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Posts Tagged ‘Strade Bianchi’

l’Eroica’s early season inspiration from the pros at Strade Bianche

Posted in The Ride, Travel, tagged , , , on March 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

If you are looking for some early season inspiration for your l’Eroica training today’s race through Chianti is your best bet. Not only is the race run over many of the same roads as l’Eroica, but today’s winner hails from a family, a tradition, of Italian cycling greats. Moreno Moser stood atop the podium today, but the real story for l’Eroica participants is the beauty and the beast of the strade bianche. The race, appropriately christened Monte Paschi Eroica when it was first contested, has become a preview of the northern European spring classics. But, it is really a story unto itself and a reminder of what racing was like in earlier times, even though today’s bikes weigh a fraction of what those early ones did. Even so, the sterrati are great equalizers, forcing carbon-bike perched pros to adopt tactics and the grit that today’s winner’s uncle and his family had to endure.

For some photo inspiration along with race highlights, go to Steephill TV Classics.

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Nostalgia and L’Eroica go hand-in-hand

Posted in The Ride, Training, tagged , on October 2, 2012| 2 Comments »

I keep reminding myself that it was this time last year, 2011, that I was waking up in Lecchi-in-Chianti, enjoying the sunshine and blue skies and nervously looking forward to my first ride on the strade bianchi. I had scouted a short, 30K route that made a loop from our rental home and traversed what I later learned was part of one of the shorter rides that year.

Signs declaring 15% grades with falling stones were foreboding, but after a few slips and slides, I came to love the white gravel. I returned to the house after that first ride believing I knew what lay ahead, even if it was to be 5 times the distance.

For those lucky riders planning to participate this year, spend some training time on the gravel if you don’t normally get to ride it. And, don’t forget to look up and enjoy the incredible scenery that surrounds the L’Eroica route.

A view down my first downhill sector of gravel

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L’Eroica, meet your younger brother, La Mitica

Posted in Bicycle, Food, Travel, tagged , , , , on June 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Giancarlo and all the good people of L’Eroica should be honored. In the home of Fausto Coppi comes La Mitica. While I have every intention of riding another L’Eroica, I’m eager to ride this and the Retro Ronde. It’s not a slavish interest in the minutiae of vintage bicycles; it’s the culture that surrounds the period when bike racing was not dominated by expensive sponsorships, radio communication with the team, armadas of support vehicles. Don’t get me wrong. I’d jump at the chance to spend some time as a spectator at Grand Tour events. And, I watch plenty of TV coverage of the pro circuit, attend local events and read as much as I can.

But, there is something that inspires me about participating in events like this. You feel somehow more connected to the origins of the sport and to a time and place that seems original. I fight the cynic in me that says these events are produced as a way to build tourism interest, especially among people “of a certain age” who have the means to travel and harbor nostalgia for a period they probably never lived through. No matter.

It can only be a matter of time before an event like L’Eroica or La Mitica is held here in Oregon. For that, I cannot wait.

(Thanks to Rory Mason and his blog, Masini’s Breaking Away blog, for alerting me. Links to that blog, please visit it, on the home page here.)

A vintage ride in the land of Coppi

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L’Eroica in the pre-season

Posted in Bicycle, The Ride, Training, tagged , , on March 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »

That didn’t take long. Registrations for those of us who don’t live in Italy and are under 60 have ended. But, you knew that, right? Possibly the world’s most popular one-day cycling event is sure to sell out fast. There are ways to get in, but this post is really about the training, not the event. I’ll say more about registering in a moment.

If you even imagine that you will ride L’Eroica, now is the time to train. Need some inspiration? Watch tomorrow’s Montepaschi Strade Bianche on Universal Sports. Sad to say that my cable carrier doesn’t air US, but it is available online. You will view the very roads over which L’Eroica is ridden and get a sense of why this is a ride you will want to do sometime in your life.

But, training? I look out the window at the gray mornings that barely glow before 6:30 and question why I want to get out of bed. Last year, I was excited about the ride in a way that could be interpretted as really scared about how difficult it might be. And, how much I wanted to make a good showing. Motivation enough.

Here are a quick few suggestions that are by no means unique, but will get you started.

Stationary bikes or roller: Use them during the gloomy, dark days, but ride intervals. Nothing will give you a head start on the road like intervals inside.

Strength training: There are plenty of good books about strength training programs and there are coaches and personal trainers. I used the former, in particular, “Weight Training for Cyclists” along with other guides. When you face a 12 percent grade on the white roads, it’s not just strong legs and low gears that get you to the top.

Ride the sterrati or unpaved roads: Slap on the 28mm tires and leave them on the bike. Find some unpaved roads to ride, but make them part of a longer ride rather than just a practice piece. You’ll gain confidence on the stones and feel how they change the ride.

Since I never know quite what readers want, other than great pictures of bikes and components, leave comments about this and other posts. If you want more on training, I’ll spend some time with it.

Sold out registration? No problem. There will be at least two more chances to register, though at higher rates. Those will get you in and provide funds for the L’Eroica charity. Or, do it up right and contact inGamba about their tours. There is a long-weekend version and a full week along with additional tours that include L’Eroica. You’ll never eat, drink and ride so well. I might even see you there.

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L’Eroica registration opens in just a few hours

Posted in The Ride, Training, Travel, tagged , , , on February 29, 2012| 1 Comment »

Registration for L’Eroica 2012 opens at 3:00 Pacific time for those followers in the western United States, or midnight in Italy, which is GMT or UCT -1 hour. Hell, I suppose it is only right to say Greenwich Mean Time when we’re talking about something as traditional as L’Eroica. Regardless, if you plan to go, get your mouse ready and login here at the official site here.

The best part of the ride

The organizers have expanded the registration limits for non-Italians. I’m not sure why, but there are now 800 slots open compared to my experience of last year where the limt was 500. No matter. If you have any inkling that you plan to attend, register and pay your fee. It’s not enough to compel you to go if you have a conflict or a problem. But, it’s one of those motivating factors that sticks with you when you are deciding whether to add a few more kilometers to your daily ride.

You might choose to skip registration on your own because you’ve decided to go with a tour company. If you’ve made the decision, or even thought about it, there is one that stands above all others and is a relative newcomer, In Gamba, or “in the know” as the idiom goes. I met these folks last year. We shared a village home base in Lecchi-in-Chianti. I’ll have more to say in other places about that experience.

They offer a range of tours in Italy and elsewhere that really have no comparison. Led by a former Cervelo pro, but focused as much on culture and community as riding, they give the serious cyclist everything and a great deal more. They also hold registrations for L’Eroica that clients use and the vintage bicycle is provided.

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