Former U.S. Ski Team downhiller Alison Powers of Boulder has risen quickly in the road cycling world, and she will race in the women’s Giro d’Italia beginning Friday. Powers will report from the tour in collaboration with Denver Post staff writer John Meyer.
Lucca, Italy – For a while there, I had lost perspective. I had gotten so caught up in the race season, the results from various races and thoughts about next year that I forgot I was about to start my dream race: the women’s Giro d’Italia.
I didn’t forget about the race in the sense that my team (Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) was going to race it. I knew the nine-day stage race was July 6-14 and we were going with a strong team of five women competing against the best female cyclists in the world.
But I had forgotten my thoughts three years ago as I was riding up Passo Pordoi in northern Italy. That day, I thought to myself: If I were to really pursue road racing, my dream would be to compete in the women’s Giro, or Giro d’Italia Femminile, as it is called. That would be an amazing accomplishment. Here I am, three years later, getting ready to do just that.
Not only am I ready to start the Giro, I believe I have the ability to be quite competitive in it. The race starts with a 3-kilometer prologue in Treviso, north of Venice. Time trials and prologues are my specialties, and I hope to put in a strong performance.
The tour then heads south for two days before moving west into the Tuscany region. There we will have a 10-kilometer time trial up Monte Serra, a steep climb that will separate the best riders and climbers from others who just try to survive.
From there the race goes into the mountains north of Milan for two days of climbing before ending with two days of circuit races.
This is where it all started for me – in Italy, riding my bike up a steep pass and allowing myself to dream. The feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that comes with looking forward to the start of my dream race is like no other, and not many people are lucky enough to experience it.
I am so happy to be here.
