Nice tour into the Mugello

After catching up with lots of basic stuff this morning, and with plans to use Kate's car to do a big shopping this afternoon, I had around 3 hours to get in a good ride.  This was perfect, as I am planning a pretty big ride with the team tomorrow morning.  At this point, I can check both Strava and Garmin to see how long rides have taken in the past, and I checked today's plan at 2-1/2 hours which is pretty much what it took.  It is nice to have the records so I can be mostly on time, which I am quite compulsive about.  I guess that may be obvious after saying I checked records of prior rides for timing.  Oh well, I am who I am, and basically I am pretty happy with it.

I rode up Via Bolognese to Pratolino.  The steepest part of the climb really let me know I had been mostly off the bike for a week, as yesterday's ride was pretty short and easy.  The lactic worked itself through my quads and flushed out after the descent into Vaglia.  This descent is nothing short of spectacular with around 12 full switchbacks on a tiny road.  After Vaglia, there are 15 to 20 kilometers where you can hit and maintain a pretty good spin, which flushed all the lactic and warmed up the legs better.  Part of that 20k is the start of the climb to Croce alla Vetta, which I thought I totally powered up today, but Strava said only my 4th fastest time.  I decided to descend to Fiesole and either take the road to Pian de Mugnone or descend directly through San Domenico.

The new pavement was in at the top of the Pian de Mugnone turn off, so I took that option.  Wow, super fast and perfect pavement.  This is part of the loop in Florence that will get 11 laps in the pro world championship race.  There is a place right when you are descending to Pian de Mugnone where the road does a hard 90 degree turn right after a sustained 15% descent.  I almost over cooked and ended up close to the retaining / guard wall, as the train tracks are right on the other side.  I can only imagine the speeds the pros will take into that turn and how they will get through it.  Kind of fun to think about.

After Pian de Mugnone, a good hard crank back into town through Piazza della Cure.  Nice, fun ride.  Summary is 37.4 miles in 2:28 for an average speed of 15.1 mph with 3205 vertical feet of climbing at an average temperature of 87.  Finally cooling off.

Short giro de Mugello by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

Such beautiful roads between Pratolino and Bivigliano on the tiny back road.