I know that if I owned or managed a hotel in LaCrosse, WI or Austin, Mn and an outfit like Trek Travel was getting a 30 room block reserved on an annual basis, I would do everything I could to earn and keep that business. I would make the check-in process easy and accommodate any special requests for their schedule and meals etc. It is said by some that Midwesterners have certain sensibilities and practicalities and that they value process perhaps more than results and the past 2 hotels we’ve been in seem to bear that out. But on the flip side, maybe its that cultural underpinning that makes this region of the country so productive in terms of precision engineering and manufacturing. No offense at all to you Midwesterners, of course.
In just the last 2 days, it is pretty easy to tell that we are in a new region of the country. After spending weeks cycling through wide open spaces with visibility for miles, we are now in rolling hills and wooded areas and we’re getting passed on the road less by dumptrucks, pickup trucks and 18 wheelers, but by Honda minivans, and Ford and GM sedans. I even saw a lady driving a Range Rover in Viroqua, WI earlier today.
After having to actually order off the breakfast menu this morning at The Radisson Hotel, we didn’t do our roll out until 8 AM this morning. When you’re looking at a 103 mile ride with over 5,200 feet of elevation gain, you’d much rather get an earlier start – but we had to conform to the process.
The ride itself was beautiful from the get-go. Thus far, I really like Wisconsin. It was a little cooler than lately at 59 degrees so I had the arm warmers on but shed them at around mile 10 or so as we sorted out into our groups. But, looking at the ride profile today with so many spikes on it, I knew the climbs would be breaking us up before we hit our first SAG stop at mile 17 and that’s exactly what happened. We all climb at different speeds because it all comes down to a power/weight ratio. Why do you think that the “King of the Mountains” in the Tour de France is always some little wiry 122 pound dude?
Our guides had arranged a 2nd coffee stop in the town of Viroqua, WI and many of us grabbed a muffin or two but skipped the coffee. It was a charming little town and I would bet a good number of people in Madison have 2nd homes there. I was feeling pretty good with the first 2 climbs under my belt by then and since we weren’t pace lining today, and because we have our 3rd Rest Day right around the corner, I decided I would ride a little harder and grind it out today. We had our roadside lunch stop at mile 52 and by then it had gotten a little warmer and we still had a few decent climbs to go, but I was making good time on both the climbs and the flats. The legs were feeling strong today.
But today was an excellent day – low to moderate winds, not too hot at around 80 degrees, fairly good road conditions and great support from our guide team. The 103 miles went by pretty fast and we rolled in to the Spring Valley Inn and around 4 PM or so. We had a 6 PM catered group dinner and everyone is ready for Rest Day in Madison on Saturday. Madison, WI is actually the HQ of Trek Bicycles and we are going to have lunch, dinner and tour tomorrow so we’re excited for that. Val will be joining us in Madison and I am so looking forward to seeing her again as well. All we have to do in the morning is pedal that bike again for 54 miles – and then we can get some rest.
FYI – WiFi here is limited so the video short will be uploaded as soon as I can get it done.