I woke up at 6am this morning with the expectation of a cold, windy ride. After checking the weather though, I was hopeful of a little better conditions. The temperature was 37. About 5 degrees warmer than expected. Despite the warmer temps, I knew the forecast was for colder air to move in throughout the day.

At 8:30 I left home with strong winds and few snowflakes in the air and headed toward Meramec CC. The wind was gusting fiercely at times. A couple times on Lindbergh a straight on gust almost brought be to a standstill for a second or two.

Like a couple weeks ago, no one braved the elements to join me. Armed with warmer gloves than last I decided to push on with ride and headed down Marshall Rd and along the flats in Valley Park where I was head and cross winds. It was then that my gloves began to give way to the elements a little but not bad enough to shorten the ride out to High Ridge. The winds on top of the ridge along Hillsboro-Valley Park could have been worse but I think the trees helped to shelter me. Still there was the occasional burst.

The closer I got to Hight Ridge the more snow was on the ground. Not a lot of snow, but a fine covering on the grass and once in High Ridge there was even snow on the roads except the cars wheels regularly passed. My hands continued to get colder and my toes were cold enough that they didn't want to move.

After crossing Hwy 30 I was hopeful of a nice tailwind to get me home quick. The talwind was there the road is so twisty that you could come around a bend and catch a sidewind. I did not feel comfortable with the wind mixed with the small amount of snow and damp roads. All the while my hands and feet got colder and colder. My body was still comfortable thank goodness. Not until Meramec Bottom did some sunshine peek out for a few minutes only to be overtaken again by clouds and blowing, stinging light snow. I was cussing out loud for the last 5 or 6 miles.

I walked in the house at 11am and checked the temperature. 18 frickin' degrees! Check out the drop in steady drop in temperature. No wonder the hands and feet were cold.

I hate warming up when the digits get this cold. It flat out hurts. I need warmer shoe covers I think.

News Item of the Day: MILAN, Italy (AP) -- The Giro d'Italia, the second-most important cycling race after the Tour de France, will cover a route this year in which the winner probably will be determined in the closing mountainous stages. Organizers on Saturday announced the route for the 88th edition of the race, which will feature a final climbing showdown in the Alpine region that will also host the 2006 Turin Olympics.

Lance Armstrong, the six-time Tour de France winner, most likely will not compete. Defending champion Damiano Cunego, a climbing specialist, is pleased with the route. "I like it,'' he said. "But it's one thing to see it on paper and another to see it for real.''

The 17th and 19th stages, both with uphill finishes, are sandwiched around a time-trial stage that ends in Turin. The 19th and next-to-last stage is considered the toughest, with 37 miles of uphill sections. Riders will twice climb the road to Sestriere, the mountain hub for the Winter Olympics.

The three-week race begins the night of May 7 alongside Reggio Calabria's shoreline and ends May 29 in Milan.

Viewpoint: Up until about a week ago I was giving serious consideration to going to Italy in May to watch some of the Giro and ride in the Alps and Dolomites. There's a "camp" in the Veneto region at the base of the Alps that looks as if it offers some great riding at a reasonable cost. I've since put that idea on hold. Maybe next year.