Visiting the Medico Sportivo

Today, Lorenzo, the captain of the bike racing team, drove me to the Medico Sportivo (Sports Doctor) to undergo tests that would enable me to obtain my racing license. Italy is very strict in its licensing requirements, not like in the U.S. where anybody can buy a race license just by paying a fee. Here, the USIF (the national organization that governs cycling racing) requires that in order to obtain your license, you must pass a stress test and a drug test, and be in overall good health. If you have any health issues, impaired vision or history of illness, you cannot get your license. Joining the team and getting my license must mean that I am staying here in Firenze. I never really thought it out strategically, and like everything else, all the pieces are falling into place by themselves. I am building a new life without even thinking about it. Well, going for my license is definitely a commitment, at least in Euros! We drove south of Florence for a half hour through country backroads and arrived at the doctor's office. The doctor looked like an Italian Albert Einstein.....he had long, curly gray hair and he stared at me in a wondering way. After all the tests, I got a clean bill of health, and should receive my official Italian racing license within a few weeks. Viva la squadra!