Super fun Saturday morning ride with the team.

Todd and Melisa changed their scheduled tour today to Monday, so another day off.  I got up and rode with the team this morning, which was super fun.  I love taking people cycling, but it is really great not to be in charge and to have people pushing my pace and a group that simply goes after it.  We had 7 of us from the team this morning, and picked up an additional 5 on the way to Montelupo.  We continued with a group of 12 to the turn off to Vitolini, and were down to 8.  We broke apart as a group on the climb through Vitolini to Pinone, but regrouped at the top.  We returned down the climb less than one kilometer and took a turn off to descend to Limite, which was super fun.  I had ridden this road a few times, both up and down a number of years ago when I was first exploring this area, but had not been back there in around 4 or 5 years.  I loved the descent, and will use it again.

We regrouped in Limite, then rode into Montelupo and cut over to the ride up the valley to Cerbia.  This is a very pleasant ride, and today we rode it pretty fast together.  We again broke apart on the climb to Chiesa Nuova, and Lorenzo sprinted ahead of everyone.  He had stayed with someone slower on the Pinone climb, and had some energy to use.  He also is riding the 200 k Eroica next Sunday, and needed to have this energy.  I was a surprising second up the climb, and Davide was surprised when I passed him and gave me his congratulations at the top.  From Chiesa Nuova, we cruised fast together over to the turn off to Scandicci and down into Scandicci.  While riding through Scandicci, people started breaking off to go home.

Three of us powered almost all the way home together, and I returned in time to see the final pass through of the Junior men on their 5 laps in Firenze.  Pretty darn fun.  Today's ride was 56.6 miles in 3:24 rolling time for an average speed of 16.6 mph with 2382 vertical feet of climbing at an average temperature of 73.  Perfect.

Sabado con squadra - Pinone, Chiesa Nuova. by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

Here are a couple of pictures of the leading group of Pro Women on their way through at

the base of the Via Bolognese hill on their second of 5 times through.  Cool!