Centurion Cycling Announces USA Granfondo Series

September 24, 2009- VeloFondo has joined with North America Sports to create "Centurion Cycling", a series of granfondo events in the U.S.A. beginning in 2010. The first three granfondos are scheduled for July, 2010, in Boulder, Colorado; August, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin; and September, 2010 in Mammoth Lakes, California.

From their newly launched website:

What is Centurion Cycling?

"Centurion Cycling is North America’s most exciting, new bike adventure. It’s based on the European concept of gran fondos but with a distinctive twist unique to this side of the Atlantic.

In Europe, you can ride a gran fondo almost every weekend from March through September. They come in all shapes and sizes and attract riders of all abilities. Often, they are named for celebrated cyclists such as Gran Fondo Eddy Merckx, in Belgium, or for famous courses like the Nove Colli, or “nine hills”, in Italy.

Each Centurion has the look and feel of a European gran fondo. Traffic is restricted, technical and medical support are in the caravan, officials time and judge the event, food is excellent, and riders are treated like professional cyclists. The experience feels like riding in the Tour de France for a day.

What makes the Centurion Cycling brand revolutionary? We take the best of Europe’s storied gran fondos and add our own distinctive highlights. Centurion course distances are set at 100, 50 and 25 miles, challenging riders to develop time goals as runners do with marathons and half marathons. At the end of the season-long series, athletes who qualify compete in a championship event.

Courses are difficult – designed to appeal to the serious, competitive, recreational cyclist. However, our seeding process and a broad range of age and award categories encourage families and riders of all abilities to embrace the challenge. When course and closure conditions permit, we even add a time trial to appeal to individual athletic performers.

The Centurion Cycling series is contested over the most beautiful cycling terrain North America has to offer. Each course highlights the unique cycling in and around the host venue."

Registration, rules and all other details at: http://www.centurioncycling.com/

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com. See here for a chance to win a T-shirt for submitting a story.

Mendrisio: Noemi Cantele, a Beautiful Silver Medal in TT

September 23, Women's Elite Individual Time Trial: Mendrisio 26.8km

Olympic Champion Kristin Armstrong (USA) won her second time trial World Championship gold medal on Wednesday in Mendrisio, Switzerland. She rode the 26.8-kilometre course in a time of 35:26.

Noemi Cantele (Italy), Italian national champion in the time trial, placed second with a time of 36:21, 55 seconds behind Armstrong, a result unexpected and extraordinary in her first World's time trial. Linda Melanie Villumsen (Denmark) rounded out the women's podium in third, 58 seconds behind Armstrong.

At the first timing point, after 6 km, Cantele was fourth at 22 seconds behind Kristin Armstrong. Then second in the next two intermediate timing points behind Armstrong. At the finish a silver medal.

This is only the second time that Italy has won a medal in this specialty, the first having been a bronze medal by Alessandra Cappellotto in Lugano in 1996.

Of her silver medal performance Cantele, who races for the Bigla squad, said, "I did not know what were my feelings in the race. I could not believe the times I heard over the last five kilometers. I was delighted. And, you think this is my first World Cup. The idea came after I won the tricolor jersey. I said to myself "why not think about doing the race in Mendrisio?".

"I left the start without a heart rate monitor, no odometer, and I decided to give up on the radio. The information they gave me was from the megaphone but with the roar of people I could not hear anything. Perhaps before today I had it all wrong."

With the gold medal, American Kristin Armstrong closes her career after also winning the Olympic title in Beijing in 2008 and another World Cup 2006 in Salzburg. "It does not matter what year and how many time you are world champion, it is always the best feeling in the world," she said.

Photos (by Bettini and Sirotti): Armstrong, Cantele, Villumsen; with their medals

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com. See here for a chance to win a T-shirt for submitting a story.

Across the Hall at EICMA, Part II

Back to the cycling pavilion....

Italy's Environment Minister Stefania Prestigiacomo officially opened the show and is seen above visiting with De Rosa and Colnago.

The show had 250 exhibitors and claimed 45,000 attendees over 3 days. Competing with EICMA during the same weekend was the EXPOBICI in Padua, in its 2nd edition, which claimed

25,000 visitors and also 250 exhibitors.

EICMA has announced the dates for 2010: 17 to 20 September.

Photos: Minister Prestigiacomo at De Rosa and Colnago, various images from the pavilion, start of the Pedalata Azzurra ride

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com. See here for a chance to win a T-shirt for submitting a story.

Across the Hall at EICMA, Part I

Let's begin with the across the hall fun at the EICMA 67th International Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition, held at Fiera Milano in Rho, which took place this past weekend. Although the organizers have proclaimed the bicycle show a success, with 45,000 visitors, many of the same visitors have noted that the bicycle portion continues to shrink and is now housed in only one pavilion. Not even all the most significant manufacturers attend anymore.

What's a cyclist to do? Well, wander across the hall to the motorcycles.....

In Part II, coming later today, we'll come back to non-motorized bikes.

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com. See here for a chance to win a T-shirt for submitting a story.

Mendrisio Men's Team in Training

The Italian road race team was together the first time on a training ride in Mendrisio, Switzerland, led by Ivan Basso and Luca Paolini who often train in this area. Meanwhile, Coach Ballerini was with Marco Pinotti reviewing the TT course.

Photo: Basso and Paolini lead the training ride

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com. See here for a chance to win a T-shirt for submitting a story.

A 1940 Bianchi Folgorissima for L'Eroica

Here is a beautiful bike...just perfect for L'Eroica. 1940 Bianchi Folgorissima with Campagnolo Cambio Corsa completely restored by Cyclart. Currently being sold on ebay (item 150374570453) with a starting amount of $5,750.00.

Details of the restoration of the bike: "All the rest of the components on this bike are period correct and in excellent condition. Assembly and refinishing was performed professionally by CyclArt and the bike can be inspected at our showroom in Vista, CA. The paint color is precisely matched the Celeste color of other old Bianchis with original paint. There have been considerable variations of the "official color" over the years. The finish and decals are not only authentically recreated as they were when new, but have been subtly "weathered" to simulate the appearance of a very well cared for original. Small scratches and staining give the character of an aged finish."

Photos: 1940 Bianchi Folgorissima

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com. See here for a chance to win a T-shirt for submitting a story.

Gino Bartali Postage Stamp

Poste Italiane is issuing three new stamps on October 22nd featuring past champions Gino Bartali, Valentino Mazzola (captain of the legendary Grande Torino soccer team, killed in the Superga air disaster) and Michele Alboreto (racing car driver).

Bartali won the Giro d'Italia twice (in 1936 and 1937) and the Tour de France in 1938 and again in 1948 giving him the largest gap between victories in the race. And, of course, there is the rivalry with Coppi that divided Italy.

A Fausto Coppi postage stamp was issued by Poste Italiane in 1999.

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com. See here for a chance to win a T-shirt for submitting a story.