Notes from the Riviera, part two

It took its time covering those 20 kilometres, changing its mind a few times to let the snowline come back down the mountains towards the village. But the deal is done now, green shoots are on the trees, lizards have woken from their hibernation and Molini gets busier every day. For us, the real mark of Spring was our first group riding up here in the mountains above Molini, but more about that in a minute.


Right now, it’s almost a sad time for me, there’s a certain magic to the time before a season begins. If you’re planning on heading away for a season somewhere, don’t go for the start of the season, head out a month or so before. You get time to relax, meet the people who really live there and get a feel for how the place works. Everything runs at a slower pace and you get time to breathe, a rare thing for many of us.


There have been some cracking highlights in the last month. Marc Beaumont was riding out here for some pre-season training, although I felt a bit sorry for him. He flew out here to get away from the British winter and was greeted by the snow coming in horizontally at the top of San Romolo. I got to race my first Superenduro, which was a really fun day out (check out my race report). Then there’s simply the days riding, beers and food with good people and warm sunshine. I’m starting to understand why people who spend time out here don’t go back home again.


Here in Molini it’s been a chance to ride a bit, dig a bit and eat well (and drink plenty of cheap, red wine). An average day has started with a ride up the hills, maybe 700m of climbing with a ten minute plus descent at the end of it. As well as the exercise, I need to get to know the trails I’ll be guiding people down. After lunch grab a spade and head up the hill to work on the new line we’re building. You finish the day tired and aching, eat some good food and sleep like a drugged infant. I don’t know about you, for me that’s about perfect. But part of the reason this time is so special is because it can’t last...


Taking our first group for a week was just as special, in a completely different way though. It was panic on all fronts the day before. With only two of us working on the trails (and Simone when he’s not working), it’s hard to clear 10km long trails, they take about five hours each just to clear the dead leaves. When you think that we have about thirty trails that long, you realise how big a job it is for us! On top of that the rear brake on the shuttle van needed rebuilding, the new line needed work before it was (sort of) rideable and someone had stolen all of our trail building tools (as in properly stolen, and if we ever find out who you are...). Manic.


Every bit of running around the day before was worth it. It’s an immense feeling taking someone down a trail for their first time and hearing them whooping and hollering behind you, absolutely loving it. Seeing them pull up at the end with a huge grin on their face makes it all worthwhile. After a couple of days riding up here in Molini they were already talking about when they could get back here.


At the end of the week we got a call from the coast. The guys from Fox Shox were testing up at San Romolo and needed someone to come up with a van and drive a shuttle for Fabien Barel. This would have been fine if I hadn’t gone for a quick beer after riding with our guests. It’s that famousl line “just stay for another one.” That and the little box of snuff.


Rocking up to San Romolo the next morning I didn’t feel too special. There’s Fabien, his teammate Damien Spagnolo and new Lapierre rider, Loic Bruni, all looking like the world-class athletes they are, preparing for their runs, tweaking setups, visualising the course... And there’s me with dark sunglasses and my wooly hat pulled over my head to stop my brain from leaking out. Not a good look!


I have to say, the day did leave me with a huge amount of respect for Fabien. I didn’t realise how horrific his crash had been last year: a shattered femur, broken wrist and four cracked vertebrae. He’s now got more than 400mm of titanium in his leg and it’s an inch shorter because the bone was smashed so badly. The fact he’s gearing up to race another world cup season after that is nothing short of incredible.


From here on in, it’s flat out for us. People are booked to come and ride here pretty much solid for as far as I care to think ahead, and on the days we aren’t busy, there are those thirty or so trails that need work to get them all open.


I need to thank Jo and Ady at Riviera Bike (www.rivierabike.co.uk) for their hospitality, Saracen (www.saracen.co.uk) and Descent Gear (www.descent-gear.com) for helping me out with my bikes and kit. And if anyone from DHL Italy is reading this, would you deliver my headcam? Please?

Til next time!

Matt
www.twitter.com/matt_wragg
www.accidentalracing.co.uk

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