Who the Flying Farg do these guys think they are. Its just beyond belief that they think, in this day and age, with all that has been discussed across just about every forum, with the disgrace of former heroes, they can get away with it.
Another positive, another Italian, and another from the same Pro Continental team, Vini Fantini-Selle Italia.
Is this the last time we see Vini Fantini-Selle Italia?
A few weeks ago it was that twat Danilo DiLuca, now it’s the turn of team mate Mauro Santambrogio who won the 14th stage of the first Grand Tour of the season.
And poor ol’ Vini Fantani boss, Luca Scinto, was left to lament another rider caught doping.
“Everything’s finished, the whole project is finished,” Scinto told Tuttobiciweb.it. “What do you want me to tell you, I’m distraught, I’m ruined. I defended him like no other rider before because from (the Giro start in) Naples there were awful rumors about him going around the peloton.
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Climbing Cyclist – 3 week Aussie Tour Project
The guys over at Climbing Cyclist have started a new project that sounds quite interesting.
What would an Australian Grand Tour look like? That’s the question David Blom and Matt de Neef tackled as they planned out a three-week route for a Tour of Australia.
They are releasing one stage a day in the lead up to le Tour. 2 stages have been released. If you want to receive the auto releases, like their facebooksite.
Prologue – ITT
http://theclimbingcyclist.com/tour-of-australia-stage-1/
- North Terrace
- Gorge Road
- Castambul
- Corkscrew Road
- Ashton
- Basket Range
- Nairne
- Murray Bridge
- Tailem Bend
- Lake Alexandrina
- Lake Albert
- Meningie
I am very much looking forward to see where they go over the next 3 weeks.
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Gran Fondo
What is a Gran Fondo?
A Gran Fondo is a marathon for cyclists: the riders at the front compete for the win, the riders in the middle go for a PB and the riders in the back aim to beat the cut-off time. A Gran Fondo is a personal challenge where each participant does his/her best.
What makes a Gran Fondo?
1. Timing – A GF has a competitive element: all riders are individually timed by a timing chip and the event provides rankings based on time. If that is lacking, Italians call it “Cicloturismo”.
If you are not getting chip timed, you are not riding in a GF, no matter what the event is called.
2. Course Control – while complete course closures are desirable but rarely possible, moderated traffic is very important to provide the participants the right of way.
If you have to stop at lights and stop signs, you are not riding in a GF, no matter what the event is called.
3. Course Signage – the full route has to be marked in a way that it can be ridden by someone without a cue sheet and not familiar with the area. Additionally, GFs provide distance signs and signs that indicate length and gradient of key climbs.
If you are given a cue sheet to orientate, you are not riding in a Gran Fondo, no matter what the event is called.
s you can imagine, there are hundreds of Gran Fondos around the world. Here are just a few of them .
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New York Gran Fondo
Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York starts with a bang on the world’s most travelled bridge, George Washington Bridge, exclusively closed for you. Enjoy the views of Manhattan during this once in a lifetime car free stint. Following Hudson upstream on rural roads and through scenic towns, riders will compete against each other and themselves on a timed climbs which will count towards the King and Queen of Mountain competition. The featured climb of the event and Cima Coppi (highest point of the ride) is the nearly four mile climb up to Bear Mountain in Harriman State Park. After descending, the course will wind its way back, hitting two more timed climbs before finishing in Weehawken with stunning NYC views.
The total ride distance is approximately 177k and the elevation gain is 2,800m.
NYGF – http://granfondony.com/
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Gran Fondo Campagnola Roma
Four days of events in cycling:
aggregation, fun, passion.
An exciting program of events, based on the interaction of business competition, recreation and amateur, in the context most impressive in the world: Rome, its wonders, its history.
From the Baths of Caracalla to the Castelli Romani through the Colosseum, Via dei Fori Imperiali , Appian.
Thousands of participants on the 2 paths.
A professional organization. The highest standards of safety, environmental protection, logistics and efficiency for a major international event.
Held in October. Gran Fondo Roma
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Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia Sea Otter Classic (California)
Participants will experience the challenges and atmosphere typically reserved for professional races, in a fun “Italian style” environment that will allow the participants to challenge themselves and celebrate their accomplishments, while enjoying “La Dolce Vita”! Terrific courses, gourmet Italian Pasta Parties at the finish line, limited edition “Made in Italy” bike jersey and some of the best Italian brands at the Expo: all this creates the Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia!
Surrounded by beautiful vistas of Monterey County, the two road Gran Fondo routes (Carmel Valley, and Coastal) are intended to be enjoyed with family, or with friends–whether they are old pals or friends newly made on this ride. Have fun in the company of others, and take time for the refreshment that awaits you at each rest stop.
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Gran Fondo Whistler
In September 2010, the inaugural RBC GranFondo Whistler allowed 4,000 cyclists the opportunity to ride the world-renowned Sea to Sky Highway in a dedicated car-free lane from downtown Vancouver to Whistler. Rider capacity grew to 7,000 cyclists in 2011 and 2012 as participants were pouring in from all around the globe as the event quickly established itself as one of the premier cycling events in North America.
This years event is September 7, 2013.
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Maratona dles Dolomites-Enel
2013 – Under the sign of HARMONY, the theme of the next edition, the preparations for the 27th Maratona dles Dolomites-Enel, which will be on Sunday, 30th June 2013, are well under way. The pre-registrations record of last year (29.100) has been largely exceeded with more than 31.600 applications for 2013. 76 are the pre-registered nationalities. The three routes will remain unchanged: Long, 138 km with a climb of 4190 m, Medium, 106 km and a climb of 3090 m and Sellaronda, 55 km and a climb of 1780 m. Departure from La Villa and arrival at Corvara and a live television broadcast on Raitre from 6.15 a.m.
| 2012 Total participants: | 8940 |
| Started: | 8705 |
| Arrived: | 8563 |
| Men: | 7831 |
| Women: | 732 |
| PARTICIPATING NATIONALITIES: | |
| ITALY | 5179 |
| GERMANY: | 1527 |
| NETHERLANDS: | 860 |
| GREAT BRITAIN: | 427 |
| BELGIUM: | 227 |
| AUSTRIA: | 115 |
| SPAIN: | 95 |
| SLOVENIA: | 85 |
| SWITZERLAND: | 84 |
| USA: | 80 |
| FRANCE: | 55 |
| AUSTRALIA: | 23 |
| CZECH REPUBLIC: | 18 |
| BRAZIL: | 17 |
| SWEDEN: | 15 |
| DENMARK: | 13 |
| SLOVACHIA: | 13 |
| SAN MARINO: | 12 |
| CANADA: | 11 |
| POLAND: | 10 |
| IRELAND: | 9 |
| CROATIA: | 7 |
| HUNGARY: | 6 |
| SOUTH AFRICA: | 6 |
| MALTA: | 5 |
| NORWAY: | 5 |
| FINLAND: | 4 |
| PORTUGAL: | 3 |
| RUSSIA: | 3 |
| JAPAN: | 2 |
| MEXICO: | 2 |
| NEW ZEALAND: | 2 |
| ROMANIA: | 2 |
| COSTA RICA: | 1 |
| INDONESIA: | 1 |
| KAZAKISTAN: | 1 |
| LATVIA: | 1 |
| LICHTENSTEIN: | 1 |
| LUXEMBOURG: | 1 |
| MALAYSIA: | 1 |
| MONACO: | 1 |
| NEW CALEDONIA | 1 |
| BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA | 1 |
| PARAGUAY: | 1 |
| PHILIPPINES: | 1 |
| QATAR: | 1 |
| BRUNEI: | 1 |
| SOMALIA: | 1 |
| SAMOA: | 1 |
| TUNISIA: | 1 |
| VIETNAM: | 1 |
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Tour of the Battenkill
America’s largest one-day Pro/Am cycling race. Racers compete over 62 miles of rolling terrain on both dirt and paved roads as they travel through the world famous Battenkill Valley. Set in early spring, the race starts and finishes in the scenic village of Cambridge, New York and courses through covered bridges, family farms, and rural villages along the many challenging backcountry roads that traverse Southern Washington County, New York. The 2011 edition played host to over 2,500 amateur and professional cyclists from throughout North America and dozens of nations worldwide.
Held in April each year.
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Gran Fondo Beechworth
Gran Fondo Beechworth is a weekend long immersion in the best of cycling in the best of locations, set against the stunning backdrop of the Victorian Alps. The Gran Fondo Beechworth weekend includes something for everyone from the serious to the not so serious.
The rides on offer include:
- Gran Fondo – A 173km (closed road) challenging timed ride against the backdrop of the Victorian Alps!
- Medio Fondo – An 83km (closed road) moderate challenge but still timed.
- Gourmet Fondo – A leisurely pedal to the local producers’ farmgates, this is a gastronomic tour of one of the best food and wine regions in the world.
- L’eroica – L’eroica is a period cyclosportive rally for riders and collectors of classic racing bicycles built before circa 1980. Celebrating both Italian culture and the heroic times of bike racing it is based in the “Tuscan Hills” surrounding Beechworth. Modeled on the hugely popular L’eroica event held in Tuscany it is not a race but an opportunity for riders to experience the rugged conditions, gravel roads, punctures and minimal support that was the lot of racers in the era of “heroic” road racing.
Held in April each year. Gran Fondo Beechworth
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Cascade Gran Fondo – Bend, Oregon
Located in the heart of Central Oregon, Bend is a town known for activity and adventure. The Cascade Gran Fondo will showcase many of the great things Bend has to offer, including an evening of entertainment in the historic downtown Tower Theatre, a fantastic dinner on Bend’s Westside, and a scenic ride through the Cascade mountains and Deschutes National Forest.
The 2013 Cascade Gran Fondo event will run from August 2-4, 2013, in Bend, Oregon, and will be hosted by Team RadioShack-Nissan-Trek professional cyclist, Chris Horner, winner of the 2011 Tour of California, 2012 Olympian and Bend resident. In addition to the ride, there will also be two other events throughout the weekend – a VIP dinner and an evening of stories, both hosted by Chris Horner.
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Amys Gran Fondo
Previously discussed in an earlier posting on wednesday legs
Oh yeah, I am going. Woooohoooo!
A long story, but those who remember my dilema a few months back. Well, I mentioned it to my wife in casual conversation a few weeks back, and sh replied “Are you going? Go on, you’ll enjoy it”. Unfortunately I have that nagging suspicion that it will bite me on the bum, but until then.
Woohoooo!
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Ponderable of the Week
The winner of Paris-Roubaix earns $39,000 (€30,000) in prize money. A caddy (not a golfer, but a caddy) who works for someone that wins the PGA Championship gets $145,000 (€111,685).
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Photo of the Week
Photographer | Octavio Aburto (National Geographic )
Place : Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico
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TV Show of the week – The Pitch – SBS2 Wednesday 9:45
This series goes behind the closed doors of the world of advertising as America’s top creative ad agencies go head to head to win a real campaign from a major brand.
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South Australia – Barossa – Be Consumed
I love this ad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoMp-V_CRdc
till next week
tight spokes
iPib
Wednesday Legs 