Ride with the pro

Ever seen an ad for an event where you can "ride with the pros" Well, we had an impromptu type of ride with a former pro at the shop this week. The fellow in the picture is Federico and he was a pro for Gerolsteiner in 2001 but had his career cut short by a devistating crash training that almost left him paralyzed. Needless to say, he can still pedal a bike and after this ride, I was almost rendered paralyzed. I have never ridden with someone who made going uphill look so effortless . He was on a borrowed bike and his injuries from his crash require daily maintenence....neverthe less, he still rides like he's getting paid for it. These other folks in the photo were similarly humbled by our Italian visitor. We all thought we were in for a nice short easy sightseeing ride..........