Ouch! That was a solid stage last night. Stage 7 was the first of the mountain stages – and it only gets worse from here. As a warm up, last night’s stage went from Como to Albese. Along the way the girls climbed the Muro di Sormano which is only 2 kilometres. Only 2 kilometres with an average gradient of 17%… and a maximum of 25%!?! As I said, OUCH!
Vicki is really struggling. Due to her Stage 1 crash she doesn’t have full power in her right leg. This is survivable on the flat but if you choose to climb something as steep as the Muro di Sormano you need all the power you have… and then some! Vicki is just having to get up as best she can.
The peloton blew apart last night (not surprising given the route) and crossed the line in small groups. In fact the ‘laughing bunch’, which was the biggest bunch by far and maybe should be called the peloton, crossed the line some 38 minutes behind the winner Evelyn Stevens (HTC Columbia). Vicki finished 31st in a small group that was 19’07″ down which drops her to 25th overall. Not for the first time this year I am left wondering what she might have done if Murphy hadn’t come a visiting.
Tonight’s Stage 8 is going to be a horror. It starts with a 30 kilometre, 5% average gradient climb. Get to the top and you still have two thirds of the stage and another two climbs to go. Given her injury I think Vicki is in for one tough day!
God bless,
Dave