Regarding the story (here) of the auction of the 1998 Bianchi that Marco Pantani raced: the Pantani family has categorically denied that it may be the bicycle that has been raced on the famous Tour stage from Grenoble to Les Deux Alpes, now legendary, let alone the Milan-Sanremo the following year.
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. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Campagnolo: CULT™, Cermamic Technology
Campagnolo has released a video from its Camp Tech Lab™ explaining the benefits of Ceramic Ultimate Level Technology (CULT™) which greatly reduces friction. CULT™ ceramic technology is available on certain wheelsets and cranksets.
Campagnolo uses a combination of the best ceramic balls on the market and Cronitech® chromium stainless steel races made by the German company Schaeffler.
The testing results from the Campy Tech Lab™:
* 9 times smoother than the standard solutions
* Zero wear on bearings and balls
* friction coefficient: the lowest in the world of cranksets thanks to lubrication with oil instead of grease
* 3.5 watts more power at each pedal stroke, increasing along with the increase in speed
To view in full size click here.
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. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.
Riding with a Mont Ventoux Stage Winner
Buzz Yancich returns with a well done, new, short video of the Ben Vivere tour with Eros Poli. The video begins with scenes of the start of the Granfondo Avesani in Piazza Bra in Verona (listen for the cannon start). The video moves onto cycling scenes from Verona province and then onto scenes of the descent of tunnels of the Passo San Boldo. The video ends with a flashback to 1994 with Eros Poli winning the Mont Ventoux stage of the Tour de France.
In full size click here.
The Ben Vivere group has already reserved their week with Eros for 2011; their previous Ben Vivere story appeared in four parts:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Eros is currently preparing his tour schedule in 2011 for Italy and France. Visit www.eros-poli.com for more details and contact information. Having spent lots of time riding with Eros I should point out that Eros was born, raised and lives in Verona. Couple that with a long career as a professional cyclist racing in Italy and France and you have someone that has unique insights for developing special cycling tours.
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. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.
In full size click here.
The Ben Vivere group has already reserved their week with Eros for 2011; their previous Ben Vivere story appeared in four parts:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Eros is currently preparing his tour schedule in 2011 for Italy and France. Visit www.eros-poli.com for more details and contact information. Having spent lots of time riding with Eros I should point out that Eros was born, raised and lives in Verona. Couple that with a long career as a professional cyclist racing in Italy and France and you have someone that has unique insights for developing special cycling tours.
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. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
For Dario Pegoretti Fans
Did you miss the only-for-one-day viewing of D'Acciaio (Of Steel) directed by Ben Ingham? The film captures Dario Pegoretti and co-workers in his workshop in Caldonazzo.
Rapha has produced an accompanying book with images in full color and dialogue extracts from the film. The book also holds a copy of the film on DVD. It's now available from Rapha (here).
The movie trailer:
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. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.
Selle San Marco 2011 "Vintage" Saddle Collection
New materials and new colors characterize the new products of Selle San Marco's 2011 "Vintage" line.
Miele (Honey): The REGAL and the ROLLS saddles will now be available in honey color. This particular type of leather causes the saddle to become increasingly dark with use, each saddle eventually becoming a unique piece.
Pelle Forata (Perforated Leather): CONCOR PELLE FORATA, the ROLLS PELLE FORATA and REGAL PELLE FORATA are re-editions of perforated leather saddles that have been an important part of the Selle San Marco history.
More details at: www.sellesanmarco.it
Photos: examples of honey and perforated leather saddles, see website for all the different combinations
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. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Coppi, Bartali and the Legendary Photo
During the stage between Lausanne and Alpe d 'Huez of the 1952 Tour de France, Fausto Coppi was leading the race in the yellow jersey. During the climb of the Galibier a photographer for Omega, Carlo Martini, snapped a photo where you could see the passage of a water bottle between the two arch rivals. The photo quickly became a symbol of knightly sports rivalry, the contest between gentlemen and fair play that characterized the relationship between the two champions. But, the truth about the photograph has always been in debate: It is not known which one passed the water bottle to his rival.
In the immediately preceeding story in ICJ we see Faustino Coppi in the sitting room of his home with the legendary photograph of the water bottle being passed between Coppi and Bartali. Faustino says, "It was my dad that passed it, not the other way."
It was by chance, last year, that I came across an Italian interview with Vito Liverani, referred to as the dean of Italian photography. He is the guardian of the secret of the historic photo. Only he knows who passed the "bottle". "But I will not say who passed it to whom, never" swears the photojournalist. The interview:
Q. Is the picture of the water bottle being passed yours?
A. by Liverani: First, we must point out one thing. Coppi and Bartali were not passing a water bottle but a bottle of water, probably of Perrier. Yet it is always spoken of a water bottle. Wrong. Just look closely at the photo and you see that is a bottle.
Q. Who took the photo?
A. I managed the exploitation of the image on behalf of the wife of Carlo Martini, the photographer who snapped it. I would like it to be very clear that the photo was taken by him because over the years many photographers have claimed authorship. That photo is by Martini, there is no doubt. I knew him very well, I took his place at the Gazzetta dello Sport.
Q. It's a photo shrouded in mystery and history isn't it?
A. In truth there's not much of a mystery. That picture has been created. Martini reached an accord with the two cyclists and the race director to shoot the photograph. He gave a bottle to his friend and told him to give it to them as they passed.
Q. And why?
A. To make a different photo. At that time we wanted our photographers to capture an image very different from all others. It is a creative photo, beautiful, an image that I wish I could have taken. Today, to create a picture like this would be impossible.
Q. In what sense?
A. In the sense that then there was respect among colleagues, the ideas and images would not be stolen. If Martini did this today there would be a dozen photographers copying his idea.
Q. Remove a doubt. Who passed the bottle? You know the answer.
A. Of course I do. But I'm not going to say.
Q. Why don't you want to say.
A. For the fans and for all the interest this photograph created over the years. For the gesture, during a race like in July a bottle of water is a precious commodity, necessary. Martini provided the water, and they passed it. A nice gesture. It does not matter to know who has passed first.
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. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.
A Visit to the Coppi Home
This is the Coppi family home. Fausto Coppi lived here and now Faustino, his son, and family reside here.
Faustino in the sitting room with the original, legendary, photograph of the water bottle being passed between Coppi and Bartali at the 1952 Tour de France. "It was my dad that passed it, not the other way," said Faustino.
Fausto Coppi holding Faustino as a baby. Faustino had just arrived in Cannes by ship from Argentina. Faustino was born in Argentina otherwise in accordance with the laws of the time he would not have obtained the surname of his father.
The rainbow jersey of world champion, in pure silk and without sponsors, which Fausto Coppi put on in Lugano in 1953. 1953 was also the year in which Coppi met Giulia Occhini in Lugano. Giulia Occhini became the famous "Dama Bianca" (the Lady in White; read more about her here).
A few of the trophies.
Photographs of Fausto Coppi are found throughout the home.
Photos by Giuliano Camarda; click on photos 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. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.
Faustino in the sitting room with the original, legendary, photograph of the water bottle being passed between Coppi and Bartali at the 1952 Tour de France. "It was my dad that passed it, not the other way," said Faustino.
Fausto Coppi holding Faustino as a baby. Faustino had just arrived in Cannes by ship from Argentina. Faustino was born in Argentina otherwise in accordance with the laws of the time he would not have obtained the surname of his father.
The rainbow jersey of world champion, in pure silk and without sponsors, which Fausto Coppi put on in Lugano in 1953. 1953 was also the year in which Coppi met Giulia Occhini in Lugano. Giulia Occhini became the famous "Dama Bianca" (the Lady in White; read more about her here).
A few of the trophies.
Photographs of Fausto Coppi are found throughout the home.
Photos by Giuliano Camarda; click on photos 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. There is also an Italian weather widget along the right side and a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page. What I'm riding.
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