Saturday, December 28, 2013

Colnago Cycling Festival, Part II

Part I

Ernesto Colnago was on hand in the hall of the prestigious Palazzo Todeschini Vinessa, Desenzano del Garda, on December 23rd to inaugurate the first edition of Colnago Cycling Festival Desenzano del Garda and Desenzano del Garda 2nd Gran Fondo Colnago.


Joining Ernesto Colnago in kicking off the official work for the event were Mayor Rosa Leso (above with Ernesto Colnago) and Councillor for Sport Righetti.

"First of all, I want to thank the mayor and the authorities, I have had a house here for so many years that I feel like a Desenzanese," said Colnago.  "The last edition of the granfondo went very well. There is much interest from foreigners in this event. Desenzano is known for its lake, art and culture, and now I wish that it will be also known for cycling."

The Colnago Cycling Festival will be a three day weekend of cycling in Desenzano del Garda on Lago di Garda, from 2 to 4 May, 2014. Events include the granfondo , the first Lake Garda Circuit Randonneur (200KM or 100 Km; ACP-Audax Club Parisien-regulations apply), and the "Garda Legends" event for vintage “eroica” bikes.

All the details here.

Registration for the granfondo is open now at 30 until December 31: from 1 January 2014 until 6 April, the price will be 35 €  and 40 € from April 7 to 30 .


 Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

Friday, December 27, 2013

For Abarth Owners: the "Montante for Abarth" Limited Edition




Cicli Montante is making a limited edition of 50 single speed bicycles, in collaboration with Abarth, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic, small super car, Abarth 595. The bicycle is pictured with the Fiat 500 Abarth 50th anniversary edition. Below, the Fiat 500 Abarth with a 1963 500 Abarth 595 (photo by www.caranddriver.com).



You can contact Cicli Montante, via www.montantecicli.it, for more details. FYI: In 2010, Montante had a collaboration with Maserati (photos here).

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 








Bianchi Exhibition in Novi Ligure


Should you find yourself in or near Novi Ligure between January 2, 2014 and March 23, 2014 be sure to visit the Museo di Campionissimi where a Bianchi exhibition is being held; inauguration January 2nd at 4:00pm.

Among the curators of the exhibit are Paolo Amadori and Paolo Tullini, the authors of the recently released book "Le bici di Coppi" (The Bicycles of Coppi).

As a reminder, my latest list of cycling museums in Italy is here.Note that the Museo del Ciclismo is now closed until April.

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 


Thursday, December 26, 2013

The Bicycles of Coppi, Part II

Part I (description of the new book, "Le bici di Coppi" by Paolo Amadori and Paolo Tullini).

My thanks to Troy for the following photographs he took of the book to give us a sense of the contents.







Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.  

Sunday, December 22, 2013

L'Eroica Britannia, Part II

Part I

L'Eroica is coming to the UK. L'Eroica Britannia, the only approved licensee in the UK to use the L'Eroica name, will be held June 22, 2014, in the Peak District National Park. The official website is www.eroicabritannia.co.uk.

The L'Eroica Britannia route (there will be three routes of 35, 55 and 100 miles) will be challenging, just like in Tuscany and covers the beauty of the Peak District National Park. In July, a representative of L'Eroica came to verify the planned program, ride part of the Monsal Trail, and endorse the project:
Claudio (center), from Italy, meeting in UK
 


Bakewell, the start/finish town, is located in the Peak District National Park, here is a short video featuring Bakewell.


Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.   













Friday, December 20, 2013

2014 UCI World Cycling Tour (UWCT)

From UCI:

After a very successful season in 2013, the UCI World Cycling Tour (UWCT) enters 2014 with much exciting news and some very positive changes.

While our classic European qualification venues such as Italy, Belgium, Spain, France and Austria continue to increase international participation numbers every year, our other non-traditional European venues such as Greece and Denmark have been busy leading the change in their cycling culture. Whereas South Africa, Australia, Brazil and the USA continue to establish their events as great celebrations of international cycling. Moving forward for 2014, two new events will appear on the calendar: Mexico City and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Maraton Franja (Ljubljana, Slovenia) will be the venue of both a qualifier event and the UCI Amateur Road World Championships.

Stage Races
As a greater number of riders take on preparations on par with that of the pros for their upcoming racing season, training camps in warmer countries are quickly becoming a very attractive addition to their programs. And for those who are looking for a bit more excitement in their camps, stage races are the answer. New in 2014, there are two early qualifier stage race events that can fit perfectly for this purpose. Perth is the first one with a time trial on Friday, a traditional lap road race on Saturday and a new Granfondo style race on Sunday. Crete is next, hosting a stage race with a time trial and two road races. Leader jerseys will be given to the leaders of the general classification. Riders will also have the opportunity to skip one race day.

Age groups combined
Another change is the combination of the two youngest age groups into one new 19-34 age group. The challenger class will cease to exist while all remaining age groups will continue to have the chance to compete for the official UCI Rainbow Jersey.

Amateur Road World Championships
The UWCT Final has officially changed its name to UCI Amateur Road World Championships. This event will be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia from 28-31 August 2014. The younger age groups will compete on a 157km course while the older age groups will have 100km to cover. The 19km time trial is a real classic one; totally flat and windy. As in 2013, there will again be a team relay event in the program.

2014 Calendar
Sun 15 Sep 2013 Amy's GF Lorne Australia
26-27 Oct 2013 Msunduzi Road Challenge Pietermaritzburg South Africa
28-30 Mar 2014 UWCT Perth Perth Australia
Sun 6 Apr 2014 Copa 100k Recife Brazil
18-20 Apr 2014 Copa Ciudad de Mexico Mexico City Mexico
25-27 Apr 2014 Cretan Amateur Cycling Tour Chania Greece
17-18 May 2014 Tour of Winston-Salem Winston-Salem USA
Sun 18 May 2014 La Look Nevers France
30 May ? 1 Jun 2014 Copenhagen Gran Fondo Copenhagen Denmark
31 May ? 1 Jun 2014 UWCT Putrajaya Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
6-8 Jun 2014 Maraton Franja Ljubljana Slovenia
Sun 15 Jun 2014 Sankt Poltner Radmarathon Sankt Pölten Austria
Sun 22 Jun 2014 GF Eddy Merckx Andenne Belgium
18-20 Jul 2014 La leggendaria Charly Gaul Trento Italy
Sat 23 Aug 2014 Val d'Aran Cycling Tour Vielha Spain
28-31 Aug 2014 Amateur Road World Champ. Ljubljana Slovenia

In a partnership with renown Belgian sports marketing agency Golazo, the UCI has created the UWCT Corporation. This corporation will be responsible for the overall organization, coordination and marketing aspects of the UWCT qualifier events.

Details at  www.uciworldcyclingtour.com


Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.  






Thursday, December 19, 2013

2014 Campagnolo Experience

2013 participants with Valentino Campagnolo

Ride, dine and wine with Italian cycling royalty. Thomson Bike Tours has announced the 2nd edition of a truly extraordinary cycling event. The Campagnolo Experience: October 11th-18th, 2014.

Get an inside look at the iconic brand who's history, craftsmanship and passion have shaped the face of cycling as we know it.
  • Kick-off the week as special guests at the world renowned Gran Fondo Campagnolo Roma.
  • Spend the week riding historic and spectacular Italian routes.
  • Finish with the ultimate privilege: a private tour of the Campagnolo Headquarters in Vicenza, followed by a dinner and tasting at Astoria, the official Prosecco of the Giro d'Italia.

Thomson photo album of the 2013 Campagnolo Experience (5 pages)
Campagnolo photo album of 2013 Campagnolo Experience


Advance Reservations for the 2014 Campagnolo Experience are open now, space is limited! Details here.

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.  


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Training Camps Begin


The women's professional team ALÉ-Cipollini-Galassia has decided to use Peschiera del Garda, on Lake Garda, as its first training camp to prepare for the 2014 season. The camp is 10 days in length with time divided between cycling, swimming and the gym. Sun, a microclimate, good roads, the scenic lake with charming town dotting its shores and a strong cycling culture make it a perfect location. On Sunday 200 fans rode behind the team (above).


Why does Lake Garda have a Mediterranean microclimate? Lake Garda was formed by a huge glacier coming down from the Alps 1.5 million years ago. So why is Lake Garda so fertile? Well, the as the glacier moved through the valley, it ground up loose magnesium-rich limestone into a paste, which placed itself along the sides of the ice. When the glacier melted, the moraine resulted in the rich fertile soil found along the shores of Lake Garda enabling things like lemon trees, orange trees, olive trees and many exotic flowers to grow. July is the hottest month of the year at the average of 29 degrees! The temperature is the coldest in January at the average of 6 degrees, but it never gets very cold because: in the summer when it's really hot the lake warms up. Through the cold months it keeps its heat, and the heat floats up and warms the air. Also the mountains above it keep it sheltered from wind.



Team Lampre-Merida is preparing for the early season races of Tour Down Under and Tour de San Luis. Ulissi, Wackermann, Mori and Bono (above) are in Los Cristianos, Tenerife, Canary Islands, enjoying beautiful weather and great roads. "The temperature is really good, more or less 23°, and the courses are perfect for our aims," Ulissi explained. "I'm sure these sessions of trainings will be very useful in order to improve our fitness".

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 


Monday, December 16, 2013

Campagnolo "Record" Wine Corkscrew

This appears to be a very early (1960s), pre-production as we know it, Campagnolo wine corkscrew. Besides having "Record" on the handles there are slight variations of design. Anyone have more information? Photos courtesy of www.speedbicycles.ch





Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

Thursday, December 12, 2013

The Bicycles of Coppi

A new book has been published entitled "Le bici di Coppi" by Paolo Amadori and Paolo Tullini. The book is written in Italian but the photos are what most people will be interested in. The book is close to 200 pages and there are multiple photos on most pages.



The translation of the book's description:

The story of a finding that will shake up the world of bicycle-related collecting. The faithful reconstruction, based upon historical documentation, of the Bianchi bicycles used by Fausto Coppi over the course of his extraordinary career. A book that is not to be missed by all lovers of memorabilia and vintage bikes.

Much has been written about Fausto Coppi, both as a racer and as a man, about his exploits, about his death and about the construction of a true and proper myth. On the other hand, little has been said about the relationship between the Campionissimo and his bikes. It is from this point of view that this book begins, from the impassioned research and description of the Bianchi bikes used by the Campionissimo over the course of his career, from 1945 to 1958. This has all been possible thanks to the an extraordinary find: the historical production records of the “reparto Corse” of Bianchi. A true treasure has come to life from a forgotten briefcase - that of Pinella De Grandi, perhaps the most famous mechanic of cycling history, nicknamed “Pinza d’Oro” [the Golden Wrench]- and recovered by Paolo Amadori, one of the two authors of the book. On top of the production records, which it had been thought were lost forever together with the frame numbers and sizes of the various frames built for all the Bianchi racers from the early 40's to the late 60's, the note books and the diaries of Pinella were also found, in which the mechanic to the champions noted, day by day, a variety of technical elements and notes about the performance of the riders in the races (in the Giro, in the Tour and in other competitions). Thanks to these previously unpublished documents, the authors Amadori and Tullini have cataloged in detail 14 original bikes out of the 70 known to have been built for Coppi during his career with Bianchi (from 1945 to 1958), and have supplied an accurate technical description for each one of them, accompanied by rich photographic documentation, thereby telling in a new way and accompanied by numerous never before seen photos of the cycling exploits that saw these bikes accompany the Campionissimo.

More details here.

Available from Amazon.

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 




Monday, December 9, 2013

L'Eroica Announces "WHITE ROADS Cycling Clothing and Accessories"


Just in time (maybe!) for Christmas. www.white-roads.com

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

Friday, December 6, 2013

Michele Acquarone, about being Fired

Michele Acquarone, speaking publicly in Milano yesterday about being fired from RCS, read the following statement:

"I have already dedicated 14 years of my life to the RCS Group, the last five of which I spent working tirelessly on strengthening and growing RCS Sport. As director of Giro d'Italia I sought to develop the prestige of this event as part of Italy's heritage and for cycling fans all over the world. Looking at the results, I would say that I have succeeded.

"It was much to my frustration however that I could not participate in the presentation of that which I consider one of my most accomplished creations, the 2014 Giro d'Italia, and I apologize to all the friends I could not meet with," it continued.

"Those who know me are well aware that my professional style is based on three key concepts: fairness, respect and dialogue. Those who know me also know that I hold the trust of fans and of people involved in the industry, at the center of my heart, and if today I can benefit from such trust it is because I have always worked with greatest transparency and honesty, as well as with total dedication and loyalty to the RCS Group.

"For the ties linking me to Giro fans and to the people involved in the industry, I want to strongly reassure everyone of my non-involvement in the matters that have been reported in the mass media over the last few days. Today the life of a company is permanently marked in time and I am certain that all the facts will soon be completely clarified.

"I only dream about the day I can return to my team, and get back to working towards the 2014 Giro d'Italia, with even greater enthusiasm than that which has driven me over these years."



www.cyclingnews.com reported the following quotes (also including statements after the official statement):

"I'm here because I need to get rid of the mud that has been thrown at me. I've not been able to speak because I was an employee of RCS. Today I need to say what I feel, to shout that I'm totally extraneous to what has happened. "I'm not under investigation but I can't see a single reason why I should be. I've never taken one Euro more than my salary. That'll be the most difficult thing to convince people. I was in the headlines, on the BBC and in the Washington Post. I hope I'll have the same headlines when I'm cleared. I want to prove my dignity to be 100% restored."

"I was suspended and to be honest initially I wasn't worried. Everything seemed perfect when I came back from my holidays in September and we were ready to start working on the new season of events. After I was suspended, as the days passed I was hoping that things would be clarified. That didn’t happen until I was accused and then fired, with RCS saying "that I could have and should have stopped certain irregularities happening. I asked RCS to explain how I should and could have done that and asked for the reasons for me being fired. They replied that my request was an excuse and shouldn't have been made."

"People think I've fooled myself about being cleared but I'd hoped to go back to work right to the end. To find myself out of RCS Sport is devastating and feel I've been stabbed in the back three times."

"I've spent a long time thinking about my tomorrow. I'm 42. I've run a marathon in the past and now I've got to run another and start from scratch."


You can see an interview with Acquarone, in Italian, here from yesterday (after 15 second ad).


Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 













Thursday, December 5, 2013

Area Zero Pro Team, the New Adventure Begins


Area Zero Pro Team, the new, all-Italian continental squad coached by team managers Andrea Tonti and Ivan De Paolis has officially begun its adventure. Starting Monday, December 2nd, the entire team was hard at work at a retreat that will last until today at the Cà Virginia Country House in Borgo Massano, near Urbino, in the Marche region.

The team's roster for the 2014 season is made up of 11 all-Italian riders: Giovanni Carboni, Fabio Chinello, Paolo Ciavatta, Silvio Giorni, Gianluca Leonardi, Gianluca Mengardo, Andrea Pasqualon, Charly Petelin, Simone Petilli, Marco Tecchio and Stefano Tonin.

Andrea Tonti rode as a pro on important teams from 1999 to 2010 and was part of the national team lineup. In addition to his role as team manager he will also be following the guys during their races from the team car next to Massimo Codol, himself a pro rider from 1998 to 2012, here on his first experience as a Sports Director.

"It's going to be three days of intense work," explains Ivan De Paolis. “The riders will be busy scheduling the season with the sports directors and athletic trainer Paolo Santello. There will also be team building activities to get the group on the same page, with our mental trainer Cristina Carraro (already a mental trainer for Petrarca Rugby Padova) who will then follow the guys throughout the entire season, and communications professor Fabiano Petricone who will illustrate the importance of knowing how to communicate effectively and portray an individual and team image in high level sports."

This is a young, dynamic and motivated group that strives to stand out for its transparency and fairness; none of the people on the team or technical staff has ever been involved or associated with doping cases.

“We've decided to invest in the future by betting on very young riders, with a few more expert members thrown into the mix. The team was set up with strong consideration of ethical and sportsmanship criteria,"
explains Andrea Tonti. “Our ranks include the youngest Italian rider in the peloton, Giovanni Carboni, born in 1995, while the team veteran will be Paolo Ciavatta, born in 1984. The riders here have chosen to fully support the project and respect the rules set down by Area Zero Pro Team, which outline a serious and professional approach the world of professionalism, from training to racing. More than to win, these guys are here to grow and to learn how to race, to behave and to live as professionals

Bottecchia will be the brand of the bikes ridden by the team. The riders will be using the Emme 2 model, the top of the range from Bottecchia's racing division. The frame is made in carbon and is produced entirely by hand in Italy. The bikes will be equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace components.





Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Michele Acquarone, Giro d'Italia Director, Fired

Michele Acquarone, Managing Director at RCS Sports (owner of the Giro d'Italia, MSR, Il Lombardia, +) and director of the Giro d'Italia, has reportedly now been fired. He had been suspended in October as a precautionary, "non-disciplinary", measure while an investigation of a shortfall of 13 million euro was taking place. Mauro Vegni will assume the role of Giro d'Italia race director.

Acquarone will be holding a press conference tomorrow at noon in Milano.

Back in October, Acquarone made the following statement:

" I have dedicated fourteen years of my life to the RCS Group, the last five of which I spent working tirelessly on strengthening and growing RCS Sport.

As director of Giro d’Italia, I sought to develop the prestige of this event as part of Italy’s heritage and for cycling fans all over the world. Looking at the results, I would say that I have succeeded.

It was much to my frustration however that I could not participate in the presentation of that which I consider one of my most accomplished creations, the 2014 Giro d’Italia, and I apologize to all the friends I could not meet with.

Those who know me, are well aware that my professional style is based on three key concepts: fairness, respect and dialogue.

Those who know me, also know that I hold the trust of fans and of people involved in the industry, at the center of my heart, and if today I can benefit from such trust, it is because I have always worked with greatest transparency and honesty, as well as with total dedication and loyalty to the RCS Group.

For the ties linking me to Giro fans and to the people involved in the industry, I want to strongly reassure everyone of my non-involvement in the matters that have been reported in the mass media over the last few days.

Today the life of a company is permanently marked in time, and I am certain that all the facts will soon be completely clarified.

I only dream about the day I can return to my team, and get back to working towards the 2014 Giro d’Italia, with even greater enthusiasm than that which has driven me over these years.

Thank you for your support, and see you soon.

Michele Acquarone"
Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

 

Monday, December 2, 2013

1 Million Euro Theft at Selle San Marco

Just last monthy there was a major theft from Team Lampre-Merida. Now comes word of another major theft, this time from Selle San Marco. The announcement from Selle San Marco:


"Saddles worth about 1 million euro have been stolen from Selle San Marco warehouses in Rossano Veneto (VI) during the night between Friday November 29th and Saturday 30th.

This is the market value of the 6.000 saddles stored in more than 300 boxes ready to be shipped, that the thieves robbed introducing themselves within the factory after having forced the gate of the shipment storehouse, which is located on the back. High-end saddles as the top 2014 model Aspide Superleggera, all the Carbon FX models with Carbon rails and the Racing models.

Besides the theft, it remains to evaluate now the unexplained damage caused by acts of vandalism to products left in stock. Further investigation are still ongoing.

A terrible blow for our company, worldwide famous for the production of hand-made saddles for bicycles. The unfortunate incident happened, in fact, at an important moment of the process of delivery of the new 2014 models, which are proving to be very successful in the market.

Investigators believe that the stolen goods can now be outside of the Italian national territory, but they are unlikely to be sold because the saddles have a warranty hologram and ID numbers of each product under the shell. At this time the company is checking the details of the codes involved.

Selle San Marco apologizes in advance with their customers for the disruption that they will suffer in the upcoming days because of this. Unfortunately, it is in fact necessary a reorganization and a repurchase of components to process the orders and to realize them again and this will cause inevitable delays. The staff of Selle San Marco will try to answer as soon as possible to the countless e-mails that we are receiving in these days.

The company also asked to point out to info@sellesanmarco.it the products that in the market may have too low prices and any suspicious situations. Everything will remain anonymous.

The Girardi family, owner of the company, wants to thank the police for the timely intervention and all suppliers, friends and supporters, for the many signs of nearness that it has already received."




Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 



Sunday, December 1, 2013

Colnago Cycling Festival, Lago di Garda, 2-4 May, 2014


Colnago Cycling Festival, a weekend of cycling in a fantastic place, Desenzano del Garda on Lago di Garda, from 2 to 4 May, 2014.



Three granfondo routes plus the first Lake Garda Circuit Randonneur (200KM or 100 Km; ACP-Audax Club Parisien-regulations apply).

Also the "Garda Legends" event! Only for cyclists with vintage “eroica” bikes will be admitted.

All the details here.

seen at the expo....



Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

Friday, November 29, 2013

2013 L'Eroica Report

My thanks to Marco Mori, of Gusto Cycling (which offers cycling vacations in Italy), for permission to use this story by Nick Mynheer:


L’Erocia 2013 By Nick Mynheer
"As Hugh Tyler and I queued up at 5am in the crowded but still sleepy town of Gaiole in Chianti for the start of the 2013 edition of L’eroica it seemed as much the culmination of a journey as much as a beginning. It had been on a club ride, almost a year before, that Hugh and I had discussed the idea of riding L’eroica. L’eroica or ‘The Hero’ is not so much a sportive as an experience; a brutally hard cycle ride on vintage bikes wearing vintage kit on largely vintage Tuscan roads. It is a unique mixture of theatre, history and superb Tuscan food washed down with Chianti and Grappa, all set in the most beautiful landscape; sort of ‘Opera on a bike’. Started as recently as 1997 L’eroica aimed to draw attention to the importance of the region’s crushed white limestone roads – the Strade Bianche.

Such has been its success that the roads are now preserved and the route is permanently signposted and the hundreds of miles of lumpy, pot-holed lanes are still there (here the similarity with England ends!) The Saturday is given over to an all day celebration of the golden age of cycling with the whole town turned into a huge cyclojumble where it is possible to buy anything from complete bikes to leather goggles. The Sunday is given over to the 4 rides; 38km;75km;135km and 205km. The legendary Felice Gimondi (Tour de France, Giro, Vuelta, Milan San Remo, World Champ) even turned up to ride.

Even the cars were vintage. Over the last year Hugh and I had restored our vintage steel bikes and I had learnt to nail metal cleats onto my Detto Pietro leather shoes as well as mastering the gluing on and changing of tubular tyres. Heavy woollen shirts and uncomfortable woollen shorts (lined with paper thin chamois) and the substitution of modern crash hats with cotton caps and goggles completed the madness. At a dinner on the Friday night, organised by Marco Mori (from Gusto Cycling), Marco had asked who would be riding the 205km route. Out of 70 guests that had booked their tickets through him about 8 of us nervously raised our hands – to the applause and laughter of the other diners. I had a distinct feeling that they knew something that we didn‘t…. Hugh and I met up at 4.45am. Dressed in our woollen outfits and cotton caps we felt very much in keeping. My spare tubular tyres were looped over my shoulders. In a small bag I carried an assortment of small tools (as you had to be self sufficient in case of breakdown), tubes of tub glue and a copy of the Cyclist’s prayer (taken from the Chapel of the Madonna del Ghisallo Church).


As we would be riding in the dark for the first hour and a half we had lights on our bikes. The first 30 km or so was very easy going on perfectly smooth tarmac. With no warning we hit the first of the many sections of Strade Bianche; a heavily rutted sandy climb. The silence of the tarmac gave way to a crunching of gravel and gears as riders fumbled in the dark with ancient down shifters….no indexing here. I’d read about this first climb on the internet and more importantly its treacherous descent in the dark but was surprised how quickly we were down it without incident. From then on sections of Strade Bianche alternated with tarmac, the quality of the Strade Bianche varying from hard packed to an energy sapping loose gravel and sand mix strewn with stones. The feed stations were like nothing we’d experienced before…no gels or power drinks here but proper food; bruschetta; dried and fresh fruit, cakes and earthen-ware bowls of hot Ribollita, a thick rich broth of cabbage, herbs, beans and vegetables – and a choice of Chianti or Grappa – even water if you looked hard enough. I saw at least one person down what they thought was a cup of water only to discover that it was Grappa. They say that you should frighten yourself once a day…. I had a week’s worth that day. Descending at speed in the dawning light the perfect tarmac suddenly became gravel.

I could not brake and could only steer by gritting my teeth more one side than the other. Hugh on the other hand seemed alarmingly happy descending at great speed on the unforgiving surface. Often on the gravel descents there would be ‘wash boarding‘, a series of hard pronounced ridges that were impossible to avoid (certainly at speed). It made me realise how extraordinarily strong the bicycle actually is as well as how well my dentist had filled my teeth.


Beautiful Tuscan landscape with Chianti hills awaiting us in the distance Over the next few hours I discovered slowly how to ride on gravel; how to not try to bully the bike but to relax on it,; to allow the tyres to cut through the naturally best route and how to steer ever so gently with the knees (a bit like skiing). The hills were tough, occasionally brutally hard. The longest white dirt road climb was about 10km long and averaged 15%.

One hill, also Strade Bianche was 25%. If you stood up off the saddle you immediately lost traction so the steepest sections had be ridden seated. It took concentration and huge effort to keep the back wheel turning and the front wheel on the ground when it started to lift on the steeper sections. Hugh reckoned that we climbed 4000 metres out of which over 70% of it had been on dirt roads. We rode together for the first 6 hours or so with him losing me on the descents whilst we met again on the climbs. At the next feed stop

Hugh was feeling strong; I was feeling ravenously hungry so we agreed to ride on independently.

We were so lucky with the weather. The day before it had rained hard all day but overnight the rain had soaked through the limestone roads so that there was little mud and none of the dust normally associated with the Strade Bianche. By lunchtime it was pleasantly warm or at least in my thick woollen itchy jersey it seemed to be. At the next food stop I was approached by one of the helpers and asked if I would spare the time to be photographed for advertising L’eroica in the International press. Vanity immediately took over any need to ride a good time and I was duly ushered off to an outdoor studio. ‘Perfecto – you look like a Hero’, the photographer announced. Before my heart could swell with pride she continued… ‘.because you are so dirty’. As she took the photographs she asked my height, my weight…and my frame size! (I kid you not). Whether it was due to tiredness or mulling over the photographers questions I set off again – the wrong way – to be quickly redirected by a large group of highly amused Italian spectators. At the Friday night Welcome dinner Marco had suggested that we would be very unlikely to get round the ride without punctures or mechanical problems.

With only 55km to ride I started to gloat over how wrong he had been. Almost immediately I started having trouble changing gear and my rear derailleur started making a rattling noise then the chain went completely slack and my pedals span. Somehow on a particularly rough section of road I had managed to bend the derailleur and one of the jockey wheels had completely broken out. I searched frantically for the jockey wheel in case I could repair it but to no avail. I’ve always agreed with Lord Tennyson who said, ‘More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of’, and so perhaps also in the spirit of Gino Bartali (who would often make his fellow cyclists attend Mass before a ride) I prayed – ‘Holy Mother of God..’ (OK I’m an Anglican but I was metaphorically in Rome) ‘…please help me mend my chain’. I found my chain splitter and spare chain link so I cut the chain short and turned my 7 speed into a single speed. I selected a climbing cog because I was determined not to have to walk any of the remaining climbs. My prayer was answered with that reassuring crack of the spare link locking. With a lifted spirit I cycled on, my legs spinning madly. The last climbs were indescribably hard with my single gear and I’m not sure which burnt the most; my thighs or my arms wrenching on the handlebars.

By the end of the ride I would hold in the highest esteem those brave few who had ridden the whole ride on single gear bikes. Hugh, some distance ahead of me by now, had had a trouble free super fast ride and finished in the first wave of 205km riders. I limped in some time later absolutely drained but full of good spirit, Ribollita and perhaps a little Chianti and absolutely delighted that I’d made it round and had not had to resort to putting a foot down on any of the climbs. It was undoubtedly the hardest day I’d ever spent on a bike. I thought La Marmotte was pretty tough but this was in another league…. My hands were raw and my arm muscles ached but Hugh and I both agreed that it had been an absolutely brilliant day. As I sat in the nearest bar to the finish line a hugely moustached Italian gent next to me laughed at my repaired bike and showed me that he had sheared off his pedal in the last 35km and had to ride one legged. Now that’s what I call a bloody Hero!"

More photos and original article here.

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 








Monday, November 25, 2013

Major Theft at Lampre-Merida (Please Retweet)

PLEASE RETWEET

The Team-Lampre service corse in Usmate Velate (Milano) has been broken into and robbed of all bicycles, accessories and and material between the night of Saturday 23 November and Monday 25 November.

The thieves forced themselves through a window of the blue-fuchsia-green team warehouse, and broke in by destroying the alarm system, telephone system and internet connection, then continued on to clear the warehouse and team vehicles of all valued materials, aiming mostly at the bicycles and accessories, all the material is personalized for the team and identifiable by code:
  • Merida Time Trial Warp Bicycle, team color, complete with wheels and groupset
  • Merida Reacto Evo Bicycle, team color, complete with wheels and groupset
  • Merida Ride Bicycle, team color complete with wheels and groupset
  • Merida Scultura Bicycle, team color complete with wheels and groupset
  • Merida Frames
  • Shimano Di 2 Dura Ace groupsets (Electronic)
  • Fulcrum Carbon wheelsets in personalized Lampre-Merida color, in all various models, TT Disc wheels and all other carbon models (80 mm-50 mm-35 mm e light - 25 mm)
  • Selle San Marco saddles all from 2013 season and all Prologo saddles all for 2014 season.
  • Power meter systems: SRM power meters from 2013 season and Rotor power meter crank system with Garmin computer for the 2014 season.
  • All spare parts and accessories as well as a small truck and team car were stolen

    In the first hours of Monday morning the Monza and Arcore police were present to do all the necessary steps that need to be done in these circumstances and are working on a hopeful recovery of material.

    This is a huge loss for team Lampre-Merida, as the bicycles were all ready for distribution to the various riders in there first training camp of December, thus creating logistics problems for future consignment of the bicycles for the 2014 season.

    All the material is easily identified as it is all personalized for team use and thus the team is hopeful of recovering as much material as possible.

    Team LAMPRE-MERIDA welcomes any possible information with regards to the theft and a reward will be offered in return, please contact via e-mail or phone by contacting
    team@teamlampremerida.com or the teams mechanics at +39 335-6217725.

    The photo contains the following bicycles Merida TT Warp, Merida Reacto Evo, Merida Scultura and Merida Ride.
     

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

2014 Maratona dles Dolomites, the Draw is Made


The draw, from 32,000 registrations, for the starting places at the 28th edition of the Maratona dles Dolomites-Enel took place in front of a notary. Click here to find the participants list!

And for those not drawn, here's your chance to get your entry:
- Charity registrations November 26th 2013 as from 6 p.m. (GMT+1)!!
- Registration packages (accommodation + guaranteed registration)

Most recent related story in ICJ (use the custom Search feature in right column to find more):
My Guide to Cycling the Maratona dles Dolomites


Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Gran Fondo Super Prestige: North America's Biggest Gran Fondo Challenge


Gran Fondo Super Prestige: North America's biggest Gran Fondo challenge
Gran Fondo Super Prestige calendar launches in 2014 with eight listed events and offers a new challenge for cyclists.

New for 2014, Gran Fondo Super Prestige (GFSP) is a challenge established by GFNY Magazine that includes the premier and truly competitive long distance cycling events in North America. Riders have to complete the longest distance course at three out of the eight events to obtain Gran Fondo Super Prestige Finisher status for 2014. Women can complete the longest or the second-longest course at a Gran Fondo Super Prestige event to qualify for Gran Fondo Super Prestige Finisher status. GFSP is an independent entity that does not create any affiliation among the events.

"With Gran Fondo Super Prestige, we're emulating the highly successful Prestigio series of our Italian sister magazine Bicisport" says GFNY Magazine publisher Uli Fluhme. "I've followed the series since its inception in the 1990s and have participated in many Prestigio Gran Fondos. What I love about Prestigio is that it's not about winning a race which only a few riders will ever have a shot at. Instead, it's about completing some of the toughest Gran Fondos out there. That in itself provides a challenge not to be underestimated and keeps riders motivated to train all year."

A Gran Fondo is a marathon for cyclists. It’s an event where riders get a chance to take on a cycling challenge, like runners and triathletes have done for decades over long distances, without stopping at stop signs or traffic lights while having a chance to do their best. Events in the Gran Fondo Super Prestige calendar are following the concept of a true Gran Fondo and its three key elements: police giving cyclists the right of way at every intersection, individual chip timing and rankings based on time and a tough course. In addition, all events listed on the GFSP calendar meet a size requirement to be considered "Super Prestige."

The achievement of Gran Fondo Super Prestige Finishers will be recognized with a GFSP badge and sticker as well as lifetime bragging rights. Riders will be recognized in the GFNY Magazine. Every cyclists who finishes an event on the GFSP 2014 calendar is automatically part of GFSP and is in the running to be a Gran Fondo Super Prestige 2014 Finisher.

Gran Fondo Super Prestige 2014 calendar (in order of date): Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York, Gran Fondo Axel Merckx, RBC Gran Fondo Banff, RBC Gran Fondo Whistler, Gran Fondo Niagara Falls, GFNY Italia, Gran Fondo Hincapie.

More details at www.granfondosp.com

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Colnago Super Timeline


Speaking of Colnago, do you need help identifying what year your Colnago Super was made in? Chuck Schmidt, owner of Velo-Retro, has created the "The Original COLNAGO Timeline,  A history of the  iconic COLNAGO SUPER racing bicycle." It can be found here:
http://velo-retro.com/colnagotline.html

 As he notes, "I would greatly appreciate any assistance you the reader can offer in updating this timeline as this is the only way the accuracy of this timeline can be improved. Chuck Schmidt ".

Chuck also has a Cinelli Timeline.

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 






Monday, November 11, 2013

Colnago Master X-Light Art Decor, "Aged to Perfection"


Read the review of the 30th anniversary Colnago Master X-Light Art Décor here on www.cyclingnews.com. Some quotes: "aged to perfection", "super aggressive", "beautifully styled", "famous Art Décor paintwork", "a bike everyone should experience".

Shiny alloy parts would be nicer, yes?

Photo: www.cyclingnews.com

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 



Thursday, November 7, 2013

Prime Minister Enrico Letta Gives Irish Prime MInister Edna Kenny Maglia Rosa

From left, the Italian Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, and the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny

This afternoon in Dublin, Ireland, Italian Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, gave an official Giro d'Italia Maglia Rosa jersey to the Republic of Ireland Prime Minister Enda Kenny as a gift.

After the official press conference that followed the meeting between the two Prime Ministers, symbolizing the friendship between the two countries and honoring the Grande Partenza of the Giro d'Italia, 2014 that takes place on 9 May in Belfast, with the third and final Irish stage of event taking place on 12 May in Dublin, the symbol of the leader of the Corsa Rosa was presented.

The group of people officially representing the Giro d’Italia at the event included Andrea Monti, Editor of La Gazzetta dello Sport; Mauro Vegni, Giro d'Italia Director of Operations; Carlo Rossanigo, RCS MediaGroup Communication Director; Francesco Moser, the Italian cycling legend; and Darach McQuaid, member of the Irish Organizing Committee.

Photo credit: LaPresse


Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.