Giro d'Italia: 100 + 1 Years

For the 101st anniversary of the Giro d'Italia the Gazzetta dello Sport is preparing a DVD that celebrates the past champions of the "Corsa Rosa". They have asked readers to vote on who the Gazzetta should consider. After 3,000 votes this is the result:
Pantani 24.6%
Coppi 13.7%
Bartali 8.5%
Merckx 8.5%
Indurain 5.8%
Cipollini 5.1%
Bugno 4.6%
Basso 3.9%
Chiappucci 3.8%
Simoni 3.5%
Gimondi 3.0%
Moser 2.9%
Contador 2.0%
Gaul 2.0%
Hinault 1.9%
Binda 1.6%
Saronni 1.5%
Anquetil 1.2%
Van Steenbergen 1.0%
Magni 0.9%

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.

Granfondo Città di Lazise by Paola Pezzo

The Granfondo Città di Lazise by Paola Pezzo is one of the youngest events in Italy. The first edition, last year, was immensely popular but the organizing committee decided to continue working on how to improve the event. Now the start will take riders 25km northward on the "Gardesana", the lake side road, that passes through Bardolino, Garda, Punta S. Vigilio and Torri del Benaco. It is a beautiful stretch of road that has Lake Garda to your left and the looming Monte Baldo on your right. Surely, there won't be any time for sightseeing.

After passing Torri del Benaco the route turns towards San Zeno di Montagna on Monte Baldo. Expect to see a 22% maximum grade in this section. The course then heads to the valle dell'Adige after which there will be more climbing fun...

The 2010 edition is scheduled for April 18th. Two routes are offered: the mediofondo (110 km) and the granfondo (150 km).

A good place to stay, near the event start, is the Sport Hotel Veronello. The hotel caters to cyclists, see this blog entry.

The event website, Italian only, is here.

Photos: 2009 event; last photo is of two time Olympic gold medalist in mountain biking Paola Pezzo (she owns a nice bike shop in Bardolino)

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.

Tour of Flanders: Extraordinary Fabian Cancellara

After winning his first Tour of Flanders this afternoon, Fabian Cancellara said his next goal is to win all five of cycling's monuments. Having now won three monuments, Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo, and the Tour of Flanders, Cancellara now has the remaining two monuments in his sights: Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Giro di Lombardia.

Belgium's two-time winner Tom Boonen failed in his bid to become a three time winner, finishing just over a minute behind after being dropped on the Kapelmuur, the penultimate cobbled climb. It was here that Cancellara smoothly powered over the cobbles to drop Boonen. The TT world champion and Olympic TT champion then used his time trial skills to steadily increase his lead over Boonen until the finish.

"Cancellara gained twenty seconds in one kilometer so then you have to accept the facts. I rode away from the men behind me but he was riding a minute away from me. You don't need a drawing to understand that," Boonen said before pointing out there wasn't much else he could do against Cancellara. "What can you do? Shoot him to death?" Boonen joked."I was going 55 km/h down to Ninove, but he must have reached at least 60. Then you must resign yourself to the fact."

Italian team Lampre-Farnese Vini had a top 10 finisher in Danilo Hondo:
1. Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank)
2. Tom Boonen (Quick Step) at 1'12"
3. Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma Lotto) at 2'10"
4. Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil) at 2'13"
5. Tyler Farrar (Garmin Transitions) at 2'30"
6. George Hincapie (BMC)
7. Roger Hammond (Cervelo)
8. Maxim Iglinskyi (Astana)
9. Danilo Hondo (Lampre Farnese)
10.William Bonnet (Bbox Bouygues Telecom)

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.

Dedacciai STRADA Framesets

Back in October, 2009, we reported on the Dedacciai "BOLD" prototype that was on display at EICMA. The frame is characterized by oversized carbon everything with the exception of the seatstays which are titanium:

Now Dedacciai has decided to also become a frameset producer and the "BOLD" prototype has become the "Temerario" frame.

In addition, the Dedacciai "Strada" range of frames includes three other carbon frames in their lineup (Scuro RS, Assoluto, and Nero RC) plus a Ti frame (Titanum K-19).

From their website, where you can see all the frames and their various colors:

"Dedacciai has finally decided to take its experience directly to the cycling world.
After 20 long years of strong work, of incessant research and most of all, of big passion, Dedacciai took the important decision to introduce itself to the biggest athletes and to the most demanding passionates....."

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.

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.

City Bike of the Future: by Alberto Del Biondi Industria Del Design

The Italian form "Alberto Del Biondi Industria Del Design", a design firm, has designed a futuristic, innovative, city bike which has no chain, wheels without spokes, and uses lightweight carbon and nivacrom (a lightweight steel).

The finished product is a bicycle with an innovative design whose weight is between 5 and 6 kg. Looking at the bicycle one might surmise that it is a prototype but in reality it is a finished product that combines design, lightness and technology.

The rear wheel is turned at the perimeter via a gear hidden in the frame. All cables are internally routed.

It is not the first project involving two-wheelers made by the "industrial design" division of the company which has among its customers names like Pirelli and Momo Design and Nerocarbonio DB7 supercar made entirely of carbon.

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.

Granfondo and Giro d'Italia Ride Opportunities

My friend Nicola from the Sport Hotel Veronello (also Garda Bike Hotel), near the shores of Lake Garda, reminded me that they have several ride opportunities they are offering.

April 18: Granfondo Città di Lazise, with the start only 3km from the hotel.

22 to 31 May: Giro d'Italia week; watch the 14th, 16th, and 18 stages; and, ride the TT, and final stage into Verona before the pros do. In the days in between ride in Valpolicella, along the lake to Malcesine, ride Peri-Fosse, and participate in the Granfondo Zen.

Two separate weeks are offered in which ex-pro Eros Poli is the special guide:

Septembr 27 to October 4: ride two granfondos that week, the Granfondo Prosecco and the Granfondo South Garda Bike.

October 4 to October 11: ride the Granfondo Italia

The hotel has De Rosa bikes which can be rented.

To request further information contact Nicola at the hotel.

Photo: Malcesine

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.