WORDS: THOMAS OPSTRUP
PHOTOGRAPHY: SANDRO CHIAVARO/THOMAS OPSTRUP
Today I have to guide Sandro on Etna. It is his birthday and I have to meet him in the town of Adrano where he stays with his family. Actually it is only his Grandparents that live in Adrano. His parents migrated from Sicily to US in the early 70’s, then to Switzerland where Sandro grew up riding bikes. Today Sandro lives in Los Angeles and this is the first time he is back in Sicily in 20 years. He used to come here every summer for 4 weeks until he was 16 years old.
I come early but of course, I have forgotten my mini tool so we cannot adjust Sandro’s saddle. Fortunately, Sandro is a cool guy so we go together to a tool shop and he buys the Allen key set. We adjust the saddle and of we go.
From Adrano we ride the small roads that connect the bigger roads that will take us up Etna to Strada Milia. We have just reached the big road and I have a puncture. I fix it in 10 min. and we are moving again.
Sandro keeps the speed steady up the climb. I tell him that the first part of the climb is reaching the Strada Milia. It is around 10 km. with 6,5% on average. We reach the Strada Milia and grab an energy bar. The next 2-3 kilometers is almost flat. Before we reach the famous spot where Chavez attacked when the Giro d’Italia last finished a stage on Etna last year. I tell Sandro that after the turn the road will get crazy steep. The first 200 meters is around 15% on average then there comes a plateau where it is “only” around 10%. I stop there and wait for Sandro. He is standing up in the pedals pushing all out. When he reached me he asks me “how much further will it be like this?” I smile. “A little bit more and then we reach the beautiful Forrest road where it will be more like 7%”.
The Forrest part is one of the most beautiful roads on Etna. The pavement is brand new because it was remade so the Giro d’Italia could use this wonderful road through the forest. With it’s spetacular stone settings on each side of the road it is a dream setting for any cyclist.
We exit the Forrest and enter the majestic landscape of lava all around us. Etna is active and we hear this deep humming sound coming from inside the Vulcano… brrrrr bum brrrr bum… It ia a sound that cannot be replicated it always reminds me how an enourmous force Etna is. Then we pass the place where the Giro d’Italia finish line was in 2018 next to the astronomical observatory. But we are still 3 km. from the real top so we continue. Finally at the top!
The view from the top down to the plane of Catania the coastline and Catania itself is normally breathtaking but today we are covered in the fog and it feels a little like a scene from Lord of the Rings. We don’t stay for long because I have planned a special birthday lunch visit for Sandro.
We descend in the direction of Zafferana and reach our lunch stop further down the road. It is a winery – one of the best on Etna. I know the owner, so we are allowed to come in and dine in our cycling clothes.
We celebrate Sandro’s 45 years birthday here. He is happy because at this moment he has conquered Etna and is having a great high-level Sicilian cuisine accompanied by some different selections of the best Sicilian wines that arrives to the table one by one delivered with a story about how the wine became to be. Also, I feel fantastic at this moment. Cycling, Sicilian Cousine, wines, and good company is a joyful combination.
We exit the restaurant after the dessert and get back on our bikes ready to descend the last part of Etna. At the Etna Plateau at around 500 height meters we ride all the way back to Adrano from where we started. What a day. Thanks to Sandro for making my work so enjoyable.
SANDRO’S BIRTHDAY ON ETNA
KEYWORD: ETNA
WORDS: THOMAS OPSTRUP
PHOTOGRAPHY: SANDRO CHIAVARO/THOMAS OPSTRUP
Today I have to guide Sandro on Etna. It is his birthday and I have to meet him in the town of Adrano where he stays with his family. Actually it is only his Grandparents that live in Adrano. His parents migrated from Sicily to US in the early 70’s, then to Switzerland where Sandro grew up riding bikes. Today Sandro lives in Los Angeles and this is the first time he is back in Sicily in 20 years. He used to come here every summer for 4 weeks until he was 16 years old.
I come early but of course, I have forgotten my mini tool so we cannot adjust Sandro’s saddle. Fortunately, Sandro is a cool guy so we go together to a tool shop and he buys the Allen key set. We adjust the saddle and of we go.
From Adrano we ride the small roads that connect the bigger roads that will take us up Etna to Strada Milia. We have just reached the big road and I have a puncture. I fix it in 10 min. and we are moving again.
Sandro keeps the speed steady up the climb. I tell him that the first part of the climb is reaching the Strada Milia. It is around 10 km. with 6,5% on average. We reach the Strada Milia and grab an energy bar. The next 2-3 kilometers is almost flat. Before we reach the famous spot where Chavez attacked when the Giro d’Italia last finished a stage on Etna last year. I tell Sandro that after the turn the road will get crazy steep. The first 200 meters is around 15% on average then there comes a plateau where it is “only” around 10%. I stop there and wait for Sandro. He is standing up in the pedals pushing all out. When he reached me he asks me “how much further will it be like this?” I smile. “A little bit more and then we reach the beautiful Forrest road where it will be more like 7%”.
The Forrest part is one of the most beautiful roads on Etna. The pavement is brand new because it was remade so the Giro d’Italia could use this wonderful road through the forest. With it’s spetacular stone settings on each side of the road it is a dream setting for any cyclist.
We exit the Forrest and enter the majestic landscape of lava all around us. Etna is active and we hear this deep humming sound coming from inside the Vulcano… brrrrr bum brrrr bum… It ia a sound that cannot be replicated it always reminds me how an enourmous force Etna is. Then we pass the place where the Giro d’Italia finish line was in 2018 next to the astronomical observatory. But we are still 3 km. from the real top so we continue. Finally at the top!
The view from the top down to the plane of Catania the coastline and Catania itself is normally breathtaking but today we are covered in the fog and it feels a little like a scene from Lord of the Rings. We don’t stay for long because I have planned a special birthday lunch visit for Sandro.
We descend in the direction of Zafferana and reach our lunch stop further down the road. It is a winery – one of the best on Etna. I know the owner, so we are allowed to come in and dine in our cycling clothes.
We celebrate Sandro’s 45 years birthday here. He is happy because at this moment he has conquered Etna and is having a great high-level Sicilian cuisine accompanied by some different selections of the best Sicilian wines that arrives to the table one by one delivered with a story about how the wine became to be. Also, I feel fantastic at this moment. Cycling, Sicilian Cousine, wines, and good company is a joyful combination.
We exit the restaurant after the dessert and get back on our bikes ready to descend the last part of Etna. At the Etna Plateau at around 500 height meters we ride all the way back to Adrano from where we started. What a day. Thanks to Sandro for making my work so enjoyable.
Sandro’s Strava profile