Taste of Tuscany 2012 finale

Our last day in Tuscany was planned to end back in Montopoli Val d'Arno, which is just a few kilometers away from the Giro's stage finish in Montecatini Terme....so perche no? We proposed cutting the planned 100 km ride in half, enjoying a relaxed pranzo, then  loading up the van and driving as close to the race finish as possible to await La Corsa Rosa. Our guests agreed, so after lunch we drove up to Montecatini, intersecting the race route just off the autostrada. When you're arriving in a van that looks like this one, with matching bikes on top, it's pretty easy to drive past many roadblocks and get close to the finish. We parked at the 50 meters to go mark, where our guests scored great souvenirs and saw the race pass by twice, since there was a finishing circuit. After the Maglia Rosa was awarded and the stage winner toasted we were off to Montopoli, where Luigi showed us his prized wine collection before another delightful dinner of the wonders from Fulvia's kitchen. Mille Grazie to Steve, Greg, Patty and Scott for making this an enjoyable visit to Toscana!