Team Colombia Coldeportes on Punta Veleno

As we wrote yesterday, Team Colombia Coldeportes is having a training camp week in Torbole on Lake Garda. These are photos from the Punta Veleno climb they tackled yesterday that will be used for the first time in a professional race (Giro Del Trentino in April), its is rated one of the toughest climbs in Europe. The team is using Bianchi "Sempre" bikes.








Esteban Chaves left everyone behind during the climb, a rider to watch:


The team website is www.colombiacoldeportes.com


Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Colombia Coldeportes' Climbers Try Punta Veleno

Team Colombia Coldeportes, the Colombian (but Italy-based) professional Bianchi-riding team led by General Manager Claudio Corti, began a one week training camp on January 27th in the Trentino region. Their base is in Torbole sul Garda, at the northern end of Lake Garda.



Today, they rode the Punto Veleno climb which will be in the 2012 Giro del Trentino, being held April 17th-20th; Punto Veleno will be on stage 3 on April 19th. It will be the first time a professional race features the Punta Veleno (Poison Point), rated one of the toughest climbs in Europe. It was first considered for inclusion in a stage for the Giro d'Italia in 1972 by Vincenzo Torriani, director of the Giro d'Italia from 1949 to 1989, but after visiting it he decided it was too hard. The 8 km climb begins near Lake Garda in Castello di Brenzone, between Bardolino and Malcesine. Steep sections can be from 15% to 18%, and even more than 20%. See video here we published earlier; Eros Poli recounted his experience here.

The riders could not ride all the way to the top today as the summit was blocked by snow. Gibo Simoni, who accompanied the Colombians, said, "I didn't know this climb, I did it for the first time today. I was really impressed with it. I am sure that here at the Giro del Trentino we will see a beautiful stage, and that one day soon the we could see it in the Giro d'Italia."

Photos: Colombia Coldeportes training in Torbole

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Tutte Le Maglie Rosa, dal 1931 ad oggi

Tutte Le Maglie Rosa, dal 1931 ad oggi: All the Pink Jerseys, from 1931 to today.

This is the project begun by Fiorenzo Magni to collect a pink jersey from every Giro d'Italia since 1931 for the Museo del Ghisallo . Why 1931? The pink jersey was introduced that year as the race leader's jersey and the first to wear it was Learco Guerra.

The latest pink jersey to be donated is that of Giovanni Battaglin who won the 1981 Giro d'Italia. Battaglin is only one of three riders that have won the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta in the same year, joining Eddy Merckx and Alberto Contador in that achievement. Keep in mind that back in 1981 the Vuelta preceeded the Giro d'Italia and the Giro started only 3 days after the Vuelta finished.

The jersey was contributed by Loriano Gragnoli (below), founder and president of the Ivan Basso Fan Club. He had obtained the jersey from his friend Alfredo Chinetti.

Twenty-seven jerseys have now been collected for the museum.

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,200 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Pavarotti's " Nessun Dorma" vs. Mortensen's "Beautiful Italy"

Perhaps the correct title should be "How Much Has Changed from the 1980s to 2012"?

My thanks to Larry and Heather, CycleItalia, for mentioning an old promo for the Giro which featured Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma with a rider riding off into heaven. The promo, from the 1980s, does live on on youtube:



If you missed the blog entry from Thursday, this is official music video of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, "Beautiful Italy", sung by Danish jazz singer Malene Mortensen:


Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,200 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Photo: 2012 De Rosa Protos

A photo of the new top of the line ("top di gamma" in Italian) Protos was unveiled today. More to come....

Click on photo to enlarge.

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,200 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Sneak Preview: MCipollini-Giambenini-Gauss Women's Team Jersey

Sneak preview of the new jersey design, I presume without the tuxedo jacket, for 2012:


The first appointment for the team on the racing calendar is the Ladies Tour of Qatar, 1 to 3 February.

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,200 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Giro d'Italia 2012 Music Video "Beautiful Italy"

You're hearing/seeing it here, probably, first: The official music video of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, "Beautiful Italy", sung by Danish jazz singer Malene Mortensen:


Ironic: Stefano Garzelli is in the video but his team wasn't selected.


Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,200 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.