Solo cycling from Florence via the Adriatic east coast of Italy over the Apennines to Rome.(S3 P2:E3)

On Thursday July 13, 2023 I arrived in Rome after 1500 km over 10 solo cycling days and was warmly welcomed by my family. They had landed in the morning from Brussels and via my live track they welcomed me right on time. It made me very happy to see them again.

Cycling Adventure 15 (CA15) is my path of personal growth with which I want to inspire people to develop their own path of personal growth in this rapidly changing world.

Horseflies and wasps were my biggest enemies during the climb.

On Sunday, July 9, I departed from Florence early in the morning and started my cycling tour through the breathtaking Tuscan highlands, with a few challenging climbs along the way. After every climb I felt good going downhill, except for the one time I suddenly felt something move in my shirt under my armpit. It was only after a few corners that I realized something was wrong. When I opened my shirt, a wasp began to sting violently before flying away. At the next village I stopped and asked a kind lady to help me remove the stinger with my suction cup as I couldn't see the bite myself. At that point I was grateful to have all my medical and cycling equipment with me, which I carried with me, about 5 kg in weight. Wasps weren't the only culprits; horseflies also repeatedly attacked me while climbing, probably due to the fact that I lost a lot of moisture due to the hot weather, which they seem to like.

My route took me past Forli, where violent storms and floods occurred in May 2023. I stopped at Bottega Bastarda, where Ricardo told me about the harrowing conditions and the community's enormous solidarity in cleaning up and helping each other.

Local cyclists regularly passed by at high speeds. It was an ideal moment for me to hook up and ride in their slipstream, away from the wind. As soon as I was on their wheel, they usually started pedaling harder to get rid of me, but that was actually a great opportunity for me to train my speed and strength.

My route continued for two days along the Adriatic coast, where I personally enjoyed the Costa dei Trabocchi the most for cycling. Along the beautiful coastline are the Trabuccos, fishing platforms that used to be used for fishing but now serve as restaurants.

About 60 brown bears still live in Abruzzo in the Apennines

After my cycling adventure along the Adriatic coast it was time to explore the Apennines. It was an impressive ride through the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. About 60 Marsican brown bears still live in this area, which occasionally dare to cross the road. As a cyclist you would of course prefer not to see that happen, because despite their size and weight (up to 700 kg), bears can reach speeds of more than 50 km/h if they feel threatened.

Almost every day I cycled for hours in temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius, and it really took its toll. Every pedal stroke felt heavy under that blazing sun, and I was exhausted by the time I reached my destination. But whenever I finally arrived, I was thrilled to be able to freshen up with an invigorating shower. In the evening I watched the Tour de France or the Netflix series Narcos to relax.

The penultimate stage was the hardest for me. The first 120 kilometers were mainly uphill, during which I conquered more than 2500 meters of altitude in total. I also had to climb a lot during the last stage, but the thought that the end point was in sight and my family was waiting for me gave me extra energy and motivation. The moment I entered Rome by bike gave me a special feeling and a sense of pride that I had completed my cycling adventure successfully and safely.

Some numbers of my rides: