Leaving Bassano del Grappa with the sun rising made the depart of this adventure even more epic. I immediately approached Monte Grappa where I found other road cyclists but as soon as I took the off-road track no one else crossed my path for the next couple of hours.

At the top of the climb Rifugio Bassano it was surprisingly busy, people were finally enjoying the freedom to ride their bikes again and the weather was amazing. I took the alternative route downhill and crossed the war trench, where I 'enjoyed' a bit of hike-a-bike with a stunning view of the valley. A rewarding stop at Birrificio di Quero (a beer was needed) and then straight to Santa Giustina for ice cream with my old bud Stefano, who lives locally and wanted to cheer me up before the last climb of the day.

In Valle del Mis I had a bit of rain but then the sun came out again and light was reflecting off the walls of the canyon, making for a surreal and beautiful moment. I pushed hard in order to cross Alleghe lake and to reach Caprile for dinner.