Bars, flats and trail angels

What a morning it's been along the coast of Italy. Pairs riders Stu McCormick and Andy Tibbett suffered an early topple that broke Andy's handlebars. The hunt for a replacement set was successful once the shop opened and the two are setting a fast pace chasing the bunch.

Not the only ones with handlebar problems, Adrian O'Sullivan is proudly displaying some of the latest technology:

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" as they say...

The puncture fairy managed to do a good day's work not long after sunrise with Ulrich experiencing three punctures and two trips to a local bike shop. He now sits in third place around 25km behind the current leader, Andrew Phillips.

The good news is there are a couple of trail angels in Salerno offering riders free refreshments to passing riders. Pamela (cap 19) managed to sneak a selfie before riding off into the distance in search of Etna.