Today I participated in the Granfondo Giro della Toscana (The Granfondo of Tuscany) with my team, pictured here. This is a classic Italian Granfondo event that starts in Florence and transverses the Tuscan countryside just before the harvest when the vineyards are bursting with mature grapes and the weather is optimal. The whole concept of Granfondo has fascinated me for years, so I was thrilled to ride in this, my 4th Granfondo of the year.I rode the 138k course which took us through Greve, Castellina, San Gimignano, Certaldo, Montespertoli and more. Of the 700 cyclists who particpated, I only saw one other woman. Of course I can't complain about being surrounded by so many bellissimi Italian men. I certainly never lack for company on the road. Our team placed 13th out of 32 participating teams. Not bad for a team that is only 2 years old! The team received 6 bottles of wine as prizes, and I was the proud recipient of one of them, in recognition of being the only woman on the team to participate in the event.
