Sunday Ride, Polesden Lacey to New Malden via Redhill

Today was stage 15 in the Giro d'Italia, starting from Voghera in Lombardy and according to official sources finishing in Milan some 919 miles from Polesden Lacey in Colline del Surrey (Surrey Hills); at this juncture we made the break. 

 

We surged with the full force of tension cabled limbs.  The bottom bracket of each bike a vortex of power.  Lungs like burning furnaces powering our thighs.  The soles of our feet pumping levered pedals.  Wheels cutting the dust on the tarmac.  Down the short descent to the first real test of the day, the infamous Vicolo della Cappella (Chapel Lane), under a fireball sun blasting a temperature of 30 C plus, mercilessly whipping our backs on this the hottest day of the year and hotter than any day in May... ever.  

 

Like gladiators staring into the eye of Destiny we tore at our foe.  We held our lead.  And on we pressed in the silence of the blistering heat, louder than the baying crowd of the anfiteatro (amphitheatre).  And out came gladiatore after gladiatore; Vicolo della Grande Coppa da Punch (Punchbowl Lane), Collina Trompe (Trumpets Hill) and Via Doods in the citta di Collina Rossa (Doods road, Redhill).  We were so far ahead.  When I looked back Vingegaard (overall leader in this year’s Giro) and the rest of il gruppo (peleton) were nowhere in sight.   

 

We took a short break at the Taverna del Sole (The Sun, Whetherspoons).  Back on our biciclettes we got.  The gladiatori were waiting, the combined chill boning horrors of Vicolo de la Collina Roccioso (Rocky Lane), la Salita de Markedge (Markedge Lane) and worst of all the hellish Via de la Salita de Cannonica (Rectory Lane).   

 

We had conquered...Rome was a long way but la Citta de Banstead was ours.   It was not over. One final test... the notorious downhill descent from Banstead to Worcester Park. And there it was, the Flamme Rouge, one final kilometre to the end of the dream. 

 

This had been a day where the hills had come alive to the sound of bicycles*, where the Giro had entered the Surrey Hills on a gloriously sunny day; “e bello essere un ciclista!” (it’s good to be a ciclyst”). 

 

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*Thanks to Steph for the clever twist on this line from the Sound of Music. 

 

My fellow Ciclistas were: Christina, Steph, Sabina, Karl, Eric, David W and Andy.  Keith, Carolyn, Diane, David and Audrey joined us for Elevenses at the Court Cafe in Polesden Lacey. 

 

Not knowing how to speak the language my recent new great buddy, AI, provided the Italian dressing to this piece. 

 

There is a real link to this day in May, 24th, in the Giro apart from it being stage 15 of this year’s race.  Back in 1987 Stephen Roche, on this day, won the time trial in stage 3 taking the overall lead and eventually winning the race overall.  That year he also won the Tour and the World Race Championship, Cycling's ‘Triple Crown’.  I looked it up! 

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