Friday, July 30, 2010

Who Was the First American to Race in the Giro d'Italia?

Who was the first American to race in the Giro d'Italia?

Well respected Author Peter Joffre Nye's research would indicate that it was Joseph Magnani who raced in the 1946 Giro d'Italia (see story below). Nye is the author of "Hearts of Lions: The Story of American Bicycle Racing" and is currently working on writing a biography of Albert Champion of Paris who won Paris-Roubaix and gained fortune in America as founder of Champion Spark Plugs and then helped to build General Motors from a holding company into the world's largest company with his division surviving today as AC Delco.

An unknown source has claimed that the winner of the 1924 Giro d'Italia, Guiseppe Enrici (January 2, 1896 - September 1, 1968), was in fact born in Pittsburg, PA, which made him a U.S. citizen. He would also be the first American to start the Tour de France (1924, DNF on 4th stage; and 1925 DNF on 11th stage). He passed away in Nice, France.

The Gazzetta dello Sport in a story about the history of foreign riders at the Giro d'Italia wrote, "In 1949, Italo-American Angelo Di Bacco was the first rider to represent North America...". Perhaps they have forgotten about Joseph Magnani as well?

Here is Peter Joffre Nye's story about Joseph Magnani:

Joseph Magnani: Illinois Rider Challenged Coppi and Bartali in Giro

by Peter Joffre Nye


From the era of snub-nosed cars and dirt roads, of cyclists wearing goggles over their eyes to keep out the ubiquitous dust from the roads, and racers wrapping a spare tire over their shoulders and across their backs in a figure-eight, a lone U.S. rider enjoyed success as a professional on the roads of Europe. Joseph Magnani of Illinois raced professionally from 1935 to 1948 on French and Italian teams. He was so ahead of his time that few in his homeland knew of him. In the 1947 world championship professional road race in Reims, northeast of Paris and famed for its champagne vineyards, Magnani finished seventh. He raced 171 miles through torrid heat that forced most of the starters, including legendary Fausto Coppi, to abandon. When results reached the United States where his performance should have been celebrated, however, Magnani's name only piqued confusion.

"If anyone knows who he is or where he came from to represent America, we would like to hear about it," wrote Otto Eisele, secretary of the Amateur Bicycle League of America (predecessor to the U.S. Cycling Federation and USA Cycling, Inc.), in American Bicyclist, then the only national cycling publication.

Ironically, some of Magnani's triumphs had been reported previously in the magazine during the 1930s. His victory in the 1935 Marseille-Nice road race classic had astonished everyone when it catapulted him to world-class stature. He won other races and performed well in one-day classics such as Milan-San Remo. In the post-World War II years, however, the earlier reporting was forgotten and confidence in American cycling sagged so badly that a U.S. rider holding his own against the Europeans apparently seemed to stretch credibility.

In mid-1948, Magnani returned to America with his French wife and their son to visit Chicago relatives and was recruited by the Schwinn Bicycle Company in Chicago to ride the American indoor winter six-day circuit. After a crash that October during the Buffalo six-day forced his retirement from cycling, he promptly went to work for Schwinn and settled in Chicago. From late 1948 until illness overcame him in the early 1970s, Magnani assembled all of the Schwinn Paramount track and road racing bicycles. In his free time, he coached Chicago riders, including son Rudy, a medalist in the Illinois district championships.

Eisele's question about who Joseph Magnani was and how he came to represent America at the 1947 worlds remained unanswered even after Magnani died in 1975 at age 63, a year before Eisele himself died at 74. Only Magnani's immediate family, some Schwinn colleagues, and a few friends knew about his participation in major European national tours and one-day classics. Word-of-mouth rippled through the Chicago-area cycling community about a local rider who had competed successfully on the roads of Europe. Word-of-mouth gave way to stubborn rumors that turned into the mystique of a Schwinn employee as the first U.S. rider in the Tour de France--cycling's equivalent to Elvis sightings.

Later, in 1976, Mike Neel of Berkeley, California, rode on the Italian professional team Magniflex and finished 10th at the worlds pro road race in Ostuni, Italy. His performance at the time represented a major advancement for American cycling. Magnani's previous seventh place had been forgotten by a new generation that reported Neel had achieved the highest-ever placing at the world's by an American.

How could the one American, Joseph Magnani, whose professional career spanned 14 years, even enduring imprisonment during World War II as an American captured in German-occupied France, in the pro peloton with legends such as Coppi and Coppi's rival Gino Bartali go completely overlooked in his homeland?

"My father lost a whole box containing newspaper and magazine clippings, team jerseys, racer-leader jerseys, and photos of his career," explained his son Rudy, born in France while his father raced there and now living in Chicago. "Everything my parents and my father's sister had saved from his years of riding was in a box that got lost on its way from Nice, France, to Chicago. That box just disappeared. And my father had a quiet, self-effacing personality. He didn't draw a lot of attention to himself."

In international cycling, Magnani--routinely referred to in French accounts as l'Americain--earned a reputation as one of his generation's strongest riders. His reputation has proved durable. Several photos of Magnani in his prime years recently turned up neatly framed and mounted on walls of a Washington, D.C., restaurant. One photo shows spectators cheering Magnani as he crosses the finish line triumphantly in the 1934 Grand Prix Urago in Nice.

Another catches him peeling off after his turn leading the breakaway during a stage of the 1938 Paris-Nice, on his way to finishing ninth overall.

In another photo, he stands with the bicycle manufacturer Giuseppe Olmo and Olmo team riders and support crew at the start of the 1946 Giro d'Italia.

"Joe Magnani and Jean Veneziano, who went on to become assistant director sportif of the Ford Team with Jacques Anquetil, raced professionally together on the Urago team," said Pierre Mattia, an Italian native and co-owner of Coppi's Vigorelli restaurant in Washington where the photos are displayed. "Jeannot, Jean's nickname, saved everything from his racing days. That includes a lot of information on Joe Magnani."

When Mattia prepared to open the second of two Washington restaurants named after Fausto Coppi, the Italian cycling icon called Il Championissimo (champion of champions) for his breadth of achievements that included setting the world hour record on the Vigorelli Velodrome in Milan, Mattia journeyed in the summer of 1996 to Bordighehra, on the Italian Riviera bordering France, to visit Veneziano. "Jeannot gave me this treasure trove of photos," Mattia gestured with a wave of the hand that swept the walls of Coppi's Vigorelli restaurant adorned with many dramatic black-and-white photos of European racers. "He gave me the photos because he loves the sport. This is a way to contribute to cycling being better known in the United States."

Now finally Eisele's question can be answered about who Joseph Magnani was and how he came to represent the United States years long ago at the 1947 world championships.

Joseph Magnani (pronounced Mahn-yan-ee) was born in 1912 to an Italian-immigrant family in LaSalle, Ill., a coal-mining town in the middle of Illinois. He grew up in Mount Clare, between the state capital in Springfield and St. Louis, according to his youngest brother, Father Rudolph Magnani, a Catholic priest in Bethesda, Maryland.

In 1928, sixteen-year-old Joseph Magnani, the second in a family of eight, and his elder sister, Angelina, were sent to live with relatives in southeastern France. "His father had fallen on hard times in the mines," explained his widow, Mimi, of Chicago. "Joe and his sister were sent to France to make the family smaller."

They lived on a farm in Cap d'Ail, a small tourist town near Nice on the French Riviera within sight of the purple Alps bordering Italy. "Joe and his sister lived across the street from my family," said Mimi. "He delivered coal and wood to residents in the area."

He also joined the local amateur team, Club Cyclo-Tourists, sponsored by Urago Cycles, a family-owned bicycle manufacturer in Nice. Francois Urago was one of France's top racers and gave Urago Cycles a publicity boost when he won the 1930 national motorpace championship. By 1934 Magnani, 22, started adding to the company's publicity. He won the Grand Prix Urago against a field of 85 starters. Finishing fifteenth was his Italian friend Fermo Camellini, destined to win Paris-Nice and stages of the Tour de France.

Magnani stood 5 feet 11 inches. The French press described him as thin and strong. Photos show him looking trim, with his dark hair parted in the middle and combed back in the day's fashion.

Two dozen French bicycle manufacturers such as Urago, Peugeot, Terrot, and Automoto each supported a trade team to help promote their products. Several hundred aspiring riders competed for berths on the teams. "Getting a contract to race for one of the pro teams was tough," said his wife.

Since Magnani had experienced hardships brought on by his family's poverty in Illinois and had discovered road races in France to match his talents and temperament, he took cycling seriously. In the off season, he chopped wood to strengthen his upper body. He told an interviewer that he prepared for the new racing season by training 2,500 miles. This preparation and his will to succeed propelled him to consistent top place victories that enhanced his popularity as a rider on the French Riviera. The area featured high-quality racing, and the hilly region developed many national-level climbers, including Magnani, considered tall for a climber.

In 1935 Urago Cycles offered Magnani a coveted pro contract. As an American expatriate, he was required to obtain a license from the American governing body, the National Cycling Association, based in New Jersey. Magnani wrote to the NCA and received back his license, issued by America's long-standing national sprint champion Frank Kramer. America had several sprinters who went to compete in Europe, but Magnani became the only American racing on Europe's roads.

One of the 1935 season's classics was the Marseille-Nice road race. Dating back to 1897, previous champions had included Gustave Ganay, a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, and world champion Alfredo Binda. During the 1935 Marseille-Nice event, Magnani executed a bold break to win in the final kilometers after seven hours of racing. His victory earned him a place in the pro peloton--as well as glory with his name and nationality, USA, still listed in VeloPlus, the European cycling record book (Marseille-Nice was discontinued after 1959).

"There wasn't much money in the 1930s," observed his wife. "The Depression was on. What kept him racing was that he was making a pretty good living."

Making a good living meant racing even in horrendous weather, such as his 1938 victory in the 149-mile Marseilles-Toulon road race during a torrential rain storm--only four of the 80 starters finished. He also competed in the one-day classic, Milan-San Remo for the second time and finished a respectable 29th. That summer Magnani won the two-day Circuit of Lourdes, a strenuous event that crossed some of the highest peaks of the Pyrenees Mountains. Although he specialized in road races, he set a new hour record for the Nice Velodrome when he pedaled 42 kilometers (26.25 miles).

Magnani's performances generated attention in the French press. France's sports daily L'Auto (renamed l'Equipe) published a feature about the American riding Europe's road races, and the feature was cited in American Bicyclist. French journalist Jose Meiffret exclaimed to readers, "Attention! Follow this man! Urago has on its hands a rider of great quality."

At the top of bicycle racing then, as now, loomed the three-week Tour de France. Unlike today's format with trade teams composed of international riders, the Tour in Magnani's era involved national teams. That format excluded Magnani, the lone U.S. road rider (several other U.S. riders competed in Europe, but chiefly on the tracks). Magnani's performances, however, earned him consideration to ride the Tour de France on an international composite team, recalled Al Stiller of Boulder, Colo., who worked at Schwinn with Magnani. "But a Canadian who came up with more money bumped him off the team," Stiller said.

For the 1939 season, Magnani left Urago to join another French pro squad, Terrot. In the spring, he won the first stage of the 11-stage Tour of Southeast France that covered 1,250 miles. That put him in the race leader's blue jersey. He also scored a third place in the third stage. But after the first week he lost the lead and finished seventh overall. At age 27, he had only begun to reach the top of his game. Then Germany invaded Poland. War erupted, and the world championships scheduled that year in Italy were canceled.

Magnani moved to the Italian team, Martini, where he joined his friend Camellini for the 1940 season. In the spring, German tanks and troops blitzed across northern France and captured Paris. German troops seized the Union Cycliste Internationale headquarters in Paris and moved the sport's governing body to Berlin. Although the war escalated and the German army occupied the northern half of France, bicycle racing continued in southern France to offer at least an outward appearance of routine life. Magnani won the opening stage of the 1940 Grand Prix de la Cote d'Azur. He and Camellini posed with Magnani's fiance, Mimi, for a celebratory photo.

Joseph and Mimi, a petite dark-haired woman, married at the end of the racing season in October 1941. Magnani had enjoyed a good season on France Sport team. He had won a stage of the Circuit du Mont Ventoux, and finished 10th in the Grand Prix des Nations time trial.

War hostilities intensified globally. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor; the U.S. Congress promptly declared war. Magnani had signed to race the 1942 season on France-Sport, a big professional team with greater resources at his disposal than ever before. His team mates included Rene Vietto and Dante Gianello, two of the period's biggest names. Despite wartime hardships, Magnani traveled with his teammates to races in the southern half of France. As an American in France during German occupation, however, Magnani became a marked man. After U.S. and English troops landed in North Africa in November 1942 to fight the German troops, German troops in northern France moved into southern France.

"In February 1943, the Germans arrested Joe because he was an American," Mimi said. "They put him in a concentration camp in the north of France."

"Joe was practically starved in the concentration camp," said Father Rudolph Magnani. "Our family sent him care packages with food, but we had no way of knowing how much got through to him. His weight dropped from 170 pounds to 98 pounds."

After U.S. and British troops launched the Normandy invasion on France's northwest coast in June 1944 and weeks later liberated Paris, Magnani and others were set free. Magnani joined his wife after more than two years of incarceration. When their son was born in July 1945, they named him after Joseph's youngest brother, Rudolph.

In the post-war years, the UCI relocated to permanent headquarters in Geneva, events that had been suspended for several years started again, and Magnani joined others who resumed their cycling careers. By 1946, Giuseppe Olmo--a gold medalist at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, former world hour record holder, and Giro d'Italia stage winner--had retired from racing to found a company to manufacture bicycles in his name. Olmo hired Magnani and Camellini to ride for him.

Italy's three-week national tour, the Giro d'Italia, had been suspended for six years, making the 1946 Giro the battleground for all of the Italian teams. Olmo picked Magnani to ride on the Olmo squadron in the Giro, thus adding that prestigious stage race to a long list of firsts that he scored for U.S. racers on Europe's roads. Much of the Italian public was divided in support of Fausto Coppi or his rival, Gino Bartali, a devout Catholic nicknamed "the Pious," while other pros such as Camellini and Fiorenzo Magni fought for attention.

According to Veneziano, Magnani rode support for Camellini, who wore the race leader's pink jersey during the second week. Then Magnani fell heavily in a crash. "He banged up his knee and couldn't race because of infection, so he came back home to recover," said his wife. Camellini couldn't defend the leader's jersey as Coppi and Bartali dueled, with Bartali ultimately triumphing.

During the 1947 season, Magnani scored ten top-ten results, including a second place in the final stage of the Tour of Normandy. At the Tour of Switzerland, he finished ninth in the time trial stage that Coppi won, and seventeenth overall in the event that Bartali won.

Late in the summer during a heat wave, Magnani, 35, entered the world championship road race in Reims, over a hilly course designed for Grand Prix car racing. Among the field of 31 starters were Coppi, Albert Sercu (father of 1964 Olympic gold medalist and six-day racing legend Patrick Sercu), Italy's classics winner Fiorenzo Magni, and Holland's star Theo Middelkamp.

"The amateur race was held in the morning when the weather wasn't bad, but by the time the pros started after noon, it was really hot," recollected Al Stiller, who represented the United States at the world championship track events on the Parc des Princes outdoor track in Paris. "The temperature hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity to match. The heat knocked Coppi out."

Only seven riders finished, the fewest ever in a worlds road race. Middelkamp won, in seven and a half hours of racing, with Sercu in second. Magnani held on to finish seventh--the best U.S. performance at the worlds for 33 years.

For the 1948 season, Magnani rode for L'A.S. Monaco team, a small team sponsored by the Mediterranean principality, and started talking about retiring. "In July 1948, we came to the United States on a vacation trip," said Mimi. "Joe hadn't been back to visit his family since he had left so many years before."

"When he came back," said Father Rudolph Magnani, "I was an adult, 18, seeing him for the first time. I was really thrilled. I wore my best shirt."

After the Magnani family reunion, Joseph Magnani presented a letter of recommendation from Urago Cycles to the Schwinn Company, Mimi said. Of the half-dozen bicycle manufacturers in the United States, only Schwinn supported professional and amateur racing. Professional racing in America was limited to winter indoor six-day races, in which teams of two riders each alternated riding so that one cyclist competed while his partner ate or took a nap during the event of six days and nights straight. Schwinn hired Magnani to ride the winter indoor circuit.

The 1948 winter circuit started with the 12th international six-day, October 5 to 11, in Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium. Fifteen two-rider teams entered the event around the new portable Masonite track, 10 laps to the mile. Riders included Hugo Koblet, the Swiss rider who would win the 1951 Tour de France, paired with compatriot Walter Diggelman. Magnani teamed with Bill Johan, one of Chicago's hot young riders in his first six-day.

"Joe was really out of his element," said Bill Jacoby, a Chicago native who paired with Alf Letourner of France to finish fifth. "That track was a far cry from the roads of Europe which Joe rode so well."

Crashes day and night reduced the field to just six teams. Among the casualties were Magnani, Johan, and Koblet.

The vacation to Chicago turned into a permanent move as Schwinn hired Magnani to work full-time. With about 1,000 registered amateur racers nationwide, American bicycle manufacturers concentrated on the juvenile market. Schwinn also relied on the juvenile market, but deployed some of the profits to promote bicycle racing. Schwinn was the only U.S. bicycle manufacturer to make a racing frame, hand-made with Reynolds steel, called Paramount.

"Joe worked for me in the Paramount room, a large warehouse space with a high ceiling off the assembly line,' said Stiller, an engineer who had competed in the 1948 London Olympics. "Joe and two or three other guys assembled Paramount track bikes and tandems. In the early 1950s, we started building Paramount road bikes, and Joe assembled all of them."

"Joe Magnani was a remarkable technician," observed Richard Schwinn, a fourth-generation bicycle manufacturer and former company vice-president who saw Magnani in action on the job.

With all of his training and racing experience, Magnani shared his expertise with local riders. Fritz Masanek, now living in Aurora, Illinois, said Magnani prevailed upon his Urago Cycles connections to arrange for a shipment of complimentary Urago road bicycles, equipped with eight-speed derailleurs--rarities in America, still holding to the tradition of one-speed fixed gears from the salad days of track racing. Magnani also helped Masanek prepare for long European-style road races in eastern Canada that contrasted to the U.S. racing diet of criteriums, most often limited to 50 miles.

"We rode together on the weekends, and he gave me many pointers," Masanek said. "He had a lot of endurance. A couple of times in training with several of the best Chicago-area riders, Joe would shift into a big gear and just drop everybody."

Magnani's coaching helped Masanek win the 1949 Winnipeg-Kenora race of 150 miles. "I wore my Urago jersey and pedaled my Urago bike," Masanek said.

In one-hour team races that enjoyed popularity at the Brown Deer Park track in Milwaukee and Washington Park track in Kenosha, Masanek and Stiller competed together while Magnani coached from the sidelines. 'Joe helped us as much as he could with tactics we might use, how we looked," Masanek said. "He gave us water."

For Masanek, training and racing focused on the 1951 Pan American trials in St. Louis to determine team selection for the First Pan American Games, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Masanek finished second in the road trails, although the sport's governing body could afford to send only one road rider to Buenos Aires. He subsequently spent a year and a half competing in European-styled events in Mexico where he won 18 races. "I rode for AutoMoto, a French bicycle company that had a subsidiary plant in Mexico City," Masanek said. "Three French riders were on the team, and they all knew Joe Magnani pretty well from his racing in France."

When Rudy Magnani came of age in the early 1960s, his father coached him. "He always came out training with me," Rudy said. "We did a lot of traveling--Tuesdays we were on the track in Kenosha, Thursdays in Northbrook, and Sundays at Brown Deer Track. We didn't get home till after 11 P.M. And Dad always got up at 5:30 the next morning to get to work."

Results show that Rudy Magnani won a silver medal in the 1965 Illinois district sprint championship, and a bronze in the 10-mile. "That was my last year of racing. That fall I quit cycling to enroll in the Art Institute and the University of Chicago. I probably disappointed him when I decided to go on to art. But if he was disappointed, he didn't express it. Winning wasn't everything with my Dad. His philosophy was to enjoy the sport."

The younger Magnani went into advertising, and his company worked on the Schwinn Company account. Richard Schwinn, a company vice-president, dined frequently in the Magnani household. "Mama Magnani is a wonderful cook," Schwinn said, cheerfully patting his comfortable belly. "She cooks wonderfully rich French food in the provencal style." He laughed indulgently. "That woman doesn't know the word hungry."

In the early 1970s, despite his athletic talent, Joseph Magnani was overtaken by a debilitating neural affliction. "My dad had always been active, quite vigorous in fact, and not being able to get around because of illness depressed him," his son said. Magnani died November 30, 1975.

"U.S. cycling started coming back around in the 1980s," remarked Rudy Magnani. In 1980 at the worlds pro road race in Salanches, France, Jonathan Boyer of California finished fifth, improving upon Magnani's place at the worlds. "My dad never saw any of the professional movement. He would have had a lot to talk about with today's pro riders here in America."

Joseph Magnani, an American pioneer in road racing, left a legacy. Today his son's company, Magnani & Associates in Chicago, consults on advertising for Richard Schwinn, now vice-president of Waterford Precision Cycles. Magnani & Associates also does marketing and advertising for Mongoose Bicycles. That legacy is well represented today. Thousands of Schwinn Paramounts he put together are still ridden--many prized by collectors. Joseph Magnani continues riding, forever in his prime on the roads of France and Italy, as captured in photographs prominently displayed at Coppi's Vigorelli restaurant.

Highlights of Joseph Magnani"s professional career. Compiled by the editors of Coups de Pedals 67, published in the July-August 1998 issue.

1935: URAGO

1st Grand Prix Waldorf, Nice
1st Marseille-Nice

1936: URAGO

4th Boucles du Sospel
5th Nice-Toulon-Nice
3rd place in the 3rd stage
6th Circuit du Mont Blanc
9th Circuit du Midi
3rd place in 3rd stage
10th Marseille-Nice
10th Tour du Vaucluse
18th Tour of Switzerland
3rd place in the fifth stage
18th Grand Prix des Nations
19th Paris-Nice

1937: URAGO

2nd Grand Prix d'Antibes
4th Nice-Toulon-Nice
6th Circuit du Bouronnais
22nd Tour of Switzerland
22nd Milan-San Remo
24th Paris-Nice

1938: URAGO

1st Marseille-Toulon-Marseille
1st Circuit de Lourdes
2nd Tour de l'Est Central
1st in 5th Stage
6th Tour du Sud-Est
7th Tour du Vaucluse
8th Grand Prix de Cannes
9th Paris-Nice
29th Milan-San Remo

1939: TERROT

1st Lyon-St. Etienne
6th Tour du Vaucluse
7th Tour du Sud-Est
1st in the 1st stage
3rd in the 3rd stage
7th Circuit des Maures in Toulon
14th Marseille-Lyon

1940: MARTINI

1st in the 1st stage of the Grand Prix de la Cote d'Azur
1st in the Tour de Porto Allegre
2nd Grand Prix d'Antibes
6th Grand Prix de l'Eclaireur de Nice

1941: FRANCE SPORT

4th Circuit du Mont Ventoux
1st in the 1st stage
4th Tour de Correze
9th Grand Prix d'Industrie du Cycle
9th Vichy-Limoges
10th Grand Prix des Nations (time trial)
10th Criterium du Midi

1942: FRANCE SPORT

2nd in the Four Days of the Route
3rd in the 3rd stage
2nd Grand Prix de la Haute Savoie
2nd in St. Junien
4th Course de Cote du Mont Agel
5th Grand Prix Pneumatique
6th Grand Prix des Nations (time trial)
7th Grand Prix de l'Industrie du Cycle
7th Grand Prix de la Fete Federale a Carcassone
8th Circuit des Villes d'Eaux d'Auvergne
10th Grand Prix de Provence
13th du Criterium du Midi

1943:

3rd Grand Prix de Bergerac
13th St. Etienne-Lyon

1945:

4th Criterium du Routier Complet
5th Dijon-Lyon
5th Circuit des Ville d'Eaux d'Auvergne
5th Grand Prix de Lyon
7th Criterium du Limousin
7th Grand Prix Pneumatique
7th Circuit de l'Humanite
8th Criterium du Midi
8th Marseille-Nice
11th Paris-Limoges
13th Paris-Reims
15th Grand Prix des Nations (time trial)
31st Paris-Tours

1946: OLMO

1st St. Gere
1st Villefrance-Rouergue
1st Firmy
2nd Grenoble-Gap-Grenoble
2nd Circuit des Alpes
5th St. Etienne-Montceau
9th Grand Prix de Cannes
10th Armagnac-Paris
11th Paris-Vimoutiers
23rd Tour of Switzerland
abandoned 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia

1947:

3rd Tour du Lac Leman
7th World Championships Road Race
17th Tour of Switzerland
19th Tour of Romandie

1948: AS Monaco & Tebag

abandoned 3rd stage of Tour of Switzerland

Photo credit: All the photos, with exception of Enrici's, are from Pierre Mattia of Coppi's Vigorelli Restaurant, Jean Veneziano Collection

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 1,500 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.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

News About the 2011 Giro d'Italia

The 94th edition of the Giro d'Italia will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy ("il Risorgimento"), and will start in Torino (Turin) on May 7, 2011. Torino was the first capital of unified Italy. Torino has only once hosted a Giro start, in 1961.

The Giro will begin with a 22 km team time trial from the Reggia di Venaria Reale:

Read more about the unification of Italy 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 1,500 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.

Win a "Formigli" Frame



The contest is open to USA citizens, no purchase necessary. Read rules here.

From www.formigliusa.com:

"Renzo’s Formigli's passion for cycling runs in his blood. His grandfather, father and brother were all professional cyclists. When Renzo was 12 years old, before and after school, he would linger at the bicycle shop in his home town of Florence, Italy. Through listening to builders he began to understand the mechanics of a bicycle. At the age of 19 Renzo met the man that would forever change his life. By luck, Renzo befriended Cino Cinelli, one of the most famous builders in the world of handmade frames. It was through Mr. Cinelli that Renzo learned the art of hand crafting racing frames. In 1990 Renzo created Formigli cycles with the mission to use modern technologies to re-create the custom, hand made frames that are the legend of Italian frame construction. Like an old fashion tailor, Renzo Formigli has perfected the art of custom frames built through his own proprietary process. Formigli frames are one of a kind and the highest quality racing frames available on the market."

Read how Formigli has come to establish a subsidiary in the USA, 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 1,500 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.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

New De Rosa Model for 2011: R848 or "Vega"






A completely new model in the De Rosa lineup for 2011 has been on display in Italy. The caption of photos taken by Cicli Balduzzi identify the bike as a "Vega 848". The photos of the graphics on the bike show "R848".

Interestingly, the R848 designation is that of a frame produced by XPACE INDUSTRIAL, LTD., model R848, that was on display at the Taipei International Cycle Show. XPACE is a specialist bicycle manufacturer based in Xiamen, China. The frame description says, "Featuring Xpace's BioSP biometric specific profiles." See photo and description here. NOTE: by October these links produced an error message. This works now: www.xpa-cycling.com

ADDENDUM: The following post by Trialtir, the De Rosa importer in the USA, appeared in a bike forum in December 2012:
"Pretty obvious I'm the De Rosa importer. I don't hide behind a moniker like so many others on these forums that work for other bike companies trying to look like a consumer. Yes, De Rosa does make frames in Italy and Taiwan. I'm even proud enough to list them as we are not ashamed of being able to offer Asia De Rosa spec at a lower price point all riders can afford:

Italy -
1) Protos
2) King RS
3) Ti 3.25
4) All Steel
5) Team Alloy
6) All Custom - which includes carbon, steel, ti and alloy

Taiwan -
1) Super King
2) Merak Evo
3) 838
4) 848
5) Milanino line

Say what you want about me for being honest and posting under my company name Trialtir who also happens to be the importer. De Rosa makes some of the finest bikes on the planet and I'm happy to let people know my opinion."

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 1,500 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.

Monday, July 26, 2010

"One Good Frame...Deserves Another"

For the 1,500th blog entry here at the Italian Cycling Journal we have have a story from Kimberly B. who writes in about her cycling trip with Eros Poli:

One Good Frame...Deserves Another
Meeting the Inspirational Giovanni Pinarello

This summer I had the good fortune of chasing down my dream of climbing Mount Ventoux (on my bicycle). I signed up for a trip with Eros Poli, recommended by my friends. I had heard so many inspirational things about Eros Poli – the least of which was that he won the Mt. Ventoux stage in the Tour de France in 1994. Two friends from my cycling group, The Bedminster Flyers also signed up for the trip. We were excited to experience the epic climbs Telegraph, Galibier, Glandon and of course Ventoux. So, I signed up, with two goals in mind, one to make it up Mount Ventoux and the second, to come home with a story for the Italian Cycling Journal.


Our trip began with getting our bikes. Did I mention we were riding brand new Pinarellos? I rode a beautiful red Prince – a complete carbon fiber frame with Campagnolo components. I had always loved Pinarello frames and owned a Pinarello steel Stelvio that I used when racing. But this bike was something different and I was quite sure that the bike would make up for my lack of training and of course – my age (La Gallina Vecchia)! My friends tried to reassure me by reminding me of the famous Italian saying, “La Gallina Vecchia fa buon brodo (The old hen makes the best broth).”

As the trip started I remembered the story of my first Pinarello bike – the beautiful blue Stelvio frame which I still own. When I was racing I had always wanted a Pinarello frame but could not afford it. Then, a strange series of events took place. I was in a small fender bender and the driver who hit me decided to pay the expenses for my car out of pocket – to the tune of $1,200.00. This was the exact amount I needed for the Pinarello Stelvio frame I had always wanted. So, I did what any good cyclist would do... I drove directly to the bike shop, handed over the money and placed the order for the gorgeous frame. I was fortunate enough that the mechanic at the shop offered to build the bike for me with used parts from his old racing bike so that the rest of the bike wouldn’t cost so much. I was thrilled, and it made driving around with a dent in my station wagon that much less difficult.


I shared my story with my friends on the tour and it made riding the Pinarello Prince that much more meaningful. In addition, we were ending our trip with Pinarello Granfondo Cycling Marathon which started in Treviso, Italy. Eros Poli was sponsored by Pinarello as a racer and knew the family well. He brought us to their beautiful shop in Treviso where we met Giovanni Pinarello himself! I was in awe! I couldn’t believe I had the chance to meet him and his family too. Mr. Pinarello was very gracious, kind, humble, and generous – it was an honor to meet him.


Later, after the marathon was over, we saw Giovanni Pinarello again. I was eager to have a picture of him to keep along with the other Pinarello stories that seemed to weave themselves into my life. Eros saw Giovanni sitting with a friend and asked him if I could take my picture with him. He agreed. I had just finished the marathon and was covered with mud, sweat, energy drink, and probably lots of biscotti crumbs too – but didn’t want to miss my chance. I walked over with my Pinarello Prince and then Giovanni looked at Eros and said “She has a beautiful frame!” Eros, pointed to my bike and said, “Oh Yes, the bike!” and Giovanni said, “No, Her!” From then on, “The Frame” became my new nickname.

So there it is, my Italian Cycling Journal story. I felt so blessed to meet Gioavanni Pinarello – especially given the way I felt about that steel Stelvio frame. I also felt so privileged to ride up Mount Ventoux with the encouragement and inspiration of Eros Poli, a world champion, gold medalist and Tour de France stage winner. The miracles within the whole trip still astound me! And honestly, I don’t mind saying that being called a “beautiful frame” by a man with an eye for designing revolutionary racing frames made the broth that much better!

Wishing you great climbing, a chance to ride a Pinarello frame, and the chance to be with inspirational cycling heroes from all over the world!

Sincerely,
Kimberly, The Frame

P.S. I recently found out that Valentino Rossi – the famous Italian motorcycle racer also referred to himself as La Gallina Vecchia, which made me feel a bit better too! And, I did make it to the summit of Mont Ventoux (Eros and I):

Eros Poli: www.Eros-Poli.com
Pinarello: www.pinarello.com
History of Pinarello and Giovanni Pinarello
The Tour de France 2010
The Pinarello Granfondo Cycling Marathon 2010: www.granfondopinarello.com
The Bedminster Flyers (Our local cycling group): www.BedminsterFlyers.com
My Website: www.TheEncouragingWorks.com

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 1,400 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.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

2010 Tour De France: Contador Wins, Petacchi Takes Green Jersey


Alberto Contador has won his 3rd Tour de France after a memorable duel with Andy Schleck who finished 2nd, 39 seconds behind. Schleck won the young riders classification.

Thirty-six year old Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) won two stages and the green jersey. It was a very close points competition ending with Petacchi scoring 243 points, beating Cavendish by 11 points and Hushovd by 21 points.

"It's an outstanding result that, considering also the two stage victories, makes this Tour de France unforgettable," Petacchi said. "The green jersey is the best prize for the regularity of performances and of results: I always gave my best and the team was always perfect. At the beginning of the Tour the points classification was not my target but, stage by stage, I understood that I could be competitive and now I'm very happy that I decided to battle for this result. A special thanks to the team and to the sponsors: they were always with me, especially in the tough moments".

Anthony Charteau (Bbox) won the mountains classification.

Adriano Malori (Lampre-Farnese Vini), a TT specialist who did so well in the prologue (12th best time), was last in the GC at -4:27:03. "I'm happy I completed my first Tour de France at my debut," Malori explained. "I suffered in the early stages because of a crash which I was a victim of, but I did my best to recover and to be at the support of my team mates. The last place in the overall standing is not a problem for me, it's particular." Bravo.

Final top 10 GC:
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 91:58:48
2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:39
3 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0:02:01
4 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:03:40
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:06:54
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0:09:31
7 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions 0:10:15
8 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha 0:11:37
9 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo 0:11:54
10 Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack 0:12:02

Photo: Sirotti

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 1,400 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.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

2011 Colnago Super



2011 Colnago Super (click on photo 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 1,400 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.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Petacchi Once Again in Green at the Tour de France


After losing the green jersey again on Stage 16, Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) was able to regain it today on Stage 18. Finishing in 3rd place in the sprint Petacchi gained enough points to pass Thor Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam) again. The stage was won by Mark Cavindish (his fourth; HTC-Columbia) with Julian Dean (Garmin-Transitions) finishing 2nd. Hushovd finished in 13th.


"I performed the sprint with two targets," said Petacchi. "One aim was to try to battle against Cavendish, who's now the strongest sprinter in the bunch. The other one was to take back the green jersey. When I noticed that Hushovd was not so brilliant in the moment before the sprint, I decided to anticipate and so I started to accelerate. Cavendish reacted in a quick way and he could overtake me, so I focused my attention on preceding Hushovd. I struggled because I'm not as brilliant as in the early part of Tour de France, and also because of bronchitis. But, thanks to the support by my team mates, I could come back to first place in the points standing. I know that the battle will end in Paris: Hushovd and Cavendish won't give up".

Daniel Oss, Liquigas-Doimo, won the most aggressive rider award today. Oss made a solo effort to win from the 14 km mark but was caught by the peleton at 3.5 km from the finish.

Photo: Bettini

Top 5 in green jersey points classification:
1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 213 pts
2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 203
3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 197
4 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 167
5 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 162

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 1,400 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.

LAZER Road Warrior Limited Edition in Italian Colors



LAZER launched its limited edition Road Warrior helmet collection in June which includes a design in the Italian colors, as worn by Filippo Pozzato.

More details 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 1,400 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.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Vélo-Rétro T-Shirt Offer for ICJ Readers




For ICJ readers: My friends over at Velo-Retro are offering free shipping (to USA) on any Italian themed T-shirt order during the remaining days of the Tour de France; offer ends Sunday July 25th. The high quality T-shirts are available in 6 sizes and 17 colors.

Go here, and then along the left side you will see the T-shirt designs organized by several categories.

Contact them to let them know you're taking advantage of the offer and your shipping amount will be refunded after you order.

Photos: a few examples of the designs available

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 1,400 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.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

SIDI T-2 Carbon Composite for Triathlon and Duathlon



SIDI, located in Maser (Treviso), has announced a new design for their triathlon specific shoe, the T-2 Carbon Composite. In addition to the original all white shoes, the shoes will be available in silver snake skin.

Versions of the shoes will be available for women and for MTBing.

Beyond all the technology already applied to normal Sidi Sport cycling shoes, the T-2 Carbon Composite model features air ducts on the uppers which allow for major aeration allowing the athletes’ feet to dry completely after the swimming race and permitting them to breathe as much as possible during the cycling phase and in the build up to the final run.

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 1,400 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.

Messori





There is seemingly no end to the Italian framebuilders who names grace the downtubes of bicycles. Many are well known. Others are relatively unknown, their stories waiting to be told. In the latter category are the frames by Messori.

A reader of ICJ sent photos of his green Messori seeking more information. Note the brazed on logos.

Messori also created a track bike with every tubeset carved out (see photos). One story has it that it was Messori who introduced this concept to Faliero Masi who then used it for the chainstays in the Masi "Fiera" bike(s) in 1974.

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 1,400 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.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

More Stelvio





Photos from the Thomson Bike Tours' "2010 Trans-Dolomites Challenge" which featured 56,000 feet of climbing in 7 days in June. On the menu were Monte Zoncolan, Passo Stelvio, Mortirolo, Passo Gavia and the Ronde Sella over the Pordoi, Sella, Gardena and Valparola passes.

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 1,400 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.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Back to Green for Alessandro Petachhi


Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) is back to wearing the green jersey after losing it yesterday to Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team) and winning it back today on the 13th stage. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) won the stage with a late attack, finishing 13 seconds ahead of the top sprinters. 2nd place was won by Cavendish, and Petacchi finished 3rd earning precious points over Hushovd who finished 8th.

"The duel against Hushovd is very interesting and it will go on until Paris," Petacchi commented. "Today, thanks to the support of my team mates I could take back the green jersey. Now I have to pay even more attention to the intermediate sprints since Hushovd is skillful in joining breakaways. It will be a tough battle".

The top 5 in the green jersey points classification:

1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 187 pts
2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 185
3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 162
4 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 144
5 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 138

Photo: 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 1,400 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.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Responsorium by Dario Pegoretti


ICJ reader Paul sends this photo of his recently delivered creation by Dario Pegoretti. It's no wonder that Dario's bikes are among those of a current exhibit of bespoke bicycles at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. The exhibit runs through August 15th.

Photo: 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 1,400 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.

Necessary Accessory for an Italian Beer....


....or any beer for that matter.

Photo: courtesy 14bikeco

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 1,400 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.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Alessandro Petacchi Takes Green Jersey in Tour



Alessandro Petacchi finished in 2nd place today in a chaotic sprint in the 11th stage of Tour de France (Sisteron-Bourg les Valence, 184.5 km). He isn't bitter though as the 30 points for 2nd place makes him the new leader in the green jersey points competition. Cavendish was the stage winner.

"Cavendish and his team performed a perfect sprint. It was very difficult to precede them, even if Lampre-Farnese's work was very good," Petacchi commented. "I'm sorry I didn't win, but I'm happy for conquering the green jersey: it's a beautiful prize for my teammates' effort and I'll try to keep it with me as long as possible".

"It's not going to be easy to keep the green jersey until we reach Paris," Petacchi said. "Yesterday I went for the intermediate sprint because Hushovd, McEwen and I are very close in the points classification. We'll probably fight for other intermediate sprints. I'm confident after the good work done by my team today. The way Danilo Hondo brought me back to the front was exceptional."

"My position now makes me think of the 2003 Tour de France," Petacchi explained. "Seven years ago, I didn't have the grinta (determination) that I have now to finish the Tour and win the green jersey. My directeur sportif at the time, Giancarlo Ferretti, was very upset when I pulled out of the Tour although I had the green jersey."

Mark Renshaw, the main lead-out man for Cavindish, has been ejected from the Tour for dangerous actions during the final which included head butting Julian Dean:

The top five 5 in the Points competition after today:
1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 161 pts
2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 157
3 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 138
4 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 132
5 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 122

Photos: 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 1,400 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.

“Massimo Fondo” Training Camp with Levi Leipheimer and Dr. Max Testa


Press release from the Levi Leipheimer King Ridge GranFondo:

Levi Leipheimer partners with BMC Racing Team’s Scott Nydam and cycling physician Dr. Max Testa to host exclusive GranFondo training camp in Sonoma County.

Combining local knowledge, years of professional cycling experience, and the scientific expertise of the sport’s most celebrated training physician, the “Massimo Fondo” training camp will coach twelve riders on Sonoma County’s most famous routes as a benefit for Levi’s GranFondo charities.

SANTA ROSA (July 15, 2010)—Training for an epic event like Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo just got a little bit easier. Team RadioShack’s Leipheimer is teaming up with famed BMC Racing Team’s cycling physician Dr. Max Testa and BMC Racing Team’s Scott Nydam for a 3-day, elite level cycling training camp in Sonoma County. This is a unique opportunity for a few lucky people to experience the home turf of one of the world’s top cyclists riding by his side and under the medical tutelage of his own sports doctor. As an additional incentive, all proceeds from this exclusive training camp will benefit Levi’s GranFondo charities and cycling initiatives.

Convening August 4th, 2010 and finishing August 8th, twelve cyclists will have the opportunity to undertake a true, three-day training block experience as they are guided through reconnaissance rides along the Gran, Medio, and Piccolo routes of Levi’s GranFondo. Riders will be accompanied by Nydam and Leipheimer as they traverse routes known as much for their beauty as their challenge. BMC Racing Team’s mechanic Rich Sangali will be providing bike inspections and tuning throughout the Massimo Fondo camp.

Off the road, riders will have a personalized bike fitting to maximize efficiency and comfort, a lactate threshold test to determine effective training parameters, and a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Testa to discuss individual strengths and improvement areas. All Massimo Fondo riders will leave with a personalized training plan they can continue to improve and refine with the guidance and feedback of Testa and his assistants up until the day of the GranFondo. Massimo Fondo participants can also expect invigorating professional body work by a team of hand-picked massage therapists, led by Brenda Phelps, Team RadioShack’s own soigneur.

In addition to the physiological benefits, participants in this event will be awarded a spot in the Levi’s GranFondo route of their choice, including the long ago sold-out Gran route. Massimo Fondo training camp participants will be given the full VIP treatment at Levi’s GranFondo, including a complimentary ticket to the October 7th Festa de Fondo auction dinner, access to VIP receptions before and after the October 9th main event, and exclusive mementos of their Massimo Fondo training camp experience.

“Learning and training with Levi under Max’s programs have taught me what details I need to pay attention to, how to address them, and why, “ says BMC Racing Team’s Scott Nydam. “It helped me grow fast in a sport in which I got a late start.” The twelve available spaces in the Massimo Fondo training camp and fundraiser will retail for $5,000 each, including lodging. Spaces for this once-in-a-lifetime event are expected to fill quickly. For information and booking, check out www.massimofondo.com or www.levisgranfondo.com

Photo: from 2009 Levi Leipheimer King Ridge GranFondo

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 1,400 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.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Cicli Taurus



A new showroom for Cicli Taurus, a brand which has existed since 1908, is opening today in Legnano. Better know for their city bikes, they also made road models.

Photos: announcement for opening, 1945 Taurus road bike

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 1,400 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.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

2011 Campagnolo Record, Chorus, Athena

Following on the previous update on Super Record for 2011 here is the information for the 11 speed groupsets of Record, Chorus, and Athena for 2011:

RECORD
ERGOPOWER™
Improved details to enhance control performance.
At Campy Tech Lab™ they have been working in this direction, reducing weight and improving performance. A new front air intake and a new design will make your bike look more aggressive and confident.
WEIGHT 337 g.

CRANKSET
Red and white colors will immediately gain your attention, but the real surprise comes with the first shift; precise, extremely fast and with no hesitation. The new design in XPSSTM downshifting and up-shifting actuations have been designed and upgraded to offer the best possible shifting, even under extreme conditions of use.
WEIGHT 683 g. with BB

REAR DERAILLEUR
It's the soul of the new 11v Record™ transmission!
Carbon fiber outer plate and cage plate. Upper and lower aluminum bodies are black, giving this shifting system - preferred by pros - a more aggressive look.
WEIGHT 172 g.

FRONT DERAILLEUR
It is one of the essential components - together with the chainrings and the cassette - of the exceptional Record™ 2011 groupset.
Thanks to Ultra Shift™ technology, the derailleur cage is more rigid, while body and frame adjustment components cause the derailleur to be faster and more decisive.
WEIGHT 74 g.

SPROCKET SET
In competition every little detail counts; that´s why steel and titanium were used when producing Record™ sprockets. The perfect teeth design results in a perfect synchronization between shifting and chain movement.
The six larger sprockets are divided in triplets, which are mounted on special frames to increase rigidity.
WEIGHT 201 g.

CHAIN
Pros are the everyday testing ground for the chain fitted on all advanced Record™ 11 and Super Record™ 11 groups.
Links and pins have been designed to adhere perfectly to gears and sprockets teeth providing maximum fluidity, reduced friction and improved chain life.
WEIGHT 239 g.

BRAKES
Following professional cyclists means meeting all their needs. This is why Campagnolo® has designed two Record™ brake options.
An extra pivot has been added to the standard single pivot rear version for those who want an immediate and decisive brake response. Braking power results from both our Skeleton design and the new brake shoe combination. The shoe holder allows for better regulation and helps to improve the friction surface.
WEIGHT 278 g.



CHORUS
ERGOPOWER™
You can grasp the Chorus™ Ergopower™ controls any way you want: you'll always feel safe and responsive.
The ergonomic design of the Ergopower™ body now made of a lighter and stiffer material enables you to grip the controls more firmly. The brake lever with double curvature and the classic double lever of the brake/shifter controls guarantee efficient braking in all conditions and easier operation.
WEIGHT 337 g

CRANKSET
X.P.S.S.™ (eXtreme Performance Shifting System), the acronym that refers to the most efficient system ever, lets you shift with extreme speed and incredible precision. At first glance, the Chorus™ 2011 crankset does not show any changes. But actually there is plenty of news hidden behind the new look. The chainrings have been completely redesigned. The new teeth design plus the new 8 ascending and 2 descending zones of the chainring enable top-class performance.
WEIGHT 723 g. with BB

REAR DERAILLEUR
Chorus™ 11-speed's shifting precision is comparable to its older siblings Record™ and Super Record™. The design and geometry of the rear derailleur are exactly the same. The only difference lies in the materials used, which made it possible to keep a favorable price without lowering the performance levels. A groupset dedicated to competition like the Chorus™ 11-speed can't forego showing its true competitive spirit, and the carbon fiber front plate is the proof.
WEIGHT 186 g

FRONT DERAILLEUR
This system is fast, responsive, and precise, and the chain shifts across chainrings with no hesitations. The Chorus™ 11-speed front derailleur, like all the others in the 2011 range, are compatible with standard crank sets and the Compact™ .The geometry of the fork and the movement of the front plate have been designed and optimized to obtain maximum performance when used with the other Campagnolo® 2011 components.
WEIGHT 76 g

SPROCKET SET
Every sprocket tooth has been designed to achieve the maximum synchronization, shifting speed, and silent operation.
The six larger sprockets have a double frame system for extreme torsional stiffness, so that operating precision is maintained even during shifting under stress. The surface treatment of the eleven steel sprockets assures longer component life, maintaining the maximum performance through time.
WEIGHT 230 g

CHAIN
Fluidity, smoothness, and noise reduction: the 5.5mm Chorus™ chain fully meets the quality and performance standards of the 11-speed™ groupsets. The strength of the treated steel links is absolute, and the Ultra-Link™ closure system guarantees safety and the long life of the chain.
WEIGHT 255 g

BRAKES
The new compounds dramatically improve braking, and the new lighter pad holders make replacement easier and faster.
Campagnolo® offers an extra option for the 2011 models: in addition to the classic front/rear brake differentiation for the maximum lightness and braking modulation, there is now also a dual pivot option available for the rear brake, for even more decisive and important braking. The choice is yours! (ed. note: brakes are in black finish now)
WEIGHT 299g




Athena
The Ergopower™ controls are made of aluminum, both the brake lever and the shift lever dedicated to controlling the rear derailleur and front derailleur cable.
A version in carbon fiber with core in light alloy is available as an option. The Athena™ controls employ Power-Shift™ technology, which enables multiple shifting (three gear cogs) upward and single shifting downward.
The comfort and safety are absolutely the point of reference of the market thanks to the ergonomic supports on the main body and the double curvature of the brake lever that enables an effective grip in any situation.
WEIGHT 372 g. alu & alu/carbon

CRANKSET
The most evident changes are immediately noticed on the first shift. The new design of the chain up shift and downshift zones makes shifting extremely fast and precise.
The axle of Athena™ is the brand new Power Torque System™, which makes it possible to obtain very high values of torsional stiffness and efficient power transmission, without increasing the lateral bulk. The crankset is also available in the carbon fiber version that is more than 100 grams lighter.
WEIGHT 817 g. with BB; Carbon 726 with BB

REAR DERAILLEUR
The Athena™ rear derailleur has the same geometry as the top-of-the-range 11-speed models, and absolute precision is the result. The outer plate wraps around the upper and lower bodies in aluminum, eliminating any possible play and making the overall structure of the rear derailleur extremely stiff. The result is fast and precise shifting in all the gears. The pulleys are specially designed to reduce vibrations and make the drivetrain perfectly quiet.
WEIGHT 208 g

FRONT DERAILLEUR
Thanks to the Ultra-Shift™ geometry of the cage typical of all the Campagnolo® 11-speed groupsets, the chain can move between the gears of the crankset with the maximum speed and precision in any situation, even when "chain crossings" are extreme or under stress.
The new Athena™ front derailleur is compatible with both standard and compact cranksets.
WEIGHT 92 g

CHAIN
You'll be amazed at its silence, fluidness, and durability.
The Chorus™ 11s chain of 5.5mm width has been designed and constructed to guarantee riders the maximum in terms of safety and performance. The newly developed treated steel makes the links extremely resistant, and the Teflon™ surface treatment and Ultra-Link™ geometry make the chain smooth running and highly durable.
WEIGHT 255 g

SPROCKET SET
The Athena™ groupset uses the Chorus™ sprockets. The Campy Tech Lab™ engineers have designed each single tooth to assure optimal drive train engagement along with fast and precise shifting.
The positioning of each sprocket has been designed to reduce friction to the maximum and make the pedal rotation silent and efficient. The six largest sprockets are mounted on separate frames, which increase their stiffness.
WEIGHT 230 g

BRAKES
Campagnolo's objective is to provide both professional and amateur cyclists with the best braking system possible, adapted to their riding style. There are those who prefer to always have the maximum power available (dual pivot on the front and rear), and those, on the other hand, who prefer more controlled and modulated braking, with the mono-pivot in place of the dual on the rear brake. The new lighter pad-holder makes replacing pads fast and secure.
WEIGHT 305 g

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