My first European racing experience: Italy

Arriving in Italy with Drapac Pro Cycling, I was eager to go out and explore what great training the country had to offer.

Shortly after arriving at our team base, the Australian Institute of Sport’s European Training Center, I went exploring on the bike with some of my teammates and found some great training roads with amazing climbs through the mountains.

Riding on the right-hand side of the road took a bit to get use to at first, but it became natural eventually. The variety of training seemed endless and I couldn’t wait to explore more of the terrain. Australia has some great places to ride too, but Italy is like a cyclist’s playground.

Our schedule each day was modified if the weather turned bad, but on most days, we were able to get outside and ride. Finding small cafes in tiny villages filled with historic old buildings on our rides was all part of the experience. In the evenings each day, I did my recovery sessions which including a long stretch and massage, and then on other days I did a gym session to maintain my strength and power on the bike.

The most memorable ride was on a loop in the hills, when we were going up what they called the ‘Basso Climb,’ a 45minute climb into the snow-covered undergrowth. It was awesome!

Read more about my Italian trip over on Aqtocycling.com