The refreshment stop at Montalcino was followed by a long gravel stage with some nice bumps and holes. On one occasion I wasn’t paying attention and hit two bumps in a row. I could feel almost immediately that this caused some severe trouble to my lower back. The longer I cycled the more it hurt. I switched to a more upright position but that helped only temporarily. At that point I had completed about half of the 209km route; still a long way to go.
Markus didn’t realise that I got into some trouble and cycled ahead towards Buonconvento where we met again when I finally arrived after my bumpy ride. I believed that a break and some upright standing would help my back and relieve the tension. Also, I used the stop to get some refreshments and fill up my bottles.
As soon as I got back in the saddle I could feel that my back hadn’t really recovered during the short break. Just after leaving Buonconvento I spotted an ambulance standing on the right side of the road; a gift from heaven! I thought let’s give it a try and ask for some help. I steered towards the ambulance and asked if they had some pain killers for my back. Obviously I wasn’t the first one asking as they had already run out of Voltaren pills.
However, the Dottoressa offered me to put an injection of Voltaren right into my lower back. She wasn’t sure if I’d be ok with a syringe but I didn’t think twice about it. I also got a second injection for gastric protection. In the meantime Markus had no idea what I was up to and tried to call me several times. However, I left my backpack outside of the ambulance and missed his calls. After some paperwork I continued my ride with renewed optimism. About 10 to 15 minutes later the Voltaren kicked in and the back pain was almost gone.
With newly gained confidence following the successful medical treatment I cycled “full speed” ahead towards the next refreshment stop with the aim to catch up to Markus. Luckily, when I arrived in Asciano I bumped into him right away but he seemed somehow upset – with good reason. He tried to call me several times during my treatment and I failed to return his call. However, when I explained the situation he obviously showed understanding.
Next chapter: Grazie mille, Meccanici!