2011 Giro d'Italia Presentation, Part I

Summary:
From the 7th to the 29th of May 2011,
17 regions,
23 total days, 21 race days,
1 rest day + transfer 1 rest day,
Start from Torino-Reggia di Venaria , Reale,
Finish in Milano-Piazza Duomo,
1 Team Time Trial Stage (1ª stage Reggia di Venaria Reale-Torino) / 21,5 km,
1 uphill time trial (16ª Belluno-Nevegal) / 12,7 km,
1 individual time trial (21ª Milano-Milano) / 32,8 km,
7 stages for sprinters,
1 white (gravel) road stage in Siena in the province of Siena and the finish in Orvieto
4 medium mountain stages (1 summit finish)
6 mountain stages (6 summit finish),
Summit finishes: Montevergine di Mercogliano (7ª stage), Etna (9ª stage), Grossglockner (13ª stage), Zoncolan (14ª stage), Gardeccia (15ª stage), Macugnaga (19ª stage), Sestriere (20ª stage),
Other climbs: Crostis (new), Croce Carnico, Mauria, Fedaia-Marmolada, Tonale, Aprica, Mottarone, Colle delle Finestre (dirt stretch),
Cima Coppi: Passo Giau,
Total: 3496 km

Time trial stage Flat stage Medium mountain stage Mountain stage Summit finish
1	Sat	7/05/2011	21,5 Km		Venaria Reale - Torino (TTT)
2	Sun	8/05/2011	242 Km		Alba - Parma
3	Mon	9/05/2011	178 Km		Reggio Emilia - Rapallo
4	Tue	10/05/2011	208 Km		Quarto dei Mille - Livorno
5	Wed	11/05/2011	201 Km		Piombino - Orvieto
6	Thu	12/05/2011	195 Km		Orvieto - Fiuggi Terme
7	Fri	13/05/2011	100 Km		Maddaloni - Montevergine di Mercogliano
8	Sat	14/05/2011	214 Km		Sarpi - Tropea
9	Sun	15/05/2011	159 Km		Messina - Etna
	Mon	17/05/2011			Riposo
10	Tue	17/05/2011	156 Km		Termoli - Teramo
11	Wed	18/05/2011	160 Km		Tortoreto Lido - Castefidardo
12	Thu	19/05/2011	171 Km		Castefidardo - Ravenna
13	Fri	20/05/2011	159 Km		Spilimbergo - Grossglockner
14	Sat	21/05/2011	210 Km		Lienz - Monte Zoncolan
15	Sun	22/05/2011	230 Km		Conegliano - Gardeccia/Val di Fassa
	Mon	23/05/2011			Riposo
16	Tue	24/05/2011	12,7 Km		Belluno - Nevegal (ITT)
17	Wed	25/05/2011	246 Km		Feltre - Sondrio
18	Thu	26/05/2011	147 Km		Morbegno - San Pellegrino Terme
19	Fri	27/05/2011	211 Km		Bergamo - Macugnaga
20	Sat	28/05/2011	242 Km		Verbania - Sestriere
21	Sun	29/05/2011	32,8 Km		Milano - Milano (ITT)

Prima tappa: 7 maggio cronosquadra Venaria Reale-Torino, km 21,5.

Seconda tappa: 8 maggio, Alba-Parma, km 242.

Terza tappa: 9 maggio, Reggio Emilia-Rapallo, km 178.

Quarta tappa: 10 maggio, Quarto dei Mille-Livorno.

Quinta tappa: 11 maggio, Piombino-Orvieto, km 201.

Sesta tappa: 12 maggio, Orvieto-Fiuggi terme, km 195.

Settima tappa: 13 maggio, Maddaloni-Montevergine di Mercogliano, km 100.

Ottava tappa: 14 maggio, Sapri-Tropea, km 214.

Nona tappa: 15 maggio, Messina-Etna , km 159.

Decima tappa: 17 maggio, Termoli-Teramo, km 156.

Undicesima tappa: 18 maggio, Tortoreto Lido-Castelfidardo, km 160.

Dodicesima tappa: 19 maggio, Castelfidardo-Ravenna, km 171.

Tredicesima tappa: 20 maggio, Spilimbergo-Grossglockner, km 159.

Quattordicesima tappa: 21 maggio, Lienz-Monte Zoncolan, km 210.

Quindicesima tappa: 22 maggio, Conegliano-Gardeccia-Val di Fassa, km 230.

Sedicesima tappa: 24 maggio, Belluno-Nevegal, cronoscalata km 12,7.

Diciassettesima tappa: 25 maggio, Feltre-Sondrio, km 246.

Diciottesima tappa: 26 maggio, Morbegno-San Pellegrino Terme, km 147.

Diciannovesima tappa: 27 maggio Bergamo-Macugnaga, km 211.

Ventesima tappa: 28 maggio, Verbania-Sestriere, km 242 .

Ventunesima tappa, 29 maggio, cronometro Milano-Milano, km 32,8.

Giovanni Visconti, Stefano Garzelli, Damiano Cunego, Alessandro Ballan, Vincenzo Nibali, Alessandro Petacchi and Michele Scarponi.

Click on photos to expand; presentation group photo by Bettini.

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 1,600 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. What I'm riding.

Gran Fondo Colnago Expanding to 5 U.S. Cities

For 2011 the Gran Fondo Colnago series will expand to five U.S. cities:

* Gran Fondo Colnago San Diego (April 10, 2011)
* Gran Fondo Colnago Los Angeles (June, date to be determined)
* Gran Fondo Colnago Philadelphia (August, date to be determined)
* Gran Fondo Colnago Washington, D.C. (in planning stage)
* Gran Fondo Colnago Miami (in planning stage)

Details about these events will be announced in the near future.

The first Gran Fondo Colnago was held in 2009 in San Diego. This year it expanded to also include Philadelphia.

To register for a newsletter and more information visit www.granfondousa.com

Photos: start of 2010 Gran Fondo Colnago Philadelphia

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 1,600 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. What I'm riding.

Südtirol SellaRonda Hero Mtb-Marathon

After a succesful debut in June of the 2010 Südtirol SellaRonda Hero Mtb-Marathon the organizers have decided to hold another edition in 2011 with a goal of 1,500 riders. The information from the organizers explains all:

"After the very successful debut last June, the organisers of the Südtirol SellaRonda Hero Mtb-Marathon are planning to have the second edition on July 2nd, 2011. Among the several novelties, there will be the 82-kilometre and 50-kilometre tracks again. The goal? 1500 riders, an ambition revealing that the Hero is one of the top events in the Italian mountain bike scene.

The old football saying "do not change the winning team" made the organisers of the Südtirol SellaRonda Hero Mtb-Marathon think of presenting the same competition for the second time in 2011. In fact, after its success last June, “Europe’s hardest mountain bike race” is here again with two tracks for those who love long-distance routes: a marathon track of 82 kilometres and one of 50 kilometres available to everyone (or almost everyone), which are both located in Dolomites: Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Arabba, Fassa and Alpe di Siusi. And the date? The second edition of the Südtirol SellaRonda Hero Mtb-Marathon will take place on Saturday, July 2nd with the traditional start and finish in Selva Gardena at an altitude of 1,563 meters.

Several novelties will be included in the competition that is located in four valleys around the Sella group in the provinces of Bolzano, Trento and Belluno. First of all in 2011 the Südtirol SellaRonda Hero Mtb-Marathon will be part of the FCI (Italian cycling association) national calendar, and after the 2010 zero edition (with a fixed registration limit of 500 participants) the organisers tripled the maximum number of participants, taking it to 1,500 riders. But be careful, because the registration process will start on Wednesday, October 20th on the website www.sellarondahero.com which mountain bike lovers have the opportunity to enjoy with the renewed design in the Hero spirit and the promo video:

Spot "Südtirol Sellaronda Hero 2011" - English Version from Val Gardena - Gröden on Vimeo.

The price money will be increased to 17,000 Euros, a 10% increment that will allow to give out prize money to the winners of the two tracks, but even to the participants who will win the Gardena Pass and Duron Pass GPM's.

Among the novelties that are being introduced by the organisers there is the Hero Time diploma for the participants who will finish the 82-kilometre track in a period of time that is less than 150% of the winner; obviously the Hero Time diploma will be introduced for the women's category as well with 150% of the winner's time for all riders on the marathon track. Lastly, the event is organised by Val Gardena Marekting and the tourist boards of Alta Badia, Arabba, Fassa and Alpe di Siusi, along with the Selva Gardena Tourist Office, and it is coordinated by the creators of the event, Gerhard Vanzi and Peter Runggaldier. The event staff has been working to make it a more engaging program with the Hero Kids, a little mtb "marathon" for kids of age 6/12 who will ride their bikes on a 3-kilometre track in the Selva Gardena village streets.

The only thing to do is to wait for the X-Hour on October 20th for the beginning of the registration process that will see a lot of participants. «At the end of the first edition we received numerous e-mails that expressed happiness and satisfaction of those who participated - Gerhard Vanzi said – and we hope to triple the number of riders in 2011 because the Hero structure turned out to be great in the biking field, not only in Italy but abroad as well». A proposal, the one offered at the Südtirol SellaRonda Hero Mtb-Marathon that combines different aspects of mountain biking: «On the one hand we want a proof that shows riders' athletic skills on the two tracks, considering that the marathon track features a difference in altitude of more than 4,200 meters – said Peter Runggaldier race director – and on the other hand we have the landscape and environmental elements that give the competition a one-time and unique feeling».

It will be possible to experience it starting October 20th thanks to a spectacular commercial video uploaded onto the event's website on which Peter Runggaldier – ex Italian downhill athlete but one who has always been a lover of the off-road discipline – is the protagonist of the Hero among his mountains, the Dolomites. Don’t miss it!"

Photos: 2010 event photos (click to enlarge)

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 1,600 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. What I'm riding.

Selle Monte Grappa

Selle Monte Grappa had this this beautiful product offering on display at EUROBIKE. The company, located in Ramon di Loria (TV), traces its origins to 1970 when the Baggio brothers started their business as manufacturers of saddle frames for other Italian companies. The brand Selle Monte Grappa was born in 1990.

Photos: courtesy of my friend over at "Travels With A Tin Donkey"

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 1,600 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. What I'm riding.