The people of Belluno have concluded the randonée of Parabiago which includes 1600 kilometers and 15,000 meters of elevation gain
What a feat for the Belluno strays. Pierluigi Bonora, Carlo Dal Farra and Stefano Da Ros, at the end of August, were pro protagonists of the “1001 Miglia”, the longest and most extreme cycling randonée (a test for which there are no rankings, but only a defined route, a timetable of departure and a maximum time) of the old continent.
Departure from Parabiago (Milan), then off to Emilia, overcoming the Apennines and down to Tuscany, until reaching Upper Lazio, Lake Bolsena. From here, it climbs up touching Siena and Lucca, Liguria and Piedmont. Final landing again in Parabiago.
1001 miles, in fact, that is 1601 kilometers. And 15 thousand meters in altitude.
The fastest was the most experienced of the three, namely Bonora (Valbelluna Cycling Union), born in 1952, a very respectable curriculum in the world of “strays”, as the protagonists of the randonée are called.
“For me, this was the second experience of the five 1001 miles disputed so far,” explains Bonora, who started from Parabiago with 13.500 kilometers of preparation and an excellent wealth of experience. «This edition took place in an anticlockwise direction with respect to the past ones. The route has been divided into 17 sections, with the relative controls. I left at 16:53 in the company of Carlo Dal Farra (Uc Limana) and Stefano Da Ros (Due Ruote Sport) and I traveled the first day with them. Then everyone went on with different rhythms: over long distances I find it better to travel alone. In company, too much time is lost in pauses and also in sleep management, everyone has different needs. As on other occasions they are very beautiful and important experiences, refreshments are like railway stations. Cyclists who arrive, depart, sleep on the ground or with their heads on the table where they ate », Bonora says. «A thank you certainly goes to all those volunteers who welcomed us with such kindness and patience all along the way. I traveled a lot at night, during the day it was very hot and it was not always easy to find the fountains to cool off a little. My total time was 116 hours and 8 minutes, on my bicycle I spent 76 hours, traveled 1610 km with a positive difference in altitude of just over 15000 meters, I traveled with Bianchi Oltre Sr4 racing bikes carrying eight kilograms between various clothing and accessories. I did not have any accidents or particular problems during the trip, however, as you can imagine, the fatigue is a lot, you arrive with broken bones, for a few weeks you lose the sensitivity of the toes and hands, also because unfortunately I traveled many kilometers on roads with a really bad surface, including cycle paths. But then everything passes and you are rewarded by what you have seen, with the discovery of natural and architectural beauties and peculiarities unique in the world, which is one of the objectives of the 1001 Miglia ».
These are the travel times of the three from Belluno: Pierluigi Bonora 116 hours 09’17 ”; Carlo Dal Farra 132 hours 39’56 “; Stefano Da Ros 132 hours 40’23 “.
There were 230 finishers, coming from different European countries but also from Canada and the United States.ILARIO TANCON
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