and 29 minutes from 10.30.
Distance 82.61 kilometres at average speed of 18.4 km/hr.

Day 3
6th June, 2000

Route:

Xoarupt, Le Thillot, St. Maurice sur Moselle, col du Ballon D’Alsace (1178 m.) Giromagny, Chaux, Sermamagny, Belfort, Sevenans, Meroux, Froidefontaine, Grandvillars, Delle.

Notes:

Campsite return to Grandvillars. Rain throughout the night, light at start increasing through mist and low cloud to sunshine at summit.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time; 9.30 to 17.30.
Distance 83.5 kilometres at average speed of17.7 km/hr.

Day 4
7th June, 2000

Route:

Delle, border FRANCE-SWITZERLAND, Boncourt, Courtemaiche, Porrentruy, Courgenay, St. Ursanne, Montmelon, Sceut, Glovelier, Undervelier, Gorges du Pichoux (728m.) Sondoz, Moutier.

Notes:

Hotel de Serf at Moutier. Very hot on the climbs.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time; 4 hours 58 minutes from 9.30 to 18.10
Distance 72 kilometres at average speed of 14.3 km/hr.

Day 5
8th June, 2000

Route:

Moutier, Cremines,Gansbrunnen, Weissenstein pass (1284m.) Oberdorf, Solothurn, Biberis, route 4 cycle track, Utzenstorf, Kirchberg, Burgdorf, Ramsel, Langnau.

Notes:

Langnau youth hostel. Clear blue sky, hot and sunny all day (36 degrees).

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time; 4 hours 49 minutes from 9.30 to 18.00.
Distance 73.5 kilometres at average speed of 15.2 km/hr.

Day 6
9th June, 2000

Route:

Langnau, Trubschachen, Wiggen, Schupfheim, Fluhli, Sorenberg, Glaubenbuelen pass (1611m.) Giswil, Lungern.

Notes:

Camping at the edge of the Lungernsee. Clear blue sky, hot and sunny.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 4 hours 46 minutes from 9.30 to 17.30
Distance 70.7 kilometres at average speed of 14.8 km/hr.

Day 7
10th June, 2000

Route:

Lungern, Brunigpass (1002m.) Meiringen, Innertkirchen, River Aare, Guttannen, Handegg, Grimselpass (2165m.) Gletsch, River Rhone, Oberwald, Ulrichen.

Notes:

Camping at Ulrichen. Clear blue sky, hot, giving way to low cloud and heavy rain during the climb. On the descent, very cold with showers.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 5 hours 31 minutes until 18.30
Distance 65.97 kilometres at average speed of 11.8km/hr.

Day 8
11th June, 2000

Route:

Ulrichen, Nufenenpass (2478m.) Bedretto, Airola.

Notes:

Hotel in Airola. Heavy rain, with thunder and lightning, floods tent. Rain continued on climb, freezing wind and overcast all day.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 3 hours and 13 minutes from11.00 until 16.30.
Distance 38.02 kilometres at average speed of 11.7km/hr.

Day 9
12th June, 2000

Route:

Airola, Piotta, Rodi, Faido, Giornico, Bodio, Biasca, Cresciano, Castione, Bellinzona, Giubiasco, Mount Cener (554m.) Lake Maggiore, Vira, Taverne, Lugano, Lake Lugano, Mellide, Melano.

Notes:

Camping at Melano. Overcast and cool with light showers giving way to clear skies and a hot afternoon.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 5 hours and 9 minutes from 9.00 until 17.30.
Distance 104.6 kilometres at average speed of 20.03 km/hr.

Day 10
13th June, 2000

Route:

Melano, Mendrisio, Chiasso, border SWITZERLAND-ITALY, Como, Lake Como, Fino Mornasco, Lentate, Seveso, Cesano Maderno, Masciago, Varedo, Paderno, Milano.

Notes:

Milan youth hostel. Overcast and humid, particularly hot with abundant traffic fumes.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 4 hours and 24 minutes from 9.00 to 15.50 ; YHA 17.45.
Distance 76.06 kilometres at average speed of 17.2 km/hr.

Day 11
14th June, 2000

Route:

Milan –rest day- youth hostel..

Notes:

Visit to Conservatorio “GIUSEPPE VERDI”
Trio Martinetti; flute, Stefano Maffizoni; violinist, Ricardo Malfatto; pianist, Lorella Ruffin.
Music; trio in G major op.119, Kuhlau.
fantasia brillante upon the ”Carmen” theme, Borne.
arias op.56, Francaix.
6 five romantic op.56, Gui.
sonata op.55, Bazzini.
trio 1958, Rota.

Day 12
15th June, 2000

Route:

Milano, port de Lodi, St. Donato Milano, VIA EMELIA, Melegnano, Lodi, Secugnago, Zorlesco, Casalpusterlengo, Piacenza, river Po, Pontenure, Fiorenzuola d’Arda, Fidenza, Noceto, Medesano, river Taro, Fornovo di Taro.

Notes:

Hotel in Fornovo. Abundant traffic, exceedingly hot.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 6 hours and 25 minutes from 8.45 to 18.40.
Distance 145.2 kilometres at average speed of 22.7 km./hr.

Day 13
16th June, 2000

Route:

Fornovo di Taro, Piantonia, Terenzo, Calestano, Cozzano, Pastorello, Sasso, Mercato, Vetto d’Enza, Rosano, Castelnovo ne’Monti, Terme di Sta Lucia.

Notes:

Camping at Terme di Sta Lucia. Clear blue skies, very hot. Full moon at night.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 6 hours and 21 minutes from 8.30 to 20.00.
Distance 80.2 kilometres at average speed of 12.5 km/hr.

Day 14
17th June, 2000

Route:

Terme di Sta Lucia, Busana, Collagna, Vaglie, Passo di Pradarena (1572m.) Sillano, Piazza al Serchio, Camporgiano, Poggio, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Fornaci di Barga, Ghivizzano, Borgo a Mozzano, S. Donato, river Serchio, Ponte a Moriano, Lucca.

Notes:

Lucca youth hostel. Cool start then mountain mist, fresh descent, hot with heavy traffic into Lucca.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 6 hours and 49 minutes from 7.10 to 18.00.
Distance 117.8 kilometres at average speed of 17.2 km/hr.

Day 15
18th June, 2000

Route:

Lucca, S. Giullano Terme, Pisa, Cascina, Pontedera, Castel d . Bosco, S. Romano, Ponte a Elsa, Castelfiorentino, Certaldo, Poggibonsi, Staggia, Monteriggioni.

Notes:

Camping site 5 km. North of Siena. Clear blue sky, very hot with warm head wind.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 6 hours and 31 minutes from 8.30 to 19.30.
Distance 127.8 kilometres at average speed of 19.6 km./hr.

Day 16
19th June, 2000

Route:

Siena, Isola d’Arbia, Monteroni d’Arbia, Ponte d’Arbia, VIA CASSIA, S. Quirico d’Orcia, tunnel (900m.), Ponte del Rigo, Acquapendente, S. Lorenzo Nuovo, Bolsena.

Notes:

Camping by Lago di Bolsena. Cool but soon becoming very hot with a warm headwind.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling time 7 hours and13 minutes from 7.30 to 19.30.
Distance 129.7 kilometres at average speed of 17.9 km/hr.

Day 17
20th June, 2000

Route:

Bolsena, Montefiascone, Viterbo, Monti Cimini,Lago di Vico, Ronciglione, Monterosi, Sette Vente, VIA CASSIA, La Giustiniana, river Tevere, Roma.

Notes:

Hotel Piccolo in Rome. Hot throughout and very exhausting in the traffic of Via Cassa.

Duration / Distance:

Cycling from 9.20 to 18.00.
TOTAL DISTANCE; 1456.9 kilometres in 17 days.