n and I thought that we would be the only ones riding the long route from the hotel. We managed to corral 7 more riders. The day started out warm and got warmer as we climbed up past Piazza Michael Angelo where we stopped for a photo op. We had a couple other regroups in the first few kilometers especially when we discovered that we missed a turn. Fortunately we had maps with us and could see a good alternative route. It turned out that this new route cut 6 kilometers from our day which was welcomed because of the tough climbs during the last part of our route. After we missed our turn, the tandem couple decided to double back to get on the correct, so that left 7 of us in our group.We stayed together until we reached the first hard climb of the day. It was getting pretty warm so we welcomed a brief rain shower that cooled us off. It was here where we met the rest of the riders who had taken a train from Florence to another town so that they could shorten the route.
At the top of the climb, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. It was after noon and we were getting hungry and tired so we need fuel and a rest. We ate lots of pasta and drank lots of water.
After lunch, our group really split up. We had a long, fast downhill and then a long, slow climb up to Volterra. I reached the hotel around 3:00. The van was not there to greet us with our luggage until 5:00. Tom had some trouble with it and had to go back to Florence for an exchange.
Happy Hour was at 6:00 and dinner was at 7:30. We went out for gelato afterwards.
The day was filled with fun and comradery. It was a difficult ride, though. The scenery while riding on the ridges was beautiful.
Here is a link to the record of our ride.
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