Winter Training Ride in the Canary Islands?

Chatting with some cycling friends last night it seems that thoughts of a winter training ride on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands are starting to come to life. Wouldn't that be nice?

I'm ready to go on another adventure!

Photos: images around Tenerife (found on the internet)

Reminiscing About My 1972 Cinelli

Here I am in Italy, without my 1972 Cinelli! I miss it. But, there were only so many bikes that I could bring along. After two years in Italy I have yet to see another vintage Cinelli.

The previous owner, "Rudy", is a great friend of mine. He acquired this special bike (as a frame and fork) from the Brugelmann store in Frankfurt in 1972. Through a lot of detective work I discovered its origins. I hope you enjoy the story.

This particular frame, s/n 5946, came to Rudy's attention through a description in a Brugelmann (of Frankfurt, Germany) brochure/catalog of 1971. Although he would have preferred silver (he already owned a 1970 SC in silver), this particular model was only available in yellow/red. Rudy also recalled a reference in the catalog to the use of lightweight Columbus tubes. So, he placed the order with Brugelmann's and waited nearly a year to receive it (he picked it up in person, traveling from theUSA to Germany for the 1972 Olympics). An inquiry to Brugelmann in 2003 brought this reply from Manfred Brugelmann: "In the seventies we were the biggest Cinelli dealership outside of Italy and because of our personal good relationship to the Cinelli family they were kind enough to manufacture those frames exclusively for us in the yellow and red special colour scheme." Mr. Brugelmann did not answer the question about the "lightweight" aspects of the frame. Side note: the Brugelmann shop was the cycling equipment provider to the German national team in 1972.

In 2004, with the assistance of another friend a letter with photographs was sent to Andrea Cinelli (son of Cino). Andrea Cinelli's reply includes this: "You are correct that the frame is lighter as we drilled the lugs and the BB shell for lightening, and my father, based upon the close friendship with the owner of Columbus (Angelo Luigi Colombo), had had special lighter tubes made. In that period, the two avantgarde Italian factories (Cinelli and Columbus), in the application of avantgarde racing bicycle technology (high resistance steel alloys) had to contrast the myth and image of the English Reynolds tubing." Note: the BB is a G. Fischer BB; it's stamped GF.

In 2005/6 another Cinelli of this type came to light. Like mine, it had the drilled out BB in a circular pattern and also did not have the Special Corsa decals. The owner of this second yellow/red Cinelli had some great news, he had a 1976 Brugelmann catalog! In this catalog two Cinelli models are for sale: Model Special Corsa and the Model SC Leggerissimo. I've had the model description for the Leggerrissimo translated (by the original owner of my bike no less ); the description is: "Special edition (manufacture) in extra light construction - in the accustomed Cinelli care - bottom bracket below open - detailed Cinelli lugs- Columbus tubing - Campagnolo dropouts. Color: This model is only available in yellow with red." The catalog price, for frame and fork, is 590 DM for the SC and 665 DM for the SC Leggerrisimo.

Now that I've seen the catalog (from 1976, the Leggerisimo till being offered) I better understand the letter from Manfred Brugelmann of 2003. He was stating that the Leggerissimo model was manufactured exclusively for them based on their (the Brugelmann brothers) personal good relationship with Cinelli. A very rare Cinelli indeed.

Lake Garda, Part II

Beside beautiful scenery there is also good food.

Photos: images of Lake Garda (to give you a sense of scale that is Malcesine at the base of Monte Baldo, and a ferry boat in the center of the second photo heading towards the west coast of the lake); a "frutti di mare" lunch from the "Freccani" ristorante

Lake Garda, Part I

Yesterday I rode to Malcesine. The more I ride the shores of Lake Garda the more enchanted I become. Each town is beautiful in its own way and there are always new discoveries.

Photos: images of Lake Garda

2008: Italy Is Hosting 4 World Championships

Italy will be in the international cycling spotlight four times in 2008 as it hosts varying World Championships. The first Worlds to be held will be cyclo-cross, January 26 - 27 in Spresiano (Treviso), followed by the Mountain Bike Worlds June 15 to 22 in Commezzadura (Trento), then the Mountain Bike Marathon Worlds July 5 to 6 in Villabassa (Bolzano) and the Road Worlds September 23 to 28 in Varese. Varese previously hosted the Worlds in 1951.

"It was 1951 when the Road Cycling World Championships finally returned to Italian soil, nineteen years after Rome ’32. The city was just beginning to recover from the war. The journalists of the time provided massive coverage of the event whilst Varese introduced itself to the world. The Varese World Championships were a completely “home-grown” affair considering that the team manager of the Italian team was… one Alfredo Binda. Amongst those called up by Binda were two cycling superstars: Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Unfortunately Coppi didn’t make it to the start of the race, due to a persistently high temperature which got the better of him in the days leading up to the Championships. It was yet another negative moment in the champion-of-champion’s run of bad luck during that season.
So the spotlight then focussed on the other Italians; Bartali, Fiorenzo Magni and Toni Bevilacqua. On the selective Brinzio circuit, which was packed with people, Bevilacqua already went on the attack in the initial phases together with a small group of riders, comprising Kübler from Switzerland and the young Minardi. The group reaction was slow to come and it was Fiorenzo Magni who launched the counterattack, together with the Swiss Torti, and who caught up with the fugitives in a sensational comeback. Bartali and Koblet, the ex-Tour winner, very nearly made it as well.
There were eight riders vying for the title. Bevilacqua and Minardi had a misunderstanding with Magni in the final dash to the line and Ferdy Kübler won himself a well-deserved world championship title. The remaining two podium places went to Italians: Magni was second and Bevilacqua third.
But on the 2nd of September 1951 it was not only the Fifties’ cyclists that made Varese famous, co-starring on that historic day was also the overwhelmingly large crowd that followed the race and made the Varese Worlds the biggest crowd-pulling Championships ever: one million and a half spectators."

The 2008 Varese calendar looks like this:

Monday, 22nd September '08 OPENING CEREMONY
Tuesday, 23rd September '08 UNDER 23 MEN TIME TRIAL
Wednesday, 24th September '08 ELITE WOMEN TIME TRIAL
Thursday, 25th September '08 ELITE MEN TIME TRIAL
Friday, 26th September '08 UNDER 23 MEN ROAD RACE
Saturday, 27th September '08 ELITE WOMEN ROAD RACE
Sunday, 28th September '08 ELITE MEN ROAD RACE

The Varese 2008 official website is http://www.varese2008.org/eng/index.asp?c=14 and the quoted material above is from their site. Merchandise can be found at: http://www.varese2008.org/eng/varese2008/merchandising.asp

Photos: Kubler wins in 1951

Villa Pellegrini Cipolla

On one of the rides with David we stopped by the beautiful Villa Pellegrini Cipolla, located in Castion Veronese near Lake Garda. It was built in 1760 by noted architect Ignazio Pellegrini. Today it is also used for banquets, cultural events, exhibits, fashion shows and meetings.

Napoleone Bonaparte used the villa during the Battle of Rivoli (the battle, 14-15 January, 1797, was a key victory in the first French campaign in Italy against Austria. Bonaparte's 23,000 French defeated an attack of 28,000 Austrians under General Alvinczy. The outcome at Rivoli led to French occupation of northern Italy).

Photo: me at the entrance

2nd Anniversary in Verona

Our 2nd anniversary in Verona is today. Leaving family and friends behind, changing cultures, languages, and in general starting life from zero is not something for the timid. Not to mention acquiring visas, permessi di soggiorno, and overcoming other bureaucratic hurdles.

Cycling wise it has been a tremendously positive change. Which isn't to say I don't miss my cycling buddies in NJ and their craziness. Having started this blog on January 1st so I've missed writing about 17 months of my cycling life in Italy. Perhaps I'll go back and write about some of the trips from that period.

Photos: a view of Verona, and the Roman built Ponte Pietra, from above the Teatro Romano; the earliest photo I could find with me in it (Nov/Dec 2005) and before I was a member of the Gruppo 1 club; a sunset on the Adige River in Verona as seen from Ponte Nuovo with the Chiesa Santa Anastasia bell tower on the left bank and the Teatro Romano on the right bank.