Billy Parker's Blog

Genoa To Rome Cycle Challenge 2015 Trip Blog by Billy Parker (Cyclist)

DAY ONE Genoa to La Spezia (116km) This morning all 53 of us gathered at the fountain in the Piazza Ferrari at 8.30am and each group rolled out in numerical order after a photo call. Our group entered the morning traffic and got about 500 metres when we realised half were missing. We pull in to be told that a good few are still at the fountain! A flavour of what was to transpire for the day in our group. Much stopping and starting and no real rhythm but a fun day nonetheless once we exited the endless traffic lights and junctions that populate the outskirts of Genoa.

The high spirits of the early morning were dampened somewhat by some very heavy rain showers that left us all soaking, slipping and sliding as we headed south along the coast the Rafello and then inland to tackle a 15k climb with an average of 5%. A real challenge to some in the group but they all made it up with a wonderful display of determination and guts. Lunch followed in a hilltop village and as the skies cleared we descended into the warmth of the valley below.

We arrived in La Spezia in the evening sun and following a quick change in the hotel headed out for a few beers and a stretch of the legs. Having passed through this town some years ago on a bus which left no impression whatsoever, this evenings walk and group meal resulted in a complete revision. A fine town with some wonderful pedestrianised streets full of locals and tourists. Families and groups of children and teenagers quietly and politely walking chatting and laughing as we meandered back to the hotel close to midnight. Off to Pisa tomorrow. Forecast is for more rain. Ironically my son Alan has to water my spuds at home!

DAY TWO La Spezia to Pisa (135km) A very special day on the bike. One of those memorable spins that far exceeded all expectations.

The 60% chance of rain very kindly produced a 40% no rain at all at all outcome and a day of multiple sun cream applications. A wonderful blend of sleepy mountain villages and bustling seaside resorts. A sharp contrast of unrecognisable perfume hilltop scents and the familiar intake of the salty sea smells as we skirted the coastal towns.

We like La Spezia. We like it even more as the exit from the town was largely free of traffic and traffic lights which resulted in a fast and uninterrupted getaway. A sharp climb just past the town removed any after effects of the seemingly never ending sumptuous 6 course meal and endless wine supply from the night before. Awake and humming we skimmed along the surprisingly long and highway like coastal road through the towns of Carrara and others merging into one another as we flashed past beaches and clubs populated by Italians rather than tourists. A welcome snack under a leafy shady tree and we headed inland and upwards. Lunch was perched on top of a unexpectedly high but spectacular hill and the effort to get there was well matched by the food and the spectacular views.

We left the lunch stop in the comforting knowledge that a handy downhill section beckoned and then a fast and flat 30k to the walled and beautiful town of Lucca. I sat here in an open square 4 years previously and listened to Crosby Stills and Nash. A unique town well worth a visit. Our destination for the day Pisa was now in our sights and winding country roads past fields of sugarcane maize and sunflowers welcomed us as we approached the famous town.

We arrived at the base of the Tower as the evening sun settled on its upper balconies and marvelled at the tilt that defies gravity. The customary selfie ensued. A fine hotel a fine meal, a fine bottle of red wine or two finished off a very fine and unforgettable day. Tuscany tomorrow.

DAY THREE Pisa to Siena (140km) A midnight beer in the piazza closest to the hotel followed by a sleepless night due to mosquito infiltration was not ideal preparation for a demanding day on the bike today. Pisa was a revelation as I clearly only saw the worst parts 4 years ago and now have seen the best so on balance a fine city and the entrance to the Tuscan hills with which we were about to become very familiar.

Highlight of the day was the climb up Monte Serra which has featured in the Giro and is a well known training route. Of even greater note and significance was my ascent in the company of Paul Kimmage one of our best professional cyclists and now one of our finest sports journalists. Paul is a friend of The Irish Hospice Foundation and has been of huge assistance in promoting this event. Each day he cycles with one of the groups and today it was mine. He very kindly and sportingly climbed at my pace as clearly the alternative would have been very short lived. The summit was disappointing comprising a mast and a tractor. Not in the least disappointing was what followed.

An unforgettable immersion in the Tuscany vineyards, Roman roads, Cypress trees hilltop villages and perfect cycling weather. Our smooth peloton weaved and meandered its way through this unique and intoxicating mixture of landscape and culture and we devoured it with relish. We did the same to our sumptuous lunch in the medieval town of San Gimignano with its magnificent square and towers. Legs laden with food and sprinkled with the ancient dust of this town we swooped up and down the endless hills of this captivating region heading for our destination for the day, Siena, a UNESCO world heritage site. And what a destination it was.

We entered the old cobbled city on our less than ancient carbon bikes and with much deftness and astute bike handling managed to avoid a collision with the multitude of pedestrians as we visited the famous Piazza del Campo. Another splendid day to pile upon yesterday and the events and memories of the demanding but rewarding peddle were washed and embellished with some fine red wine and a few more beers.

Our training regime and nightly preparation have assumed a familiar but satisfying pattern. Tomorrow we head deeper into Tuscany and Bolseno.

DAY FOUR Siena to Bolsena (150km) Rarely does the idyllic image get surpassed by reality.

Today in Tuscany it unfolded in a seemingly endless display. Reel after reel of iconic pictures presented themselves as live scenes. A patchwork quilt of rolling fields of various hues edged by lines of Cypress trees tumbled before our eyes as we climbed and descended hill after hill in a demanding undulating but ultimately hugely rewarding day on the bike. Photos do not and cannot capture the depth and breathing beauty of this region of Italy and from the vantage point of the only form of transport where the engine and passenger are one and the same, this was a special experience.

We emerged from Siena and into the hills in the early morning sun which created shapes and colours that had most of our group stopping and taking pictures at every opportunity. We were headed for Bolsena a town on the large inland crater lake of the same name.

The lake was 150km from our Siena hotel and 2400 meters of hills in between. Hills dotted with towering mansions, castles, villages and lines of soldier like trees arranged in formation. While mesmerised by the beauty of it all we still had to push and pull our way up and down the landscape under a hot and relentless sun. It made for a tough but very worthwhile day which culminated in a swim in the smooth and still waters of Lake Bolsena.

An evening meal on the shore followed by a few beers concluded yet another terrific day on this trip and leaves us with one final day tomorrow as we head for Rome.

DAY FIVE – FINAL DAY! Bolsena to Rome (130km) A palpable tiredness in the groups this morning. Yesterday's route and heat clearly taking their toll.

Thankfully a shorter distance today with less climbing and a promised exciting last 30k as we drop from the hills into the outskirts of Rome. Less exciting was the road surface. The difference between the roads in Tuscany and its adjoining administrative region of Lazio which we entered yesterday afternoon was remarkable and for us cyclists most unwelcome. Tuscany roads were smooth well maintained and entirely free of any potholes. Imagine the opposite and you have the Lazio roads. Thankfully a mix of luck and skill avoided both and all groups emerged unscathed.

Most of the climbing was done before lunch through villages and farmland and as the sun grew in intensity so did the desire for shade every time we regrouped. Another lunchtime feast of pasta and assorted dishes in Bagnaia together with our snack breaks set up by our support team fuelled us for the final assault on the ancient City of Rome. Some assistance was also lent by the very tasty cornetto which I devoured as part of my strict training regime which had successfully got me this far.

Rome and the Vatican City awaited our arrival. We swooshed off the surrounding hills and then promptly vanished. There along the Tiber exists a cycle path completely camouflaged with walls of tall grasses and reeds. It extends 12k and dispatches you into the city centre within minutes of St. Peter's Square. Apart from the need for some serious hedge trimming this path was both a wondrous and welcome delivery system without which our arrival in Rome would have been demanding and potentially treacherous in the rush hour traffic. With less than 5k to go our heretofore unimpeded and unheralded arrival was halted in its tracks. To our surprise and amusement a herd of sheep blocked our progress. Undaunted we worked our way around them and around the evening traffic which awaited at the end of the path. We snaked our way to the walls of the Vatican City and arrived in the Square as the sun and amused tourists looked on. We embraced and congratulated each other.

An emotional moment for many as their personal journey and tough physical challenge reached its destination and conclusion. Many were not regular or well-trained cyclists and these were the real heroes and heroines of the trip as their courage, determination and desire drove them onwards and upwards each day covering in excess of 600km in 5 days over a very demanding route. Each had their own private motivation for this wonderful challenge and its completion brings enormous personal reward and deservedly so.

In addition it has raised over â‚Ź100,000 for The Irish Hospice Foundation whose extraordinary work is experienced at some level by most of us. It was a privilege and honour to share the road, the pasta, the wine, the camaraderie and the experience with such a fine group of people, get the benefit of the words and wisdom of Paul Kimmage and see such unforgettable Italian scenery.

- Billy Parker