Monday, February 28, 2011

Traverse of Italy, Bernina-Bregaglia


It's time to rejoin Javier on his traverse of Italy through the Alps of Italy. If you want to catch up on the series read:
Traverse of Italy, Introduction
Traverse of Italy, Alpi Carniche
Traverse of Italy, Dolomites North and Central
Traverse of Italy, Brenta Group and Val di Sole
Traverse of Italy, Ortles-Stelvio, Part I
Traverse of Italy, Ortles-Stelvio, Part II

Javier has a 2 day stage, from Livigno to St. Moritz followed by St. Moritz to Gravedonna, on July 20th and 21st. The stage enters Switzerland and re-enters Italy.

"After leaving Livigno and following the Val Federia, I entered Switzerland by the Passo di Cassana/Pass Chaschauna. From there it was down via Val Chaschauna to the traverse of valley floor along the river In/Inn and ending in St. Moritz. It is an easy day with the exception of the Passo di Cassana/Chaschauna (7.90 km and 870 m climb). During the first part of descent there are several sections that are very complicated in which I had to go on foot."

Val di Federia from the Refugio Cassana
St. Moritz and Lago de S. Murezzan

"On day two of this stage we continue along the river En/In at the foot of the Bernina massif skirting the lakes of Silvaplana and Seg up until the Passo del Maloja. This leads us to the Val Bregaglia from which we descend to Chiavenna and continue on to Gravedona on the northern shores of Lake Como."

Lake Seg

Descent of Passo de Maloja

Val Bregalia

Arrival in Gravedona on the shores of Lake Como

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Tomorrow: Team MCipollini-Giambenini


The new women's team MCipollini-Giordana will have a new name unveiled tomorrow at the team's official presentation at the Villa Quaranta in Ospedaletto di Pescantina, Verona. The new team name will be MCipollini-Giambenini

Photo: Monica Baccaille, in national champion jersey, recently won the final stage of the Ladies Tour of Qatar

Related story: MCipollini-Giordana, New Women's Team

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Visit to Giovanni Pelizzoli

My thanks to Blake for sending in this story regarding the visit he just made to Giovanni Pelizzoli's workshop. You may wish to read this piece about Pelizzoli's career first. Blake writes:

"After perusing their website and finding some spare time I decided to make the journey to the Pelizzoli Factory in Curno, Bergamo. A staff member Alessandro, provided me with a map I was on my merry way. I took the train to Ponte san Pietro, which is a smallish town with one way streets and a nice river running through the centre.I decided to walk to the factory and after 45 minutes I found the area in which the factory should be located. The only notification of the factory's location are a couple of small signs on the gate. Unfortunately I was distracted by a tractor plowing a field and subsequently walked straight past. To be honest, the tractor was pretty interesting.

Inside the factory you are greeted with the ephemeral smell of paint fumes, steel and espresso. My tour guide Alessandro showed me around the various areas of the factory. The frame building area is strictly for Giovanni Pelizzoli. All the available space is taken up by bikes frames waiting to be painted or waiting for assembly. There were bike frames hanging from the wall in all directions. Creating a hanging timeline of different materials, paint schemes and styles.

Hiding at the back of the factory was an original Cinelli Laser Crono. Giovanni painted many of these frames back in the day and they are currently looking for a fork to complete the build.
Somehow I think they would have I have noticed if I stuffed a frame underneath my jumper so I took a pass (besides, my legs were tired)

Dotted around the workshop are frames that make you stop and take a second, third and forth look. Frames made from Gilco tubing are my favourite and there were a few gems covered in dust. Littering the walls are large photos of famous cycles and their bikes creating another timeline of bike frame design and styling.

Every operation is performed by hand. The fillets on the alluminium Leggenda track frame take forever to refine and the little detail on the dropouts of the Corsa GP road frame are crafted with a file. All the painting is done in house with aplomb and even the masks and decals are cut in house. Many bike companies come to Pelizzoli to get their top end frames painted by hand.

Giovanni is over eighty years old and is producing frames with same intensity and passion since he started. For me the amazing part is the he been producing frames for over 60 years and I am only 25 years old. Giovanni made a point that a bike frame has not changed in principle for many years, the only thing that has changed are the materials and construction methods. Yet he still loves sparking up the oxy torch and brazing a frame together.

I would like to thank the team at Pelizzoli for putting up with a giddy foreigner for a few hours and I look forward to purchasing a piece of history in the near future. I decided to walk to the factory and after 45 minutes I found the area in which the factory should be located. The only notification of the factory's location are a couple of small signs on the gate. Unfortunately I was distracted by a tractor plowing a field and subsequently walked straight past. To be honest, the tractor was pretty interesting.

Inside the factory you are greeted with the empheral smell of paint fumes, steel and espresso. My tour guide Alessandro showed me around the various areas of the factory. The frame building area is strictly for Giovanni Pelizzoli. All the available space is taken up by bikes frames waiting to be painted or waiting for assembly. There were bike frames hanging from the wall in all directions. Creating a hanging timeline of different materials, paint schemes and styles. Hiding at the back of the factory was an original Cinelli Laser Crono. Giovanni painted many of these frames back in the day and they are currently looking for a fork to complete the build. Somehow I think they would have I have noticed if I stuffed a frame underneath my jumper so I took a pass (Besides, my legs were tired) Dotted around the workshop are frames that make you stop and take a second, third and forth look. Frames made from Gilco tubing are my favourite and there were a few gems covered in dust. Littering the walls are large photos of famous cycles and their bikes creating another timeline of bike frame design and styling.

Every operation is performed by hand. The fillets on the alluminium Leggenda track frame take forever to refine and the little detail on the dropouts of the Corsa GP road frame are crafted with a file. All the painting is done in house with aplomb and even the masks and decals are cut in house. Many bike companies come to Pelizzoli to get their top end frames painted by hand.

Giovanni is over eighty years old and is producing frames with same intensity and passion since he started. For me the amazing part is the he been producing frames for over 60 years and I am only 25 years old. Giovanni made a point that a bike frame has not changed in principle for many years, the only thing that has changed are the materials and construction methods. Yet he still loves sparking up the oxy torch and brazing a frame together.

I would like to thank the team at Pelizzoli for putting up with a giddy foreigner for a few hours and I look forward to purchasing a piece of history in the near future."

The Pelizzoli webiste is www.pelizzoliworld.com, it contains a blog and some interesting photos.

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Chianti Gino Bartali DOCG


Chianti Gino Bartali DOCG*

* VITIGNI: Sangiovese 80% Canaiolo 20%.
* TECNICHE PRODUTTIVE: Raccolta nel mese di settembre, vinificazione con 2 rimontaggi al giorno a temperatura controllata di 28°C e macerazione di 2 settimane. Dopo la svinatura e la successiva malolattica il vino viene tenuto sulle fecce per 1-2 mesi. Imbottigliamento dopo 6 mesi dalla vendemmia.
* COLORE: Rosso rubino vivace e brillante.
* PROFUMO: Fine e fragrante con note di frutta fresca.
* GUSTO: Armonico, rotondo e molto elegante.
* GRADAZIONE ALCOLICA: 12,5% vol.
* ABBINAMENTI GASTRONOMICI: Arrosti, brasati, carni bianche e rosse.
* SERVIZIO: Va servito ad una temperatura di 18-20° da stappare mezz’ora prima di servire.

Order information (Italian only) here.

*The meaning of DOC and DOCG:
Reading an Italian label is usually straight forward: there's the winery name, perhaps the vineyard that the grapes came from, the year, and an abbreviation (DOC, DOCG) or a phrase (Vino Da Tavola). Have you ever wondered what a DOC wine is, and how it differs from a Vino da Tavola?
There are four major categories of Italian wines:
Vino Da Tavola
Vino a Indicazione Geografica (IGT)
Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)


Vino Da Tavola: (VdT, in the wine books) is the lowest class of wine, a wine made by the producer as he sees fit to make it. There are few rules, other than that the stuff not be poisonous. Most is insipid, thin, weak, and acidic, the sort of wine that used to be sold in jugs and is now sold in tetrapacks. However, there are also some spectacular Vini da Tavola, wines made by extremely good producers who have decided to make something that doesn't qualify for a superior status because of its composition or the way it is made. So, with Vino da Tavola you either get plonk or something spectacular.


Vino a Indicazione Geografica: is just that, a wine produced in a specific area. There's nothing special about most of it, though there are some nice exceptions.


Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC): is the Italian answer to the French AOC. DOC wines are produced in specific well-defined regions, according to specific rules designed to preserve the traditional wine-making practices of the individual regions. Thus, the rules for making Barolo differ markedly from those for making Chianti Classico. The winery can state the vineayrd that the grapes came from, but cannot name the wine after a grape type (doing so would cause confusion, because there are some DOCs named after grape types, for example Brunello di Montalcino), and cannot use a name such as "Superior." Since a wine has to meet certain standards to qualify as DOC, the quality of Italian wines as a whole has improved since the first DOCs were established in the 1960s.


Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG): Similar to the DOC but more stringent. Allowable yields are generally lower, and DOCG wines must pass an evaluation of a tasting committee before they can be bottled. The establishment of DOCG wines has again resulted in an overall improvement in the quality of Italian wines -- it doesn't make sense for a producer whose vineyards are in a DOCG area to produce wines that aren't good enough to qualify. The only drawback is that in some cases the areas are too large (all of Chianti, about half of Tuscany, is DOCG for example, despite fluctuations in quality from place to place).



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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Verona's Cunego Back on the Podium After 17 Months


Pedaling brilliantly and with an irresistible desire to win were the ingredients that allowed Damiano Cunego to reach the finish line first in the second stage of the Giro di Sardgena. It had been 17 months since the Lampre-ISD rider had savored the taste of victory, his last being in La Pandera at the Vuelta a Espana in September, 2009.

The defining part of the stage occurred in the final Kms of the 197.5 stage. With an uphill finish on Monte Ortobene the top riders battled when first Scarponi, Capecchi, Kiserlov, Serpa Perez and Sella attacked, then were joined at 1000 meters to go by Cunego, Hermans, Stortoni, Brutt, Santambrogio and Sagan. Cunego was great in controlling his opponents and winning the sprint.

Cunego now leads in the overall standing by 2 seconds with the previous days winner, Sagan, in second.

"My shout at the arrival was full of satisaction", Cunego explained. "It's fantastic to win when you know that you're in good form, and of course it's even more beautiful to obtain success when you could not win for a long time."

Photo: by Bettini

Related story: A Visit with Damiano Cunego


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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Cycling Art by Terri Hill


In the words of Terri Hill:

"I am a native of the Bay Area of Northern California, and have been producing colorful works for the last 33 years with my background in Graphic Design. I began painting in 2003, and have never looked back. I became a full-time painter on New Years Day, 2009

My paintings are known for their rich, saturated color and unusual vantage point. Being a “healthy lifestyle enthusiast,” I paint what I love. You can see the influence of living in wonderful Northern California…it’s pretty obvious that I run, bike, and swim as well as enjoy the wonderful local fruits and vegetables and wines of the area. This area is such a perfect place to be as a painter...the good life is wonderful for creating great art!

I show work at galleries, art and wine events, Open Studios, restaurants, and corporate settings. I give demos and teach workshops on both technique and painting design and am available to jury shows. You can find my paintings at Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos (www.viewpointsgallery.com), and at www.designerhill.com. You will also find my work in Splash 11 and Splash 12."

View her work at www.designerhill.com

Other artists that we have mentioned previously:
Rob Ijbema
Antonio Tamburro
Claudio Pesci

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Campagnolo Winter Check-Up Discount Program


Campagnolo has launched its "Campagnolo Winter Check-Up" promotion, the Campagnolo drivetrain maintenance program that includes the check and replacement of spare parts with a 20% discount.

The promotion is available in:
- Benelux from March 1st to 31th 2011
- United States from March 1st to 31th 2011
- Canada from March 1st to 31th 2011

Note the program is available in the UK from February 1st to 28th, 2011.

The program is offered through Campagnolo's "Pro-shop" network:
Check out the list of participating Campagnolo Pro-shops in United Kingdom.
Check out the list of participating Campagnolo Pro-shops in Benelux.
Check out the list of participating Campagnolo Pro-shops in United States.
Check out the list of participating Campagnolo Pro-shops in Canada.

The Journey to Copenhagen World Championships Begins


The journey to the Copenhagen World Championships (September 19 to 25) begins next week for the Italian national team. Members of the squad will be in Livorno from February 28 to March 3rd to focus on the discipline of time trialing.

It's the first stage of a three stage process aimed particularly at young riders. Participating under under C.T. Paolo Bettini, the U23 C.T. Marino Amadori, and Scuola dello Sport del Coni people, are riders:

National Professionals:
Alfredo Ballon - Lampre-Isd
Dario Cataldo - Quickstep
Adriano Malori - Lampre-Isd
Alan Marangoni - Liquigas-Cannondale
Marco Pinotti - Htc-Highroad
Manuel Quinziato - BMC Racing Team

National Under 23:
Diego Florio - G.S. Zalf Desiree Fior
Gianluca Leonardi - Site Marchiol Tassullo
Matthew Mammini - Mastromarco Chianti Sensi Benedetti
Alessandro Stocco - U.C. Treviso Bottoli Dynamon

Also, during the "Progetto Azzurro" there will be courses such as "The sense of belonging in modern cycling team", "The time trial: The performance model and its preparation", and the first lesson of "English for London 2012".

Photo: Marco Pinotti, five-time Italian Time Trial Champion (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010).

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Multi-Stage Gran Fondo: LA HAUTE ROUTE


A new event on the gran fondo calendar is the multi stage "LA HAUTE ROUTE". Although it doesn't take place in Italy I thought I write about it as it comes very close to Italy on its way from Geneva to Nice, and it sounds like such a great challenge.

The first edition of the HAUTE ROUTE (the ‘high road’) is an exceptional cyclosportive (gran fondo) event involving 7 stages, 14 cols between Geneva and Nice, that will take place over 7 days from 21-27 August, 2011. Riders will be challenged as they climb over 14 legendary Alpine Cols between Geneva and Nice. 700 km, 18,000m of climbing, 7 days of pleasure and pain.

With more than 700 kilometres to cover and around 18,000 meters of altitude to climb and as much to descend, the competitors will have the amazing opportunity to measure themselves against 14 famous cols, including the Madeleine, Galibier, the Izoard and the Cime de la Bonnette on a route that climbs above 2,800 metres. The first edition of La Haute Route will stop in the prestigious ski resorts of Megève, Les Arcs/Bourg-St-Maurice, Serre Chevalier, Pra Loup and Auron.

The organizers are estimating between 500-600 entries for the inaugural event. Registration deadline for the Haute Route is 31 July 2011. Registration is Euro 630, lodging packages are available from the organizer.

Read all details at www.hauteroute.org

Course overview by Claude Droussent, Ex-Chief Editor of the newspaper group L’Equipe:

Saturday 20th August 2011: La Haute Route Village, Geneva
Sunday 21st August 2011 : Geneva – Megève (97 km)
"Beware! Neither the distance (97 km) nor the altitude of the first two cols of the Haute Route, the Colombière and the Aravis, should scare you. However the ascent of the Colombière by its north side is a “two-faced” friend. The first ten kilometres, up to the Reposoir, are “soft”; the last six surrounded by a rocky landscape have a gradient between 8.5 and 10%.

Once you have freed yourself from this first col of the week (1616 meters), the descent of the south side is not too punishing until Saint-Jean-de-Sixt. From there, you’ll head towards La Clusaz and then turn right for the last eight kilometres of the Aravis. It is a cool route with an average 5% gradient, green scenery, the mont Blanc on your left at the summit and with a bit of luck, marmots! Save yourself some strength for the light final ascent to Megève. And then relax; it is only the first day after all…"

Monday 22nd August 2011 : Megève – Les Arcs (103 km)
"It starts with the col des Saisies which should be okay. After the funny hairpin bends overlooking Flumet, there will be 15 kilometres of irregular but not too nasty slopes offering even a section to recuperate at mid-col near Arcanière. And above, weather permitting, the enchanting mont Blanc!

Keep some strength for the Cormet de Roselend that is split in two parts when you tackle it by Beaufort. The first ten kilometres go up on a 6 to 8% gradient to the levee and balcony of the Col du Méraillet where you will need to recuperate; and then another 6 to 8% gradient on the last five kilometres up to 1967 meters in altitude. It is high but not so difficult. Be careful at mid-descent, after the Saint-Antoine bridge, the going is very fast on a very narrow road, even some professionals have fallen off into the ravine!

Past Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 15 kilometres of ascent on a beautiful road up to the Arcs 1800 remain with a regular ascent of 6-7%. A 103 km day that will be a little more demanding than the previous one."

Tuesday 23rd August 2011 : Bourg-St-Maurice – Serre Chevalier (162 km)
"The big day! Because it is the third day and your legs will start to hurt; because there are 162 kilometres on the clock and it will be the longest stage of the week; and, more importantly, because you will have to climb consecutively the Madeleine, the Télégraphe and the Galibier. A big and beautiful mountain leg! Fabulous!

The first part of the Madeleine via Aigueblanche is not very complicated. The last twelve kilometres however will offer no respite with an ascent between 7 and 9% gradient after Celliers, with rocky surroundings up to 1993 meters. Enjoy the descent to recuperate: the Maurienne Valley is never simple to broach, you could have a headwind all the way to the bottom of the Télégraphe!

Then it’s time for the “pièce de résistance”: the Télégraphe with the road bending through the middle of a pine forest. Ten kilometres with a regular ascent at 7%. Here we go! The small descent to Valloire and then the Galibier. The col King of the Alps, the one that inspired the famous drawings of « L’Homme au marteau » from Pellos awaits you, with its irregular percentage which is harsh for morale because it is almost a straight line all the way to Plan Lachat.

Then, the “real” col starts: 8 kilometres at 9 to 10% all the way up to 2637 meters. The main difficulty of the Galibier, which is really the main challenge of the Haute Route, is here, over the last 8 kilometres across a dreamlike landscape, but with a lack of oxygen above 2000 meters! One must really think concentrate over the Madeleine and the Télégraphe, to manage your energy consumption, otherwise the Galibier could really become a nightmare. At the summit, at kilometre 140, it’s a done deal! However, it goes all the way down to Serre-Chevalier and if you’re not too exhausted, enjoy yourself!"

Wednesday 24th August 2011 : Serre Chevalier – Col du Granon (12 km, time trial)
"Isn’t this a funny idea, a time trial on the Granon roads, an unknown col leading nowhere except 2413 meters high, facing the magnificent barrier of the Ecrins? My advice is warm up whilst going up to the Lautaret! Because the Granon, where the pros once went through (and arrived as it is a dead-end) in 1986 with a LeMond-Zimmermann duel, is a tough one right from the bottom and exit of Saint-Chaffrey. So 12 kilometres only on the menu, but 11 of them with hellish gradients, never below 8% and parts at 11-12%. Respect to those who, on this fourth day and with what’s been served up the day before, will take less than an hour to get to the top."

Thursday 25th August 2011 : Serre Chevalier – Pra Loup (119 km)

"Here again, a monster after Briançon but broached by its “cool” side. However, it is the Izoard by its north side so it won’t be the famous Casse Déserte that you will tackle in the descent. But a long ascent (20 kilometres) surrounded by pine trees, difficult in its second part after Cervières. Along the last nine kilometres up to 2360 meters high, it never goes below 8-9%, especially near the Refuge Napoléon.

Same thing for the col de Vars culminating at 2111 meters. And it is the bottom that is very difficult after Guillestre - 18 kilometres of ascent is long. The 8 kilometres of the final ascent to Pra Loup after Barcelonnette won’t be so simple. Remember Eddy Merckx’s lapse in 1975, and Bernard Thévenet glorious day… After the Galibier’s day, the second hardest day of the week."

Friday 26th August 2011 : Pra Loup – Auron (78 km)
"Enjoy, if you still can! The Cime de la Bonnette is 25 kilometres of ascent from Jauziers at 2802 meters high making it the highest road in Europe and the “roof” of the Haute Route, its all yours! Especially a breathtaking scenery in an incredible silence in the heart of the Parc du Mercantour. The Galibier is stunning, the Bonnette even more so. A world of its own…

But you have to work for it. You’ll often face 8-9% slopes but you will also have to be able to “recuperate” on the long parts at 5%. The Bonnette showcases irregular slopes. You should expect two hours of ascent, a little bit more if you want to enjoy the surroundings. It is even better than making a good performance here. And this way, you can also save some energy because even if there is only 77 kilometres to reach Auron, the final ascent has a 8-9% gradient…"

Saturday 27th August 2011 : Auron – Nice (145 km)
"Today, you are probably shattered, waking up every morning has become harder and harder. But today you will be rewarded by the crossing of the Mercantour, the backcountry and then Nice, the coast, the sea… The col de Saint-Martin with its 1500 meters above the Vésubie is nothing compared to what you have already overcome. Beware of the distance, however, 145 kilometres, it could be long. And at the finish, I dare you, dive into the Mediterranean blue sea, you’ve earned it!"

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Monday, February 21, 2011

2011 Giro di Sardegna, 22 to 26 February


The five day Giro di Sardgena (Sardinia) stage race gets under way tomorrow. The five stages are Olbia to Porto Cervo, Porto Rotondo to Nuoro, Orani to Lanusei, Lanusei to Oristano, and Oristano to Gesturi.

The big name Italian riders are Vincenzo Nibali, Daniel Oss, Alessandro Petacchi, Damiano Cunego, Danilo Di Luca (yes, HE'S BACK!), Michele Scarponi, Stefano Garzelli, and Alessandro Ballan.

Teams:
Liquigas - Cannondale
Lampre - ISD
Androni Giocattoli - Bianchi
Pro Team Astana
BMC Racing Team
Katusha Team
Team Radioshack
Acqua & Sapone
Colnago CSF Inox
Miche - Guerciotti
Team Spidertech
Great Britain National Team

The RAI2 TV schedule:
Martedì 22 febbraio: ore 19,00. Replica ore 22,30
Mercoledì 23 febbraio: ore 20,00. Replica ore 22,30
Giovedì 24 febbraio: ore 19,00. Replica ore 22,30
Venerdì 25 febbraio: ore 19,00. Replica ore 22,30
Sabato 26 febbraio: ore 22,30

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

The Return of Rossin, Part II



Part I

Nick from Grupetto Italia, of England, provides a new new update on the Rossin portfolio of products. Nick from Grupetto Italia, writes, "Rossin will be a familiar name to anyone who has followed bike racing in Europe over the past 4 decades having supplied its Italian made bikes to some of the most successful teams in professional racing during this period. It is now ready to make a welcome return in the UK exclusively through purveyors of all things good in Italian bikes, Grupetto Italia...

The Rossin name will be remembered by many with ‘Day Glo’ tinted specs as the ultimate late eighties racing machine (with the loudest paint jobs on the road). Rossins were ridden by some of the best riders of the time including Roger De Vlaeminck and his Daf trucks team and the Dutchman Hennie Kuiper who won both Milan San Remo and Paris Roubaix on Rossin bikes. Kuiper leading in 1985 Milan-San Remo:

Established in 1974, Mario Rossin who had worked for Ernesto Colnago for years was respected as one of the best frame builders in the business with a reputation as a wizard for measuring and custom building for the top Italian riders, so when Rossin started doing his own thing it was no surprise that racing success soon followed.

Italian riders like Gibi Baronchelli who had ridden his bikes as an amateur soon helped Rossin move into the Professional ranks and in early 1976 the GBC Itlia squad were the first of many teams to lineup on Rossin bikes at the Laigueglia Trophy, the traditional early season opener and the rest as they say is history.

It was a Golden era for the Italian cycle industry and Rossin developed many of the advances in technology that other builders later adopted, including the first sloping top tubes and ‘horned’ handlebar TT and track bikes used by both the Russian and US team at the LA Olympics; remember Eric Heiden, he rode Rossin and later by Viatchelav Ekimov when he claimed the Indoor hour record on a Rossin by riding 49.672km.

In 1983 Rossin developed the very first Disc wheels on their ‘FuturaCX’ bikes and they are also credited with equipping one of their bikes with the first onboard computer. In 1980 a little known rider called Alesandro Pagenessi was used as a guinea pig during the Settimana Lombarda mountain time trial, coming second only to the great polish rider Cezlaw Lang – apparently the computer was the size of a brick lashed to his bars but look what a revolution he started. Moreno Argentin later wore pink at the Giro on a Rossin and the company continues to this day to push the established ways of building racing bicycles aimed at the very best riders at the highest levels of competition.

This constant striving for advancement in making bikes both faster and better performing is still evident today in the new range of Rossin Bikes. The range is led by the fantastic looking Ghibli made from 1K high module carbon, the chunky yet aerodynamic head tube looks glorious up front with the monostay and integrated seat post (ISP system) at the back making this pure Rossin magic – although you’ll be glad to know the paint finish, (whilst lustrous) is much subtler than in previous times.


Next in line is the Kubang which whilst being incredibly light and responsive still has superb absorbing qualities for a comfortable ride over long distances. Next in line is the Kubang which whilst being incredibly light and responsive still has superb absorbing qualities for a comfortable ride over long distances. It's ideal for racing or sportives and the monocoque 3K Kubang has the same ISP system as the Ghibili giving it the credible good looks of a true racing machine. Further down the range but still aimed at the Sportive / club racer is the Zenith with its 12K Toray monocoque frame offering outstanding ride quality, strength and lightness."

More information can be found on the Grupetto Italia website.

Photo (top): Always at the front of innovations, Rossin have been instrumental in some of the most radical thinking, working alongside the best riders they have always prided themselves on researching and developing the best new ideas

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Alitalia & Gran Fondo Colnago Partnership


Gran Fondo USA, organizer of the Gran Fondo Colnago series in the United States, has announced a partnership with Alitalia Airlines as the "Official Airlines sponsor". As its official airlines, Alitalia will help make the Gran Fondo Colnago events more accessible to Italian cycling enthusiasts. In addition, for each of the events organized by Gran Fondo USA, Alitalia will offer two free trips to Italy to two lucky participants in the events. What a great idea!

These trips will be organized in conjunction with other partnerships with Gran Fondo USA: Italy Bike Hotels (www.italybikehotels.it), which will offer lodging in hotels that are cycling friendly and Marca Treviso (www.marcatreviso.com), which will host the lucky winners of the contest at its facilities in Treviso at the Prosecco Cycling Classic on October 2, 2011. Video from a La Prosecco:

PCC 2009 from iamin on Vimeo.



Check www.granfondousa.com for updates on the event series how you can win a week-long trip to cycle the historic roads of and passes of Italy, thanks to Alitalia. Events are currently scheduled for:
San Diego, April 10
Los Angeles June 26
Philadelphia, August 14
Miami, November 20

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Economics of the Giro D'Italia



The 2011 Giro d'Italia, "La Corsa Rosa", is one of the three events selected to offically celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy (150° Anniversario dell’Unità d’Italia); the other two events are the Coppa Italia and the Festival di Sanremo.

The start of the Giro will take place in Torino, the first capital of unified Italy, on May 7, 2011.

The Director of the Giro, Angelo Zomegnan, said in San Remo on Thursday, "The Giro d'Italia by definition unites the country and this year will try to do so even more than before. Although we are obligated to remain within a distance of 3500 km we have managed to touch 17 of the 20 regions, more than 60 of the 110 provinces and over 550 municipalities. I think the pink thread that joins these cities, provinces and regions will be the ideal moment to emphasize even more the country's unity. The Giro was watched by more than 10,500,000 people last year along the route and our nation will appear on television in 165 countries around the world thanks to the work done by Rai Trade."

Michele Acquarone, CEO of RCS Sport, who has examined how the viewership of the Giro said, "In 2010 there were more than 10 million people that watched on the roads, paralleling growth in other areas: growing interest by the media, more than 2,000 accredited journalists last year, a home reach of 350 million people through TV with a virtually global coverage. There were more than one million page views on the official website of the Corsa Rosa and a community of 37,000 followers, which is continuing to increase, on social media. Yet our mission is not yet complete as we are working to increase the penetration and improve the effectiveness of communication of the Giro.

RCS Sport, as the organizer, ensures a highly professional logistics service offering the possibility of obtaining positive results in the economic, tourist, environmental, socio-cultural and political sectors, quantifiable returns of between 3 , 65% and 10.25% of the investment."

How is return of investment calculated? Alberto Dal Sasso, Commercial Director of Nielsen Media, has addressed this issue by presenting the results of research conducted on public business and local communities in the cities hosting stages. The 2009 edition of the Giro provided the cities of the stages: 60,000 tourists, 28,000 rooms booked in hotels, a turnover of EUR 34 million (more than one third of the total turnover of the Giro, which amounts to 110 million euro) and an average turnover of €620,000 thousand for the cities of the stage. These revenues increase for cities as follows:
hosting the stage finish: + €465,000
hosting mountain finish: + €571,000
hosting stages during the weekend: € 1.2 to 1.8 million
hosting by large city: €1.5 to 1.9 million

"The Giro is therefore an investment but is also a source of satisfaction in the community because it has positive values in terms of modernization of the urban environment and seasonal adjustment of tourism. In addition, the Giro d'Italia creates attention, passion and values abroad: the first three stages of 2010 in Amsterdam and the Netherlands have generated a total turnover of € 7.4 million.", said Dal Sasso.

Regions, such as the Trentino, depend on the passing of the Giro to develop a stratgey to attract amateur cyclists, creating a long wave of 2.5 million cycling tourists throughout the summer. Maurizio Rossini, Direttore Marketing di Trentino Marketing Spa said, "This strategic approach is based on the two cornerstones of communication and sponsorship which aim at making the Trentino a brand recognized and immediately identifiable with the world of cycling."

Summary of the 2011 Giro d'Italia:

From the 7th to the 29th of May 2011,
17 regions,
23 total days, 21 race days,
1 rest day + transfer 1 rest day,
Start from Torino-Reggia di Venaria , Reale,
Finish in Milano-Piazza Duomo,
1 Team Time Trial Stage (1ª stage Reggia di Venaria Reale-Torino) / 21,5 km,
1 uphill time trial (16ª Belluno-Nevegal) / 12,7 km,
1 individual time trial (21ª Milano-Milano) / 32,8 km,
7 stages for sprinters,
1 white (gravel) road stage in Siena in the province of Siena and the finish in Orvieto
4 medium mountain stages (1 summit finish)
6 mountain stages (6 summit finish),
Summit finishes: Montevergine di Mercogliano (7ª stage), Etna (9ª stage), Grossglockner (13ª stage), Zoncolan (14ª stage), Gardeccia (15ª stage), Macugnaga (19ª stage), Sestriere (20ª stage),
Other climbs: Crostis (new), Croce Carnico, Mauria, Fedaia-Marmolada, Tonale, Aprica, Mottarone, Colle delle Finestre (dirt stretch),
Cima Coppi: Passo Giau,
Total: 3496 km

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Alfredo Martini Celebrates 90th Birthday


Alfredo Martini, an icon of Italian cycling, celebrated his 90th birthday today. His professional career spanned seventeen years from 1941 to 1957. Martini won the Giro dell'Appennino in 1947, the Giro del Piemonte in 1950, and a stage of the Giro d'Italia in 1950; he wore the pink jersey for one day and finished third behind Koblet and Bartali. He also won a stage in the Tour de Suisse of 1951, finishing third behind Kubler and Koblet.

Martini is also remembered for his finish in the legendary Cuneo-Pinerolo route raced on the 17th stage of the 32nd Giro d'Italia on 10 June, 1949: a truly memorable moment in Giro history. Then, the first time the route was raced, the route comprised five major climbs in a row through the Italo-French mountain passes: Colle della Maddalena (Col de Larche in French), Vars, Izoard, re-entry into Italy via Monginevro and, finally, Sestrière before arriving in Pinerolo. Two hundred and fifty kilometres, much of which on dirt roads as they were then. “Campionissimo” Fausto Coppi’s performance is legendary, his 190-kilometre solo ride beginning halfway up the Colle della Maddalena and concluding at the finishing line in Pinerolo. He won by 11 minutes and 52 seconds from his historic friend and rival Gino Bartali in second, with Alfredo Martini third – but first among the “mere mortals” – at 20 minutes 40 seconds.

Later, Martini became the C.T (Commissario Tecnico) of the Italian national team from 1975 to 1997. Under his leadership Italy won World Championships with Francesco Moser in 1977 in San Cristóbal (Venezuela); with Giuseppe Saronni in 1982 in Goodwood (Great Britan); with Moreno Argentin in 1986 in Colorado Springs (USA): with Maurizio Fondriest in 1988 in Renaix (Belgium); and with Gianni Bugno in 1991 in Stuttgart (Germany) and again with Bugno in 1992 in Benidorm (Spain).

Since 1998 he has been the Honorary President of the Federazione Ciclistica Italiana.

Martini, more recently, has been on the committee that has been successful in having Firenze (Florence) awarded the 2013 World Road Championships.

Auguri!

Video from a RAI interview with Martini today here.

Photo: Alfredo Martini in his Wilier Triestina jersey, circa 1947/1948.

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

"Leonardo" by ATR Group


ATR Group, located in Colonnella (TE), is an Italian research and production company of advanced structural composite parts and components that is best known in racing car circles. As an example, this Peugeot 908 HDI- FAP being prepared at ATR for Le Mans:
Lesser known is their collaboration with several Italian bicycle companies, including Colnago with whom they have developed several carbon fiber models.

This week ATR is exhibiting for the first time, at COMPOTEC Expo in Marina di Carrara, a full carbon fiber racing bike of their own design and construction in Colonnella. Named the "Leonardo" the bikes capitalizes on the knowledge the company gained in past collaborations and their composite materials expertise to "create unique features". We will have to wait to see and hear what those features are exactly.
ATR has been in financial difficulties and is currently operating under special administration. The bicycle project is seen as having excellent development prospects. With such a crowded marketplace I think it's going to be challenging prospect.

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

GEOX-TMC Presentation



Team GEOX-TMC held its official 2011 team presentation in Padova on Saturday, February 12.

Thirteen of the team’s 23 riders were on hand for the presentation, including Matthias Brandle, Giampaolo Cheula, Juan Jose Cobo, Daniele Colli, David De la Fuente, Fabio Duarte, Arkaitz Duran, Fabio Felline, Noe Gianetti, Rafael Walls, Marcel Wyss, and of course, 2009 Giro d’Italia winner Denis Menchov and 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre.

The team’s remaining 10 riders – Tomas Alberio, Mauricio Ardila, David Blanco, Marco Corti, Xavier Florencio, David Gutierrez, Dimitriy Kozontchuk, Marco Kump, Matteo Pelucchi and Daniele Ratto – were introduced via video, as they were racing in the Tour of Qatar and the Tour of Oman.

After a moving video presentation detailing Sastre and Menchov’s greatest victories, the riders rode their Fuji Altamira road bikes through a sea of smoke on to the stage for an official introduction to the media.

At the presentation, GEOX Chairman Mario Polegato shared why the company decided to sponsor a professional cycling team in 2011.

“We have chosen to enter cycling not just for pure sponsorship but also to test our unique, patented technologies in the extreme discipline of cycling,” he explained, referencing GEOX’s “Respira” shoe and apparel breathable, waterproof technology.

GEOX, headquartered in Montebelluna, Italy, is one of the top footwear brands in the world and produces more than 20 million pairs of shoes annually.

Co-sponsors of the the team also include Diadora, Servetto, Footon, Carrera, and Cantabria Infinita.

GEOX-TMC is off to a rocky start. The team was denied a 2011 ProTeam license which means they are not guaranteed entry to the major tours. The Tour de France announced their team invitations on January 20th and GEOX-TMC was left out in the cold, also leaving Carlos Sastre and Denis Menchov who finished 3rd last year in the TdF, out of the race. Perhaps there will be better news for them in the future.

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Hmmmm... what a cool bike... never heard of it!


Guest contributor Chuck, from the USA, contributed this story during the reader contest period:

Hmmmm... what a cool bike... never heard of it!

"The precise moment when something important happens in your life is seldom caught on film... this snapshot is a rare exception.

Summer 1976, Griffith Park Road Race, Los Angeles, California... my wife Sherry has just snapped a picture of our six year old daughter Christa as the three of us watch the race. I'm 31, have been riding half a year and lost around 25 pounds, and am wearing matching Cool Gear jersey and hat (nobody owned a helmet back then), nylon Kucharik Helanca shorts, Adidas Super Eddy Merckx shoes and riding a full-Campy, Blue Mink/Silver, 1974 Raleigh Professional Mk. IV that I'm real proud of.

I'm staring at a white and yellow bike with a name I've never heard of and the thing literally takes my breath away! The closer I look, the more amazing details there are to see! I literally can't take my eyes off the thing! The decal says "Confente" and the guy bending over to clean the gravel out of his cleats is a guy I've never even heard of before, Mario Confente.

"Excuse me, but could you tell me about that bike you're riding?"


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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

"Giro" by Selwyn Senatori


"Giro" by Selwyn Senatori.

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

New Cinelli Retro Gloves



These leather with cotton mesh Cinelli gloves from the Summer/Spring Supreme collection will be available February 24th at their New York and Los Angeles stores, and their stores in Japan on February 26th. The Supreme online shop will reopen on Thursday, March 3rd.

Click here to visit the Supreme website.

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Reader Contribution Contest Ends

Yesterday was the final day for story contributions to the ICJ reader contribution contest. My sincere thanks to all those participated. During the next week I will organize the random drawing and contact all those that participated with the prizes they have won.

A special thanks to the following which were very gracious in contributing the prizes:
CycleItalia, specializing in cycling tours in Italy
BicycleGifts.com, the premiere site for gifts and merchandise for cyclists
Enzo’s ButtonHole Chamois Cream,chamois cream for the ultimate protection
FreeBirdVelo, Italian themed T-shirts
Strada Hand Built Wheels, custom wheel building
Velo-Retro, all things retro for cycling
La Gazzetta della Bici, massage oils for cyclists
Albabici, high-end Italian cycling products distributor

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Record Breaking Granfondo di Laigueglia



The first major granfondo of the 2011 Italian granfondo season, the Granfondo di Laigueglia, drew a record breaking 3,900 cyclists. Coming from all over Italy, and other countries, the riders flooded the start town of Riviera di Ponente on Sunday. A day that in spite of weather forecasts gave cyclists a cloudy sky, sometimes sunny, and temperatures much like Spring.

The 112km route with 1300m of ascent followed previous editions with some variations, the ascent towards Arnasco, then Onzo, descending to Villanova di Albenga from which there was the first variation in the course: the climb of Ligo, inserted in order to break up large groups formed on the descent. Once in Casanova Lerrone riders faced the Passo del Ginestro then descending down towards Andora where riders encountered the second course variation: the Colla Micheri. The finish was placed in Andora in to promote the maximum safety of competitors.

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Share your story. Write a story about your cycling trip, or an aspect of your trip, in Italy. Or, it can be about a granfondo experience, a special encounter, your favorite ride, etc. The period for story submissions for prizes will be January 1-February 15, 2011. Prizes will be awarded on a random basis, stories will not be judged on which is the "best" one. Nevertheless, it should be a good story for the enjoyment of all readers. Photos accompanying the story are most welcome. If you have any questions email me at veronaman@gmail.com. See photos of prizes here. Prize donated by:
CycleItalia, specializing in cycling tours in Italy
BicycleGifts.com, the premiere site for gifts and merchandise for cyclists
Enzo’s ButtonHole Chamois Cream,chamois cream for the ultimate protection
FreeBirdVelo, Italian themed T-shirts
Strada Hand Built Wheels, custom wheel building
Velo-Retro, all things retro for cycling
La Gazzetta della Bici, massage oils for cyclists
Albabici, high-end Italian cycling products distributor