Mud, Cows, Rome, Rain, Dogs…
158.75 Miles
16:14:00 Moving Time
19:33:05 Elapsed Time
12,425ft Elevation
9.8mph Average
Stopping around 1.30 am this morning and waking at 4.30am didnt really give me much of a sleep with the riders still coming past. Lesson learned, I will not sleep this close to the trail again.
Anyway, I pull myself out of the comfort of the bivvy bag, pack up and am away by 5am. Its still pitch black. The wind is coming in strong from the sea and i am pleased when the route turns East, inland and the side wind becomes a tail wind. Although the rain doesn’t help.
As the sun rises, I near Latina after 30 miles of riding, where I am craving a coffee. I pull into the first place i see, order a coffee and some sweet pastries, although my tummy was craving savoury, it was one of the only places open.
After a refuel, i head on and up the first climb of the day. All road and I am feeling good after breakfast, so I push on and pass a few riders whilst listening to my Italy Divide playlist. A good part of the day.
At the top, the heavens open and the rain drops are massive. Then it stops again after 5 minutes. The air is warm so the rain drys from the road quickly.
After this road section, the route joins the Via Francegina, which is, according to Wikipedia is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land
Its tough going in some places, with parts forcing me to get off the bike and push. But the scenery is amazing, past 2 large lakes, Lake Nemi and Lake Albano. There is a lot of clay like mud too, which sticks to the tyres, making them heavy and useless to ride in. I stop a few times on the worst sections to scrape the worst of it off and clean the bike in a water fountain in the beautiful town of Nemi.
Passing groups of pilgrims, including a few Nuns, I was eventually spat out of the hills and onto the Via Appia Antica, the true Roman Road. Turns out the first section was completed as a military road to the south in 312 BC. Cobbles the size of paving slabs. It was fun going, dodging day trippers, cows and the odd adventurous car in the baking sunshine. All roads lead to Rome, especially this one. Such a privilege to cycle this.
After riding all the way round the base of the colosseum, I bumped into a few other racers, so we road out of the busy city streets together, past the Vatican and onto a smooth cycle path.
I hadn’t eaten anything proper since 6 am and it was now 4pm, so I was pretty hungry. I thought so close to Rome there would be a lot of choice, but not. I find a bar/cafe which makes an amazing sandwich for me and I sit outside with the locals, drinking coffee, coke and stuffing my face with carbs.
I set off feeling full and ready to ride into the night. As the sun is setting, I turn onto a dirt road and a dog is standing in the middle of the road and staring right at me. I slow down and it start to run towards me. I get off to try diffuse the situation, but I find out straight away this is a bad idea. The dog starts barking at me and then 4 other dogs from a nearby field join. Now this isnt a good part of the day.
I put the bike in between me and the dogs and start walking along the route. The dogs continue to follow, jump up and bark at me. A few of them have one eye, so i’m sure they wouldn’t think twice about sinking their teeth into one of my pale legs! This continues for around 3 minutes, but it feels like 3 hours. Then, they turn around. I turn back, they aren’t following and looks like they are guarding a flock of sheep. Phew. I sprint for a little bit, catch my breath and try to ease back into the ride.
Oh yeah, then it rains a lot.
I am still on edge, every farm I pass, Im sprinting when I hear dogs. Luckily all of them are behind fences. It is now dark.
I stop in the next village, Capranica and look for somewhere inside to sleep. I knock on doors, no luck. I ring a number on a bnb door, but no luck. It is a national holiday in Italy and there is no room anywhere. When I set off again, I see a light behind me and it is another rider. Tom from Bristol. I am pleased to see someone, and I think he is too, as we relay similair stories from the same sheepdogs. We agree to ride together to the next city, where we will try and find somewhere to stay.
The next 30 mile or so is up and down and we both are still sprinting every time we hear sheepdogs. The company is welcome, for both of us as we chat about anything and everything to try and distract us from the barking dogs of the night!
We reach Viterbo around 2am. Circle the streets looking for a hotel and then find a Best Western where we are hopeful as its massive. We walk into the warm reception, no joy. We ask if we can sleep in the conference room, no. We leave deflated. I have decided im not cycling anymore tonight and we agree to roll our bivvy bags out, just round the side of the hotel, out the sight of the reception.
I fall asleep pretty much straight away. Then an hour later I hear water. Is it rain, no, its the sprinklers! I grab the head and twist it in the other direction and go back to sleep. Then another hour later, some different ones start and soak us both, as well as my bike clothes that are drying on my bike. Not a good part of the day. Although after the move of a few meters, we are out of the spray of the sprinkler and I fall straight asleep again.
Jordan Matthews 