Day 8: Pisa to Portofino

After a civilized evening in world-famous Pisa, complete with obligatory ‘holding up the leaning tower’ snaps, the boys got a much-needed early night, knowing that the had another difficult stage of 95 miles to cover on Day 8. 

The day started chilly and overcast, and as the two heroes pedaled along the never-ending seafront from Viareggio to Marina di Carrera, the clouds got darker and the heavens opened. Not much point stopping off for a waterproof gear though, as the roads flooded, and nothing could stop the lads from getting absolutely soaked. 

After about an hour of constant heavy rain, the intrepid adventurers were freezing and in need of a change of clothes and a hot drink. Eventually, the rain relented and after another stop for refuelling, the first hills of the day came into view. Crossing from Tuscany into our final province of Liguria coincided with the change in terrain as the coastal plains gave way to mountains butting up against the Mediterranean. 

The boys were able to draw on their experience of the Alps from a few years ago and were soon setting a good tempo up the hills. The small town of Borghetto di Vara provided a picture-perfect old Hotel Ristorante for lunch, alongside the large number of Italian construction workers taking advantage of the hearty fare of spaghetti Bolognese and bread. It’s a good job the lads got a good feed, as the major challenge of the day lay ahead. A short sharp climb of 300 feet to 900 feet was the appetizer before the main course – the Passo del Bracco, at 2,036 feet (the highest point on The Grande Finale). 

That just left a stunning descent to Sestri Levante on the Riviera Di Levante, and a run along the coast to Rapallo, where the hardest day of the tour ended just after 5 pm. 9 hours on the road, 98 miles covered and the end is in sight, as the coastline turns southwards towards Monaco!

Over £7,500 raised so far!
With a couple of days to go, there’s still time to break the £10,000 mark.

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/the-grand-finale