Our last day in Italy was hot, but otherwise rather easy, with most of the day rolling downhill toward Ancona. We got up for breakfast at 8 and left by 9.15, enjoying the first kilometers that were downhill, scenic, and without too much traffic.
After most of the descent, we stopped at a few bike shops to see if we can buy new, thicker handlebar tape. Both Liz and I are struggling with parts of our hands going numb after hours on the bike. My right pinkie and ringfinger keep being tingly even after we stop cycling. Thicker handlebar tape could distribute the pressure better and help, but we only found thin tape so far.
I did find new bike shorts, though, which is nice, because I can, by now, choose either showing my buttcrack with the Pearl Izumi shorts, or my private parts with the Castelli shorts. Both shorts have worn-out, semi-transparent spots in these unfortunate locations. Anyway, now I can be decent again and the other two shorts landed in the bin to save some weight.
Given how tired our bodies are after having done 730km (515 miles) with 7700m (25,000ft) climbing in seven days of cycling since Sestri Levante, we tweaked the route that Strava suggested to minimize climbing today. So we did not visit Macerata, but kept following the SP71 toward the Adriatic.
We also skipped cycling along the Adriatic, which would have brought us through the nature reserve south-east of Ancona, but would have meant quite a bit more climbing. Instead, we just followed the rather busy SS16.
A bit after 13.00, we stopped for a longer lunch with delicious melon with Parma ham and penne all’arrabiata. We also booked the accommodation for tomorrow night, a hotel at the Dalmatian coast just 38km from Split, so we would have an easy, short day of cycling that would give us time in the afternoon to do some research of where we should stay for a longer, two-day rest.
After a last push over the hills surrounding Ancona, we rolled down to the ticket office of Jadrolinija to check in. With the boarding documents ready, we went to a nice gelateria that Liz found on Google Maps, and enjoyed our last Italian ice cream in the nearby park. On the way to the ship, we stopped at clothing stores so that I would have backup underwear again (after the wind took a pair in Sestri Levante) and some non cycle shorts to wear in the warm evenings. After reading reviews about food quality onboard the ferry, we also decided to go buy a picnic dinner. Liz bought a top shelf red wine they had in the supermarket for 4€.
The boarding process was rather confusing. We were not sure if we would have to follow where the cars go, and where to get our passports checked, which the lady at the ticket office told us we should do. We found the passport control, or, better, the huge line of people in front of it and started queuing. Nothing moved for the longest time, so I went to ask some motorcyclists if they had shown their passports elsewhere. They didn’t, so we stayed in line, which suddenly started moving along at a nonzero speed, while Liz was hindering a group of pushy young Italians to sneak past us by blocking them with her front wheel.
Before passport controls, we had to put our panniers through a security scan, which was a bit ridiculous given that the guy watching the scans was more texting than paying attention to the images. Thankfully, we could just move the bikes around the metal detector.
After we were through, boarding was swift and we got the key for our cabin for the night. It was not nearly as nice as that Stena line ship we took from Hartwich to the Hook of Holland, and the ship seemed to be well over 30 years older than the Stena line ship.
We brought our picnic dinner to a bench on the sun deck, and enjoyed sundown views of at Ancona, and the still very long line in front of passport control. Goodbye Italy, you’ve been great!
Total distance/elevation to date: 4205km/33’208m
Rest days: 14
Route and Stats
Relive Video
The 1948 Tour 
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