Duomo di Milano.

While Milan is an important economic hub for Italy, a bit of investigation will unearth that it shouldn’t necessarily be high on your list of places to visit. The word from the locals and a few minutes of searching will help discover comments to this effect.

If you’re going to go somewhere though, there’s a 99% chance you’ll be heading to the Duomo di Milano which loosely translates to “big-ass cathedral in Milan”, the fifth largest in the world in fact. Climb the stairs to the roof, admire the view over the city, and settle in for a while. It’s strangely relaxing up there.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

Unfortunately, there’s nowhere to eat on the Duomo roof. For that, you’ll need to venture to the adjacent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the oldest shopping mall in Italy.

In the midst of all the luxury brands, there is an outlier. Cast your eye to the store that occupies one of the four prime central locations: McDonalds. It would appear that the powers-that-be didn’t like this blot on the landscape and chose to do something about it by not renewing their lease, much to McDonald’s ire who consequently sued the City of Milan for €24 million for unfairly excluding them in the tendering process.

On Tuesday, 16 October 2012, McDonald’s closed their doors to make way for Prada who opened their second store in the Galleria (their other store is directly opposite, i.e.: Prada now holds two of the four prime sites alongside Bernasconi and Louis Vuitton). Not to go out meekly though, thousands of burgers would be given away for free to mark the end of 20 years.

Wearing #1, Cameron Brown pounds the pavement alongside the viaduct.

Challenge Wanaka is regarded by many as one of the most scenic races around. Competing head on by being staged on the same weekend, the inaugural Auckland 70.3 Half Ironman countered with an urban labyrinth and the chance to cycle over the harbour bridge and on the motorway.

While wearing the #1 on his arm, the race would be a training event for Cameron Brown, but Bevan Docherty would show that his third placing at the 2012 70.3 World Championships was no fluke by coming home in second and showing that the crop top is absolutely still in fashion.

Bevan Docherty en route to second place.

Speaking of triathlon suit fashion, an important lesson was learnt by at least one set of onlookers. Being worn by some male athletes during the race was the 2XU Endurance Trisuit. More specifically, the 2XU Endurance Trisuit in white with mesh side panels from armpit to mid-buttock. Now, white is a risky colour and should only be worn in public after extensive private testing. When the suit also contains a considerable amount of see-through mesh, alarm bells should ring. Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

An unexpected obstacle meets the pack.

A few driving tips were also on offer. If you chose to drive your silver Nissan 4WD near an official road closure, pay attention when you come to a road void of all traffic and parked cars, and with road cones running the whole length. There’s your clue; something is up. If you still choose to continue, don’t let this be the day that you decide to try driving on the opposite side of the road. And when a bunch of oncoming cyclists forces you to quickly duck to the side to get out of the way, take that as a sign that you should retreat. Do not continue on thinking that maybe that won’t happen again. Thankfully for Cameron Dye, Clark Ellice, Bevan Docherty, and everyone else, all would be OK on this occasion.