Tour De Sardegna

[cashman]

Anyone know if Peter and Dave got to their destination, as the airlines were cancelling flights yesterday due to the volcano eruption in Iceland. Something about a 36,000 foot ash cloud interrupting flight paths to Europe.

Anyway I believe this is the link to the race:

http://www.girosardegna.it/G/eng.html#tp

Colin

[jeremy]

Mike said this morning that they didn't run into any problems with their flight due to the iceland volcano. So they made it for the tour.

[mlawless]

The Tripleshot Invasion is scheduled to arrive at 6:00 pm local today. Peter and Dave are arriving at 11:00am and then lurking around town before picking up Alan at 6:00. Then, a lovely little 3 hour car trip takes them to the hotel at race start.

I let Peter know about the volcano just as he was boarding his flight in Toronto - it seemed that they were going on the assumption "how bad could it realy be?" I think the Pilot had an extra one or two 'steadying drinks' and was ready to proceed at that point. At any rate, they were flying in to Rome and not via Heathrow and so should be fine. Besides, they were in the back of the plane and I hear that is the safest place (You never hear of a plane backing into the side of a mountain do you?)

If I hear anything I will post a disparaging comment based entirely on being unhappy about not going myself!

Michael

[Alan]

Hi Everyone--Alan here in Paris. Mine was one of the 16,000 European flights cancelled yesterday. Dave and Peter are in Sardinia when I spoke to them Thursday night, just renting a car in the Alghero airport. I am stuck here due to that pesky volcanic cloud until at least Monday--which is to say, I'm going to miss the first two days of the race. Life could be worse than being 'stuck' in Paris, but I'd rather be on that bike... Hopefully Pete will post something when he gets over his jet lag...

[Alan]

This just in from the CBC website. I'm not the only one stranded and unable to get to a Sardinian bike race, look who else has been grounded or stranded:

British comedian John Cleese, who ended up paying $5,100 for a taxi ride from Oslo, Norway, where he'd appeared on a talk show, to Brussels, hoping to catch a train back to London.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, stranded in New York, who has been using his newly purchased Apple iPad to govern remotely.
Five outreach workers from Sierra Leone and Liberia, who were forced to cancel a fact-finding trip to the war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor in The Hague.
Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, who had to cancel a trip to Copenhagen to celebrate Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday.
Moroccan runner Abdellah Falil, stranded in Paris on his way to Monday's Boston Marathon.

How bad could it be? I'm only signed up for a bike race. And if the volcanic cloud gets any worse, I'm cycling from here to Sardinia. Should make it there just as Pete is mounting the podium a week from today..... Arrivederchi!

[Brian S]

STUCK??? Oh well, you'll always have Paris. Bonne chance. Take the TGV

[Rita]

Oh no, sorry to hear that Alan. But as Brian said, is there no chance to hop on a TGV? It would get you down to the south of France in about 5 to 6 hours. You could catch a ferry to Sardinia from Marseille or Toulon.

Ferry website: www.sncm.fr

Also, the conditions don't look like they are going to change quickly, so nobody can tell how long the flight chaos will last.

Good luck and have fun where ever you are!
Rita

[Greg Miller]

I have been stuck in Frankfurt, was supposed to be back on Friday. Great place for cycling, I have been on the 3 speed clunkers that you can rent at train stations. It will be nice to get on a road bike again, hopefully sooner than later.

[Alan]

I'd take the TGV, but it's pretty booked up solid. I may try to cycle, but I'd have to convert my road bike to a touring bike (hey, I'd look like Dylan with my rear rack and pannier). Peter and Dave are racing as I type this, it's 2:40pm in Sardinia, so they should be halfway through the first 140 km ride in Stage one. I hope they post something when they finish. (and Pete, please don't gloat with your Garmin data!) They say Charles de Gaulle may open up by 8am tomorrow, so fingers crossed, I'll be in Sardinia by midnight and ready for the 3rd day's stage. Worse case scenario? The second volcano blows it's lid and we're all going back to Victoria by passenger liner....