Video Preview: Colle delle Finestre
by Willj on May 27, 2011 11:36 AM EDT
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Gasping for breath after the jump.
Colle delle Finestre via cyclingchallenge (@ youtube)
A few random thoughts:
- The steepest short ramps seemed to be around the second kilometre. The rest of the climb is generally very steadily steep @ 8.5% - 10%. No place to rest.
- The first 10 kms are beautifully paved - and narrow - with loads of hairpins as the road climbs through a forest.
- I saw just two motor vehicules. A road sweeper, and a truck painting fresh white lines on edges of paved stretch. Beautiful.
- The 8 unpaved kilometres were clearly just flattened over for the Giro - note the steam roller parked at the top. Very smooth, especially the first few kms. But it may deteriorate a little with all the fans and support cars.
- At the top are two monuments to Danilo Di Luca - he was first over Finestre in 2005, it's only other Giro appearance.
- Easy to miss: above the Colle is an interesting "garden" with monuments celebrating the most famous cycling climbs (Stelvio, Mortirolo, Gavia, Ventoux, Tourmalet, Izoard, Galibier, and Alpe d'Huez)
Smoothest un-paved road evah?
If interested, a few of my Finestre pics at FLICKR are here along with some from a sunnier day (taken by Eric the domestique).
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moost awesome
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
oh that's just awesome
thanks Will. You seemed to be moving at a good clip up there (unless, of course it was a stunt double).
I can't be 100% certain
but I have reason to believe that first image has been manipulated as well…..
Would you care
to document those reasons? You’ll feel better after.
If cobble delusions are wrong, who wants to be right? -JFS PGH
by Chris Fontecchio on May 27, 2011 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Awesome, Will. Thanks.
The soundtrack was excellent – kinduva late ’70s Rockford Files/Mannix comeback montage theme. Very nice.
Proactively "From the Sea"; leveraging the littoral best practices for a paradigm breaking six-sigma best business case in the global commons, rightsizing the core values supporting our mission statement via the 5-vector model through cultural diversity
yeah, I liked that music too
Since I am too old for copyright infringement, I have this great CD: Soundtracks for iMovie with hundreds of copyright free soundtracks. Lots are really very good.
Works well enough with little videos like this
moo
This is so very extremely win
The bar is raised once again around here.
I like tinkering with the boys.
- majope
This is full of win
Frustration has a way of releasing itself, rarely in a logical manner. -jsallee00
Your accelerations
are almost otherworldly. Great job.
All that snow… you must get some little blasts of chilled air up there?
If cobble delusions are wrong, who wants to be right? -JFS PGH
by Chris Fontecchio on May 27, 2011 3:43 PM EDT reply actions
it was a little chilly at the top
but I was primarily worried about an approaching storm …. from experience I had 2 extra jackets, a spare vest, leggings, etc. But no worries this time.
moo
Will, I want you to give this idea some thought.
Next time you put together a new film give us a day or two advance warning and tell us what time so when you put the video up we can live blog, with the appropriate beverage on hand. I think your films (I call them films, they are not just videos) deserve a world premiere type of atmosphere. Thanks!
Sign seen at entrance of local bike shop, " \o/ spoken here.". - Okay, I made it up, but wouldn't that be cool?
The garden isn't complete
If cobble delusions are wrong, who wants to be right? -JFS PGH
by Chris Fontecchio on May 27, 2011 4:09 PM EDT reply actions
I have to admit
that pic cracks me up
Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger...
by TheFigurehead on May 27, 2011 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
eat your heart out
Davide Cassani :-)
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
ooh, gavia is gonna get you for that.
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
I feel unworthy
even to read this site. The blue hat . . . the videos . . . the Barbies. The bar is set so very, very high.
It's true
please stop reading. All of you.
If cobble delusions are wrong, who wants to be right? -JFS PGH
by Chris Fontecchio on May 27, 2011 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Awesome job, Will
Very entertaining
[Pigilito has a] lifetime stupid statement pass [on PdC] -- Yeehoo
How many cars did you have in support?
Also, I find the lack of helicopter shots appaling. Surely, you can do better :)
Seriously, thanks again for that great video, I wonder if the bad weather from today will make people regret they don’t have a MTB like you :)
Very, very cool
I like to think you were sent back down to ride each hairpin two or three times… “Oh, I don’t think I go the shot…”
He He had to ride to the hairpin apex (or whatever its called), set up video camera, ride back down,
ride all the way through the hairpin, ride back down to get the camera, and then ride back up to the next hairpin. Whew. I’m tired just typing it.
Or his Belgian Domestique rode ahead with video camera.
"At Hoogerland all the rides are pointless and a waste of energy" -Jens
Hee, then check he had the footage, realise the camera wasn't turned on/lens cap wasn't taken off etc and do it all again!
So if you think about it, he probably rode twice the climb the pros do!
by Sarah Connolly on May 28, 2011 5:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Nice tongue expressions Will. Fun times.
Thank you for sharing with us slackers who have never ridden an Alpe or Colle.
"At Hoogerland all the rides are pointless and a waste of energy" -Jens
i think this pass
along with blue-hat-frinking-art pass in france are the two cols i’d most like to climb.
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