Haute Route Dolomites, stage 7.

I had finished yesterday stage hot, tired but leg wise feeling alright. An hour later I had a 500 meter ride to the hotel. Bang my left knee was sore, very random. Not had that before. It did not calm down either, the morning came and I rolled out of the hotel and immediately the sharp pain resurfaced.

We were still in Switzerland so a long 70k of neutralised riding until the timing mat. Also another very early start, alarm at 05:00, oh joy! I used the 70k of neutralised riding to try to find a way to pedal without the knee pain. Eventually I found just riding predominantly with my right leg was the only way to avoid it.

Stage 7 consisted of 2 climbs and 2 descents with a 40 to 50k flat/rolling road to finish, a good place to have some friends to work with. I took the timing mat on the lower slopes of Pas de Morgins and tested this new pedalling style. It was not too awful. I had to keep both hands on the handle bar to stop the soreness but it felt doable. As I was in no rush to take the timing mat the main contenders were well ahead so I was climbing and picking off a lot of riders. I summitted and thought I could finish the stage in a reasonable position, the start of the day I was worried the knee would get worse.

Descending down we passed through several villages and towns where I recognised the names, Ihad skied there in the winters of previously years. As usual I could not recognise anything, amazing what a drop of snow does to the views.

Starting the second climb I knew it was not as long as the first, around 7k. I was also very much thinking about the final flat section where time would be throw away if I was on my own. Climbing the Col du Corbier, thankfully I could see people scattered along the winding road up above me. With my descending being not as good as most I thought I needed to get time on these people at the summit, then they would catch me on the descent and hopefully meet up somewhere near the start of the flat. This plan worked well, I overtook a dozen or so people as the ascent topped out, then descended as well as I could without taking any risks. I arrived on the flat which turned out to be a more lumpy road so four or five minute climbs then a little descent. The valley open up in front of me and a minute or so later ones and twos caught me and we formed a good working group.

There seemed to be no marshalling in this final hour and some of our group were taking big risks and going wide on bends, the wrong way on roundabouts. I really do hate when you have no idea what is coming up and weather they have the roundabouts/junctions secured. We rolled into the finish and the 7 days of Dolomites/ Swiss Alps was over. A tiny bit of sadness as they really are stunning mountains to ride in, but also a hope that the Alps would bring some warmer conditions.

As I write this blog I am thinking about the new format for the start of the Alps. A 9k prologue, There is no way I can win or get anywhere near the top 20 as I just do not have the power, and in the back of my mind I have 14 days to come with a knee that is a little bit of an unknown.

A fellow rider catching up on his zed's 50m from the finish, may be a little tired.