So, my main problem was this : find the TIME !!!!.......and my choice was headed
about this fact : choose a Big near home that I could had do it in the late
afternoon after work, naturally in the long days of the summer.
It remained the famous Mortirolo…..half an hour on the flat by bike from
my house in Tirano…..and a very famous climb known everywhere.
My idea was to begin in the winter for to do at least 2 or 3 climbs before the
spring – summer.
Many of you remember my climb in January 2009 with the mountain bike on a wonderful
snowed surface, very compact snow flatted by the local motor-sledge that use
the Mortirolo in the winter for their fun …………so, in this
2010 I try many times to reach the top on the snow, but unfortunately, and differently
respect the 2009, the road was always iced, not snowed, but iced like a skating
field, so also with nails-tyres it was impossible and too much dangerous have
a climb.
Never forget that the 2010 was very important about the meters of snow falled
down ……
The road was so opened only some days before the stage of the Giro d’ Italia, at the end of May, and I had to wait the passage of the “Corsa Rosa”, for to plane something.
I was on the way to say NO to the Ironbig , like I said to the Presi-Dan in
UK meeting in middle May ; it remained me 5, maybe 6 months for to climb 25
times the Mortirolo.
It means give all my free time to that terrible slope………
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THE FINALLY DECISION
One Saturday, in the late afternoon, it was the 5 of June, I decided to approach
the first ramps from Mazzo, the classic hard side, above all for to see my condition,
and after this first impression decide or not to begin the Ironbig.
The climb was terrible, both for the hot and probably for the not great conditions of mine in that day ; ..... I was not sure to decide to start the Ironbig ……..
In June there are the longest days of the year, so in my mind there was only one question : Mauro, if you want to do the 25 Mortirolo , you have to decide NOW , not tomorrow, but now, because it could be too much late.
After 3 days, the next Tuesday, I was just on that hard slope for the second time; this one went very well (strangely, it was fresh) , I did a good climb ……..the decision was taken, GOOOOOOOOO!!!
For the explanation of every climbs, give a look to the other comment ;
Here , instead, you will find some of my considerations-thoughts about this extraordinary and experience that I will never forget :
1)..…..GREAT CHALLENGE FOR ME !!
For a 2 thousand Km a year cyclist like me (and now not too much younger, I
am 47, this has been a great challenge and a great final result…….I
have no much free time for to go with the bike, so I use this time only for
climbing (…and I really hate pedaling on the flat……..) ; so,
did 25 Mortirolo in 4 months with few Km in the legs, for me has been absolutely
a fantastic result.
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2)…… GIVE ALWAYS THE MAX …... !!!
One of my fundamental rules was / is : to do all the climbs giving always the
maximum, each time (means no tourist climbing, but always push at my best) .
…..and for have the power to give the maximum, I decide to have the right
rest between each single climb : if possible 3-4 days for give time to the body
to recuperate……………. I did it !!!.
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3) …. ANY STOP !!!!!
Second rule : do all the climbs without any stop (this is a fundamental rule
for every climbs I have to do ) , I did it !!!!
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4) ….WHICH SIDE ????.............and WHICH BIKE ??
My desire was to do the most of the 25 climbs from Mazzo, because it is the
classic side, it is the hardest and……………a challenge
is a challenge, or not ???
So, only in 4 times I did the other two roads (2 from Grosio and 2 from Monno),
for to give importance to these sides because they are easier but very nice
climb, and worth both a visit (above all Grosio side deserve total respect)
;
About bike…….I would like to use more different bikes than possible…..…..so,
at the end, 5 bikes took part at the Mortirolo Ironbig……….I would
like also to use an MTB-VTT but on the tarmac road it is not a pleasure !!!!!
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5) …..BETTER MORNING OR AFTERNOON ???
I discovered that my body works better in the morning climbs ; in the afternoon
my chrono-climb- time were always higher respect the morning ;
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6)……THE IMPORTANCE TO KNOW THE SLOPE OF ONE CLIMB
After the first 5-6 climbs my chrono- time have had a great improvement ; I
did the fatest climb the 4 of september (climb n 19) , in the morning ….
…..after some climbs you know very well the road, and you understand better
when to push more and when go regular without exaggerate in the steepest parts
……
…here a story happened one day =
“” during the climb of 4 july it happened an interesting thing that
explain what I said above about to know the road you climb : after 2
km from the start from Mazzo, in the "only"
10-12 % slope of the first part , I overtook a
cyclist, like me with a race bike........it
looked like old about like me............... At the
km n. 4 , when the very steep (20-22
%) part begin, I turn back my
eyes and I see him behind me.......he
went more than me in this steep part,
and he overtook me.I thought in my
mind 2 things :
a) that cyclist was very strong ;
b) that cyclist don’t known very well the
Mortirolo.For a long time during ascent
I did not see him in front of
me, and I thought.........that
is really a strong cyclist !!!!
When the steep part finished, at
3 km to the top, suddenly, behind
a hairpin, I saw him...........he pedaled
very tired and very slow...........I passed
him and I arrived to the top many
minutes before ....
I know the road better than him,
and I know that Mortirolo must be divided
in 3 parts :
a) from km 0 to 3 -
you can go fast ....steep 12-14 %....max 18% but
for few meters……
b) from km 3 to 9 - terrible part.....you
have to NOT NOT NOT exaggerated, but climb
MORE REGULAR AS POSSIBLE …
c) from km 9 to 12 - the road
become easier (?) , 12-14 %......max point 16 % .....you can
go faster (IF YOU HAVE ENERGY !!!)CONCLUSION
: that cyclist don’t known
the climb..............so he went
fast in the central steep
part (6 km long !!) and he
burned all his energy !!!!!!!! .........I passes
him like I was on a motor-bike...............and
he don’t believed at his eyes
when I passed him , because probably
he thoughts to have given to
me a lot of distance......””
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7) ……EXPERIMENT……..
I did for experiment 2 climbs without to do breakfast , but after a good dinner
the evening before ; well, I have had absolutely NO problems during that climbs
also without breakfast ; but it has been only a test….all we know how important
is the breakfast !!
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8 ) ….. PEDALING IN THE DARK
…….. about pedaling in the dark ……. it could seemed a strange
thing, but I noticed that during the climb of the 07 august in the dark, I gave
less importance to the slope……or maybe, the road seemed not so hard
and steep………………probably because it was impossible
to see the road in front of you ??……and psychologically I remember
that my mind thought only to pedal, and not to worry about the steep section
that waited me……I remember very well to have told to my sons that
were alongside me with the quad that the climb seemed less steep than usual
!!!!!!!!!
……….incredible sensation !!!
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9) ….. ANIMALS ON THE ROAD
I remember that during the descent I met in the middle of the road a couple
of deer and a roe …….wonderful………but also dangerous……do
you know how many cars are involved in accident with the animals here ??? do
you imagine a crash with the bike with one of these deer ??? …….so,
I decided that was better go slow in descent, also because the road is narrow
and there are many blind curves ……
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10) ……. 25 DIFFERENT JERSEY
I did the 25 climbs with 25 different jersey, for to do at the end a poster
for remember me this great challenge.
I want to thanks all the friends helped me for to have new jerseys (thanks Roland
Schuyer and Kleijberg shop for their jersey - thanks Francois Candau for his
personal old Peugeot maillot and Haute Normadie uniform - thanks Claudio Montefusco
for Club Saint Andreu Barcelona - thanks Johanna Kovacs for Union Jack and Marmite
jerseys – thanks Corrado Spada for old Bianchi maillot……..)
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11) …..DIFFERENT GEARS ………
For the n. 20 I decided , in honour of the old Peugeot jersey gave me from the
Frenchman Francois Candau, to use one of my old bike “Bianchi”…..a
1985 model ……a bike made of steel, 11 kg, not properly a bike like
the one of today…….but the great difference was the gear……my
old Bianchi have a 39 in front……….and for me, users since the
beginning of my career of the compact of 34 teeth ( I want to remember that
I am a serious cyclist only since 2004, before, with the bike, I just went to
buy the newspaper…..) , climb the Mortirolo with the 39 was really a strange
experience………
I needed half a climb (6 km) for to find a regular pedal………before
, I remember, it seemed the bike want not to come up………I had
to stand up many times, but the road was wet………in conclusion,
an interesting experience, but I desired to come back quickly to my compact
!!!!!
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12)………..THE DAY MORTIROLO said…… NOOOOOOO !!!!
Thursday 15 july I attached another time the road and , after 5 km , in the
middle of the hardest part, I “heard a voice”………….it
was Mr. Mortirolo that said to me : “…..Mauro, it is better to come
back home today…….why continue in this hell (hot) ???.......”
….it was incredible hot and humid, I sweated like a river, my heart - beat
was terrible high, so I decided for the first time to not continue the climb,
and to wait more fresh temperature !!!
Wise decision !!!! this is the only time my body refused to go away….
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13) …..STRANGE and BAD THOUGHTS …….
When I missed 8 climbs to the target I began to have some bad thoughts in my
mind : the day became shorter and it was impossible to go after the work……..the
18 of sept in Mortirolo road there was a stage of a rally- car race , so the
drivers, in the days before the race, try and try and try the road……so
road was closed for some days !!!!.......
……...Will I be able to finish the Ironbig , I thought ?????
…and then…… if I take a flu for some days ??? and if I had a physical accident, maybe also a simple accident ???? ohhhh…....it would be a pity throw away some Mortirolo done in 3 months !!!!!........so sometimes I was worried not to be able to finish the challenge……
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14)………PEDALING WITH MORE THAN 30° DEGREES
It will be because I am a mountain man, but I like the cold …….and
I hate the hot !!
….for this climbing with more than 30° degrees with high humidity has
been terrible hard for me………
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15)………PEDALING IN THE RAIN or WET ROAD
I like it very much !!.......after the first moment while you pass from dry
to wet, then things go better, and for me climbing Mortirolo under grey sky
and rain was really great!!!
…the only problem was that with wet road it is difficult to pedal stand
up……the rear wheel slip like on the ice…….so you have to
stay sit on the saddle most of the time……..but when the slope is not
too much steep, it is possible to find the right balance of the weight of your
body , and try to stand up pedaling…..
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16)………OLD BIANCHI BIKE
I would like that my old “Bianchi Sprint 1976” take part of this Ironbig………why
not try a climb with the bike my dad bought me when I was 13 years old ?? …the
choice of the climb was Monno side, because with the hard gears the Bianchi
1976 have (39-24) , from Mazzo it should be a not satisfating climb…….but
also from Monno side there are part at 15 % with max 17 %......I had to stand
up on the pedal and push very strong ……at the beginning of the climb
I thought that should be impossible do the entire road without stop and without
put the feet on the ground……..but at the end I was able to finish
the climb with any stops……….I had only to push very strong on
the last 2 km, the steepest of the Monno side……….I weared old
clothes, the same of Fausto Coppi, and during the climb I thought about that
hard times with that hard gears….Coppi, Bartali & Co were really great
climbers !!!!!!!..............
I am very proud to have been able to brought the bike of my youthness……so high !!!
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17)…..IN MEMORY ……
At the end of the climb with my old Bianchi, my wife took some pictures with
the sign "Mortirolo Pass" ... .. but this time not the sign with the
usual plate , but with what is found on the side of Monno.
I noticed a small metal plate in Dutch language... ... ... ... .. about a cyclist
who died in June 2010, and the words engraved on it was clear that he loved
a lot the Mortirolo ... ... ... so I mailed the photo to the member Big Martin
Kool who managed to contact the wife of the cyclist, Hans, died of cancer at
the age of 54 ... ... I have had several exchanges of emails with this woman;
I want to dedicate also to them this experience.
... I made one of the 25 climbs with the shirt of one of my favorite rock bands,
the Gotthard. ... Just last week in a road accident has killed the singer, Steve
Lee, who accompanied me with his voice in all these years ... ... I've never
met him personally but I considered him like a friend ... ...
…a BIG thoughts are also to him; infact in the video that you can see on
Youtube
I have used a Gotthard song to accompany the images.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18)……..LAST CLIMB……..WITH SHOPPING BIKE…..WHAT A CHALLENGE
!!!
Sunday 10 - 10 - 2010 at 10 am leaving for the last climb of this wonderful
experience ... .. with a bike a little special ... ... the old bike of my wife
.... brand “LERI” , the bike that today that I use to go shopping
... ... .. it is a lot of time that I wanted to engage a climb with this bike
d ... ... ... and the opportunity just came.
About the climb, what can I say ??......
First ... .... I had to go as smooth as possible with this bike cos it is very
difficult to pedal up because it takes a very unnatural position ... ....
Second ... .. not having the clips on the pedals, the ride was just pushing
down with no possibility of pulling ... .... I should also be careful not to
slip on the pedals having no attack ... ...
Third ... ... on a climb like this, the typical tourist handlebars would not
allow to stand up and exercising power ... ...
Fourth ... .. in the end I used "only" 15 minutes longer than my record
with the race bike ... .. I thought sincerely to spend more time ... ... I am
very happy with the result!
Fifth ... .. I was afraid that the bike had some mechanical problems ... ...
but especially my fear was that it breaks the delicate aluminum handlebars ...
... ... ... in the end everything went well!
So , beautiful end of my Ironbig!
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FINAL STATISTICS of MAURO REPETTI MORTIROLO IRONBIG
Sides =
21 climbs from MAZZO - average slope 10,50 % - max slope 22 %
2 climbs from GROSIO - average slope 8,3 % - max slope 21 %
2 climbs from MONNO - average slope 7,6 % - max slope 17 %
Bikes =
17 climbs with Carbon “Spada” - weight kg 7,7 - (max gears front 34
- rear 29)
5 climbs with Alu “Spada” - weight kg 8,4 - (max gears front 34 -
rear 32)
1 climb with steel “Bianchi 1985” - weight kg 10,8 - (max gears front
39 - rear 29)
1 climb with steel “Bianchi Sprint 1976” - weight kg 11,5 - (max gears
front 39 - rear 24)
1 climb with woman bike LERI - weight kg 15,2 - (max gears front 32 - rear 28)
Most gears used = Front : 34 or 39
Rear :
Km 0 - 3 = 21-23-25-27
Km 3 - 9 = 25-27-29
Km 9 - 12 = 21-23-25-27
First climb = 05 june 2010
Last climb = 10 october 2010
Total mt climbed = 33.000 mt
Total km (only climb) = 328 km
Total time = 31 hours (only CLIMBS)
75 hours (start from Tirano - climb- photos - descent – back home in Tirano)
Max speed touched during climbs = km/h 23.
Average calories for single climb = 1.300
Animals crossing in the middle of the road =
2 deer - 1 roe - 5 squirrel - 1 snake - 1 hawk
Cyclists crossing on the road…….A LOT !!!!!!!!!
(Italians….Dutch……English…..Switzerland…….Belgian…….)
NO tyre- punctures in all the challenge
NO mechanic problems with bikes in all the challenge
NO physical problems (cramps….) in all the challenge
Climbed With =
18 climb alone
1 climb with another Big member - Marco Mosconi
4 climbs with my sons (with quad or car for take photos)
1 climb with my wife (with car for take photos)
1 climb with my entire family (with car for take photos)
Weather =
6 climbs SUNNY - VERY HOT – HUMID (more than 30°)
7 climbs SUNNY - HOT (25-30°)
4 climb SUNNY - FRESH (10-20°)
1 climb CLOUDY
5 climbs RAIN – WET ROAD
1 climb DARK (early morning)
1 climb FOG
When =
11 climbs in the morning ( the early one reached the top at 6.50 am)
14 climbs in the afternoon (the later one reached the top at 19.55 pm)