I am a cycling groupie!?

Lets skip the stories on Friday and cut to the chase, Giro di Lombardia.

Okay out of the 12 readers I have, according to Brian's math, most of you may not be cyclist. Go ahead and click that red X in the upper right corner of your browsers or click one of the other blogs to your right or continue your web surfing to the next destination. You'll probably find the rest uninteresting.

Saturday morning Nate (a kid my age for Pennsylvania who is a cyclist and had been staying the area for a couple days and was staying my hostel room on Friday night) and I got up to early and headed to our pre-planned stake out between two downhill switch backs just outside Menaggio, where we were staying. Nate wanted to get their early, we arrived 3 hours before the earliest planned arrival of the riders. We headed back into Menaggio grabbed a news paper, meat, cheese, and bread. Then we headed back up to our stake out an hour and half before the riders were suppose to arrive, I took a nap, with an awesome view:

The riders finally showed up behind schedule flying down the hill. Graham Watson, a famed American cycling photographer, was set up above and across from us, I made his website fifth photo on the left. Nate and I walked down into Menaggio and caught a ferry across to Bellagio, the next placed we planned to see the riders. We didn't know exactly where the riders we going to be but we had a general idea, we took off in that general direction. We came to the bottom of the Madonna del Ghisallo, upon arriving there we meet a group of crazy Italians: Photo couristy of Nate Ryan.

Nate, who's competent in Italian started talking to them about how to get to Como before the racers, our plan to go back into Bellagio and catch either a ferry or bus to Como, ideal arriving within a couple of minutes of the riders. Scratch that, they offered both of us rides to Como. The break of eight rolled through, with the peloton on the prowl the catch was soon going happen. The pack rode by, it was much harder to see specific riders this time compared to the decent, although they were going slower they were not in a single file line like on the decent. One of the crazy Italians gave this Predictor – Lotto rider a big push (he was already way of the back), little did I know this was our ticket to the Predictor – Lotto VIP only after party, more on that later. Photo couristy of Nate Ryan.

Nate, I and the seven Italian ran down the hill, jumped in their cars and took off towards Como, speeding through the sweeping turns that run parallel to lake. It was beautiful road, made more interesting by the driver honking and hollering at every girl we passed and by the fact that I did not speak the whole car ride. We arrive in Como with time to spare, parking illegally in a handicapped spot near the finishing straight. Nate and I were split up since we were in different cars, I headed towards the finish line. I was able to understand a little of the action taking place on the run into Como from the announcer and managed to catch a few glimpses on a jumbotron. I caught sight of Damiano Cunego sprinting pass Riccardo Ricco, his breakaway companion, near 50 meters to go, when Cunego crossed the line, the Italian dominated crowd erupted in excitement. (Note for the few non cyclists still reading: Cunego is a good and popular Italian rider).

I walked over to the awards podium to see the riders receive their flowers, awards and kisses: not from each other. Cycling isn't that gay of a sport, yet.

I meander through the nearby shops and sponsor booths, finding little of interest. I headed back down the finishing straight towards the team buses. Upon my arrival I saw the Predictor – Lotto bus standing nearby were, Nate and my Italian friends, score. I head over there, I was immediately handed three pieces of salami between bread, I guess that constitutes a sandwich in Italy. There was plenty of champagne, autograph seekers, pro riders, and cycling groupies, like myself. On the cycling fan food chain I was one tier from the autograph seekers. I was about to head towards the train station when the mac daddy of Predictor – Lotto casual walked off the bus, none other than Cadel Evans (Another note for you non cyclist: He's an all-round badass Aussie that finished fourth in the Vuelta a España, second in the tour this year, and sixth that day).

All the pros were nice, talkative and very casual. It capped off an amazing day. Well then I saw Paolo Bettini (a final note: He's two time world champion, Olympic gold medalist and he's won a lot of other races, too) on my way to the train station entering a hotel for a real after party. He rolls rainbow strips and gold, impressive. I felt like a paparazzi taking this picture, Bettini is the short bald guy with a black jacket in the middle.

The train hopping back to Ferrara was uneventful until I found Bella missing from the train station.

Last seen: 6:03 a.m. Friday morning locked to a bike rack at the train station.

Last seen with: many other random people's bikes.

Last seen wearing: Black tubes all around with a new shiny silver wheel.

Reward: A couple bottle of wine of fancy wine.

The silver lining, my Italianness has increased another notch now that I have had a bike stolen. After Bella turned up missing, I ripped my favorite jeans and realized I package from Whitney was lost in the mail. But the tide is changing, I won 5 Euro coupon at the grocery store playing an Italian bowling game that you get tickets to play based on what you buy, I'm going to go pay the real Italian lottery, now. Oh wait I lied, as I was posting the blog I found my trip next weekend to Barcelona via a travel service is canceled.

Ciao.