Pantani Ride - details

The Pantani Ride. I believe this is the 6th annual, but I've honestly lost track. Valentines Day. Sunday, February 14th, 2010. Start time - 10 AM from here on the farm.

Some moderately important notes:
1) Sure, Pantani was a road guy. Don't bring your road bike. A cross bike is questionable (although probably your fastest option if you've got the legs for it.) Mountain bikes are the norm on the network of dirt roads we'll be riding.

2) Here's the route:

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/va/rocky%20mt/846126409029586738

same as last year. Note that we'll be both coming up and going back down Simmons Gap. It's possible that some of the leaders will be going down as others are climbing - so just be smart here and watch your speed.

3) On that note, the whole course is open to cars, deer, feral pets, bigfoot, etc. Since this isn't an officially sanctioned race, or "official" at all for that matter, there will be no officials out there keeping you safe, telling you what to do, etc. It's a dirt road ride with a little friendly bravado. Treat it as such.

4) If you happen to be one of those people going up Simmons Gap when the leaders are heading back down, and you feel like maybe 2000 more feet of climbing isn't what you want to do, feel free to cheat. Fall in with the leaders, follow the route back to the farm, and maybe get yourself a sprint victory. Pantani would be proud.

5) Getting lost: totally possible - the ride is really about pushing yourself until you can't see straight. So it's possible, even likely, that you'll get dropped and then take a wrong turn. You've got some options though. Print the map linked above and bring it with you. Ride with someone who knows the course. Stay with the lead group. Bring a GPS/ Iphone/Cell phone - most of the peaks have good reception. Enjoy the moment.

6) A note about weather: it could really suck. The picture below is from a Pantani "ride" year ago.

It could also be gorgeous out, like it was last year. If it's truly bad, we'll make a hasty back up plan and execute it with a complete lack of caution. Rest assured that danger will never be far away.

7) a little more about Pantani...
Pantani has been called the most talented and exciting climber of the last twenty years. His exploits between 1994 and 2000 were nothing less than sensational. He was all aggression, and he climbed like a man possessed, throwing races into chaos with his attacking style, recklessly attacking on the most difficult climbs. More details in the links below on this page.

"...stage racing has always meant weighing up the potential of the stages to come, and riding accordingly - riding, it might be said, in the future tense. Marco had no future tense."
-Matt Rendell, The Death of Marco Pantani


Memorial to Marco Pantani - Cesanatico, Italy


Marco Pantani Museum - Cesanatico, Italy