Mortirolo Day
The Giro d'Italia route today was from Brescia, where the stage finished yesterday, up to Edolo, turning left over the Passo Aprica, north to Mazzo, then turning right onto the dreaded Mortirolo (Passo di Foppa), down through Monno and back to Edolo, then back up the Passo Aprica once more to finish at the top in the town of Aprica. Today would hold two firsts for me: the first time I've ever seen the Giro d'Italia live on the roadside, and my first time riding up the Mortirolo.

The weather was very cloudy, not at all warm, and rain looked like a distinct possibility so I took a shoulder bag with load of clothing to keep me warm and dry while standing around for hours waiting for the race to come by. I rode to the top then decided to roll back down the hill for a couple of kilometres down the hill to where the road is steeper. I stopped and spent the afternoon with a bunch of guys from Grosio, about 5 km up the valley from Mazzo, the town at the bottom of the Mortirolo. They were a great bunch of guys, fortunately some could speak English, and they gave me beer and food while we waited for the race to get there. Great hospitality!

See also, photos from the Passo Gavia stage.