Michele Bartoli Crono Squadre (Team Time Trial)

Marco Mori, owner of Gusto Cycling-Auhtentic Italian Cycling Holidays, reports on the return participation in the "Crono Squadre della Versilia-Michele Bartoli".  In 2008, Bartoli launched the 1st edition of a variation on the granfondo for amateurs, a team time trail for amateurs held in the same way as the grand tours. The event is held in March in Forte dei Marmi, the course is 31 km in length.

Marco's report and video:

“Nonna’s La Squadra” came back to participate in the Michele Bartoli team time trial to try and improve on last years time and learn from experience. Well we did just that. a much stonger team this time and an agreement by all not to hang back for those who couldn’t keep the pace.

The evening before the usual one drink before bed was extended to 2 and then 3 but we did get to bed earlier then last year. In the morning Mirko (pro Masseur) popped in to give everyone a professional massage which gave everyone the focus for the morning ahead!!

NONNA’S la Squadra started off amazingly strong at well over 50kph in the first 10km!! The weather was cloudy with strong winds coming from the sea plus occassional rain. Massimo, my colleague, and I gave the guys lots of encouragement via the car horns and general shouts of support. The boys had a much slicker line throughout which made a huge difference to last year and constant regular changes at the front allowed the boys to recuperate. However, the very strong start began to show as the pace whilst still high began to take its toll and as the pace settled down to 43kph which was the average speed.

The team began to shed 1,2 and in the last 10km a 3rd rider retired….with 5km remaining a 4th rider, Matt, fell back and I thought that was it….the team was down to 4!!! But after 1km Matt Rodgers emerged from the rain, passed the car and stormed back within the group (see video..it’s true!) much to the surprise of his team mates…a super effort by Matt to get back on allowed the minimum 5 riders to gain an official time and position.

Nonna’s La Squadra achieved a 2 minute improvement on last year and 30 places with a time of 43m 58s in 43kph average speed..the team came in 78th Place from 165 teams a great effort…..the winning team was 37m 06sec in 50.12kph!!!

After cycle ride for well earned lunch in the artifarti town of Pietrasanta and to the 2nd most expensive wine cellar in Italy!!"


Michele Bartoli Team Time Trial - Tuscany - Nonna's La Squadra came back!! from Gusto Cycling on Vimeo.

Marco's 2012 report and video are here.


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Michele Bartoli Team Time Trial, Forte Dei Marmi, Tuscany

My thanks to Marco Mori, of Gusto Cycling (which offers cycling vacations in Tuscany), for writing in and sending the video of what happens when some friends get together and decide to participate in the Michele Bartoli Team Time Trial event in Forte Dei Marmi, Tuscany. The Michele Bartoli TTT (official name "Cronosquadre della Versilia Michele Bartoli") is a TTT event for amateurs (amateurs as in those that also ride granfondos) that is held every March, this past edition was the fifth edition.

Marco writes, "I organised a group of 8 La Squadra warriors from Sheffield and we shipped out to Tuscany for the Michele Bartoli TTT. Months of hard training, a new spray on kit and a dedication to the cause was all thrown out the window on the Saturday evening before the TTT on Sunday morning. We may have come 105 out of 164 teams but in our Italian entourages' minds we were all winners! We learned a lot about the event for next year, but most importantly we learned a lot about each others strengths and weaknesses! Some stats below."

Distance – 20 miles
Team number – 8
Our Time – 43m 26s
Miles per hour – 27mph or 43.45km
Winning time – 35m 48s
Alcohol consumed – off the chart
Average weight put on – 4kgs
Euros per hour – 55


Michele Bartoli team Time Trial March 2012 - Forte Di Marmi Tuscany from Gusto Cycling on Vimeo.

The event has a limit of 200 8 person teams; event website is www.cronosquadredellaversilia.it

The flat course along the sea:

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 2,400 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. 

Bartoli "Altair"

Back in September, 2010, Michele Bartoli signed an agreement with Prestigio (translates to Prestige) to create a line of Bartoli bicycles. The first result of this collaboration is the new Bartoli "Altair".

Of the Altair project Bartoli explains, "As a rider I was always meticulous, very attentive to detail. So, when Prestigio CEO Di Marco proposed this project I immediately realized that it could be an interesting path for me to take. In collaboration with the Prestigio engineers we have developed a really nice frame, I am particularly proud."

"I consider it a bit unique in cycling", said the former champion from Pisa. "It is a frame 100% made in Italy, using T-1000 carbon tubes finished with the technical details that allow for maximum stiffness, great stability and absolute reactivity in every riding situation. The name Altair was chosen because the meaning in Arabic is 'the flying eagle', and also because it is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Aquila."

Certainly Bartoli know how to fly like an eagle; his most important results in his career:
UCI Road World Cup (1997, 1998)
Giro d'Italia, 2 stages
Ronde van Vlaanderen (1996)
Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1997, 1998)
Giro di Lombardia (2002, 2003)
GP Ouest-France (2000)
Amstel Gold Race (2002)
La Flèche Wallonne (1999)
Tirreno–Adriatico (1999)
Züri-Metzgete (1998)
Omloop Het Volk (2001)

Prestigio website: www.prestigio.sm (Prestigio is located in the Republic of San Marino)

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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:
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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

"Michele Bartoli by Prestigio" Bicycles

Michele Bartoli has signed an agreement with Prestigio (translates to Prestige) to create a line of "Michele Bartoli by Prestigio" bicycles. In August, Prestigio announced frames that were designed in collaboration with the Turin design company Giugiaro Design.

The Managing Director of Prestigio, Giancarlo di Marco said, "It will be a superbicicletta: elegant and fast, produced in Italy, and made to measure in order to meet the needs of our customers."

Michele Bartoli added, "I am convinced that we will do important work and the result will be classy. The frame will be called "Michele Bartoli by Prestigio" and will reflect the performance in a bike that I demand. I know the needs of cyclists very well and I think am am able to to provide useful information to translate that into a bike that is "prestigious"."

Bartoli, now retired, was a single day race specialist. His major victories in his career were:
UCI Road World Cup (1997, 1998)
Giro d'Italia, 2 stages
Ronde van Vlaanderen (1996)
Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1997, 1998)
Giro di Lombardia (2002, 2003)
GP Ouest-France (2000)
Amstel Gold Race (2002)
La Flèche Wallonne (1999)
Tirreno–Adriatico (1999)
Züri-Metzgete (1998)
Omloop Het Volk (2001)

The following from "Great moments in Classics history – the Ardennes Classics" of www.cyclingnews.com:

1999 La Flèche Wallonne

'Soft' Bartoli wins hard race

The 1999 La Flèche Wallonne was held in tough conditions, with temperatures a chilly three degrees Celsius and rain complimented by snowfall. Michele Bartoli prevailed in those atrocious conditions but said that earlier in his career he would have ridden with less clothing, admitting that he had gotten a touch 'soft'.

Such toughness would never occur to Oscar Camenzind, who was wearing a vest until he figured it would be best to remove it for the finale. The only problem was Camenzind got his zipper stuck.

Bartoli and Maarten den Bakker waited for a while as Camenzind went to his car to get his clothing problem sorted out. Apparently scissors aren't part of the 'must have' toolbox in the team car.

Eventually Bartoli and Den Bakker couldn't wait any longer and reached the Mur de Huy together, without the Swiss dressman. Bartoli sprinted away on the steep climb, with pitches up to 25 percent, and won by a good dozen seconds.

After Camenzind's fixed his zipper problem, he continued by himself and almost held off the peloton behind. Only Mario Aerts was able to slip past the Swiss rider for third place.

Bartoli deserved the win as he was the strongest rider, having initiated the decisive three-man move on the second time up the Mur de Huy (out of three total ascents). Bartoli, Camenzind and Den Bakker worked well together and by the time Camenzind fell apart (or his clothing did, anyway) the gap was almost three minutes, some 50 kilometres from the finish.

1997 Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Bartoli brilliant in Liège

By the end of the 1996 season Michele Bartoli had cemented his place as one of the best one day racers in the world. However during the first World Cup races of 1997, the Italian failed to claim the next big win his palmarès cried out for, with a crash-effected Milan-Sanremo finishing in a bunch sprint and Rolf Sørensen stealing the show in Flanders. The pressure on the MG-Technogym rider's shoulders was building.

All that changed on a sunny April day in Liège. The scene was perfect, with the conditions combing with one of the most illustrious start lists any Classic from the era could hope for – Johan Museeuw, Mauro Gianetti, Laurent Jalabert, Marco Pantani, Rolf Sørensen, Alex Zülle and Chris Boardman. The real action began with 50 kilometres remaining, as the peloton reached La Redoute, one of the race's most historic and often influential climbs, and Bartoli's henchmen began to gather at the front. What ensued was one of the finest displays of tactical racing the event had seen.

It was the sparked by the bespectacled Zülle, who launched the first serious dig. He was quickly followed by Bartoli and Pantani and Jalabert, as the World Champion Museeuw and Sørensen were forced onto the back foot.

Pantani – still recovering from his horrific crash – was dropped as the trio pushed the gap out to a minute. Bartoli, now sandwiched between the ONCE teammate, and top two riders in the world played his cards majestically, first chasing attacks and then countering the Frenchman.

It was this counter that did Zülle in, his confidence now shot, as Bartoli pushed again, to consign the Swiss rider to 41st place. With the final kilometre now in sight, Bartoli looked across at Jalabert, who by now was unable or unwilling to make eye contact. Bartoli saw his moment and swooped, leaving the world number one and crossing the line alone in Liège.

Bartoli went on to lead the Giro d'Italia that year, but his career will always be associated with that day and the panache he displayed in beating two of the biggest stars in cycling.

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JIRO Limited Edition Belt Based On Vittoria's "IL GUERRIERO"

We wrote about JIRO, maker of belts from tires, last year. JIRO, in collaboration with VITTORIA for the 2010 Giro d'Italia, is now offering a unique limited edition belt, bracelet and a pair of "IL GUERRIERO" tires as a package. The edition is limited to 30.

These are the last of these special tires which were made by Vittoria to celebrate the Italian national championship of Michele Bartoli.

For more info and orders contact: guerriero@jiro-belt.com

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Tomorrow: Tour of Flanders

Tomorrow is the 94th edition of the Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen), a one day road race that is one of the "monuments" of cycling. The race distance is 262km with 15, mostly cobbled, climbs. It's a hugely important race for Belgian riders and a visual spectacle for fans.

Belgian riders have won 66 editions and the list of winners is rich of legendary names. Only four riders have won the Tour of Flanders three times: Belgians Achiel Buysse (1940, 1941, 1943), Eric Leman (1970, 1972, 1973) and Johan Museeuw (1993, 1995, 1998), and Italian Fiorenzo Magni (1949, 1950, 1951). Magni was the only one to achieve three consecutive victories. Museeuw was also on the podium another 5 times, three 2nd places, and two 3rd places. Belgian rider Alberic Schotte was also on the podium 8 times with 2 victories, two 2nd places, and four 3rd places.

Italians account for 10 victories. Magni's three plus those of Dino Zandegù (1967), Moreno Argentin (1990), Gianni Bugno (1994), Michele Bartoli (1996), Gianluca Bortolami (2001), Andrea Tafi (2002), and Alessandro Ballan (2007).

Two Belgian riders have a chance to win their third Tour of Flanders this year: Tom Boonen who won in 2005 and 2006, and Stijn Devolder who had consecutive victories in 2008 and 2009 and who could tie Magni's record.

Definitely a race not to miss.

Photo: one of the climbs in the race

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondo, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Cronosquadre della Versilia Michele Bartoli, Part I

Yesterday was the 3rd edition of the "Cronosquadre della Versilia Michele Bartoli". After working two years on establishing a granfondo that bears his name, Michele Bartoli decided in 2007 to move forward on the implementation of a project that would bring to amateurs the opportunity to experience one of the highlights of any grand tour: the team time trial (cronosquadra).

For the first event, in 2008, he anticipated it would attract 35-40 teams of approximately 300 cyclists. Instead, 89 squads representing 700 cyclists were registered before registration had to be closed. Thirty teams had to be turned away.

The event is open to amateur cyclists, both men and women. Cyclist from 19 to 70 years of age may participate. The time trial team can be composed of men, women or can be mixed. Each team can be composed from 5 to 8 participants. Finish time is based upon the the fifth to cross the finish line.

For teams participating in the CAMPIONATO ITALIANO FCI category there are three classes based on the total age composition of the team.

The course is 37.5 km, essentially flat, starting in Forte dei Marmi. Riders then head north to Montignoso, then Marina di Massa before turning south towards Viareggio. In Viareggio riders turn north back to the finish in Forte dei Marmi. Road is closed to traffic.

My friend Eros Poli, along with Bartoli, were part of the GIORDANA team which was not competing for classification. Nevertheless, they obviously put the hammer down and had the best time of the day: 42 minutes, 45 seconds, almost 54 km/h.

In the next entry some photos of the other teams. Believe me they are as serious as the GIORDANA boys.

You just have to love the passion Italians have for cycling. Who else is going to start a TTT series?

Photos: the TTT course is along the sea; Bartoli (left) and Poli (center); the team in action, Eros is the tallest guy.

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondo, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Michele Bartoli Recons Giro's Stage 7

Michele Bartoli, the Italian ex-professional who won a number of the one day classics, did a reconnaissance ride yesterday for the Gazzetta dello Sport around the gravel roads of Montalcino that will be used on Stage 7 of the 2010 Giro d'Italia. The 215 km stage will begin in the famous marble city of Carrara and will end in the town of Montalcino. Of the 215 km, 19.7 km will be ridden on gravel roads. The first gravel sector of 5.5km starts with 27 kilometres to the finish. Five and 9.2 km sectors follow.

Bartoli's report: "Whoever wants to win the Giro will have to keep their eyes open. It's like turning back 50 years. It's a striking stage. The entrance of the gravel sector is hard and it scared me a little bit. The road shot up more than I expected, up to 17%, and you need a 25 gear behind, otherwise you can't go on. Also, the rollers don't allow you to catch your breath. It is going to be very difficult." Watch 4 minute video here (in Italian).

Photos: Bartoli on his reconnaissance ride (note that he has his own branded bicycle)

You can read Franco Pellizotti's reconnaissance of Stage 15 here.

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Firenze (Florence) 2013 World Championship Bid

The planning committee for bringing the 2013 Road World Championships to Firenze (Florence) is fine-tuning its bid. The committee includes Alfredo Martini, honorary president; ex-professional Michele Bartoli; and Gabriele Sola, director general of the Worlds at Varese in 2008 and who also was the Marketing and Communications manager for the 2004 Worlds in Verona.

At the moment they are studying, and fine-tuning, the road course in the area of Fiesole where they can use a challenging climb which would create a technical and tactical course. Michele Bartoli will be responsible for testing the various possibilities for the course.

The next three editions of the world titles will be held in Mendrisio, Switzerland; Melbourne, Australia, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Photo: L-R, Michele Bartoli, Alfredo Martini, Gabriele Sola

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Vittoria Italian Tricolor Tubular (Clincher!) Tires

Vittoria is producing a special edition of tubulars in the Italian flag colors. The tires are being made in honor of Michele Bartoli, “Il Guerriero”. These special edition tires are only available in one size, 19-622/700×19, the size that carried Bartoli to his victories.

ed. note: reader Krister K. writes in: "the box (in the photo) says open tubular which is what the clincher tires are called by Vittoria.... I remember when these tires came out (not exact date ) but it was when Bartoli was a star. I get a little suspicious because of the size 700x19 which is not a really desirable size for most people (23 is the common size ), could it be that they found a NOS stock and are trying to move it?".

These are clinchers, not tubulars. Sorry for the error.

The flag of Italy (often referred to in Italian as Il Tricolore) is a tricolor featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white and red, with the green at the hoist side. In its current form it has been in use since 19 June 1946 and was formally adopted on 1 January 1948. In 2003, after 206 years of service, the authentic colours of the Italian tricolour were specified by the government, but later amended in 2006 after hot debate on the chosen shades.

Photos: Vittoria "Il Guerriero" tubular

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Team Time Trial "Michele Bartoli"

Last year on February 24th ex-professional Michele Bartoli launched the 1st edition of a variation on the granfondo for amateurs, a team time trail for amateurs. The official name is "Crono Squadre della Versilia-Michele Bartoli". The event was a great success with ninety 8-people teams participating (700+ participants). This year's event was much larger.....

The time trial team can be composed of men, women or can be mixed. Each team can be composed from 5 to 8 participants. Finish time is based upon the the fourth to cross the finish line.

The event is open to amateur cyclists, both men and women. Cyclist from 19 to 69 years of age may participate.

The course is, as we say, "flat as a pancake" with a total distance of 37.5 Km beginning and ending in Forte dei Marmi along the Versilia coast. The course is closed to traffic. And to give you an idea how popular cycling is in Italy the event was broadcast on RAI.

The 2009 event was held on Sunday, March 15th and has grown to 1,400 participants. The winners were the Vigili del Fuoco team that finished in a new event record of 34m 35s with an average speed of 51.79 km/h. The only team that was faster, and that raced in a guest category for ex-pros, was the team that my friend Eros Poli was in that finished in 34m 22s at an average of 52.7 km/h.

The women's team, F.lli Lunardelli, finished in 41m 42s and averaged 43.15 km/h. The winning mixed team with 2 women, Team Borghi Racing, finished in 37m 29s and averaged 48.03 km/h.

Watch a video filmed by a participating team:

Photos: event photos, course map

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