Cycling & Blogging: welcome on board, sei entrato nel Blog ufficiale dell'Alexander Bike Hotel di Gabicce Mare!

lunedì 28 dicembre 2015

Supporting Dave's BUPA ride

Dear friends, 
please take a moment to read the message below written by our friend David England.
Sahre it, and if you can help David and his important cause.
Thank you all!!!

The reason for this post is because I have chosen to ride in the Bupa Challenge on January 22 as part of the Cancer Council’s RIDE FOR A REASON fundraiser. The ride is 148kms from Norwood to Victor Harbor via Norton Summit, Crafers, Strathalbyn and passed our front gate on the Crows Nest Rd. I appreciate that it is a bad time of year to be asking for donations, but I would be very grateful for any sponsorship to help this very worthy cause. If you would like to contribute, please follow the link below to log into the online fundraising portal.https://secure.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/registrant/ReturningRegistrantOption.aspx?EventID=46562&LangPref=en-CA&welcomeBackReg=yThe following link is to an article from the Victor Harbor Times which may help to explain my reason for riding.http://www.victorharbortimes.com.au/story/3268019/cancer-fighter-faces-his-own-uphill-battle/?cs=1285 Thank you and may you have a happy Christmas and wonderful 2016. David England

martedì 22 dicembre 2015

Happy Christmas!!!

Da tutti noi tanti auguri di Buon Natale e di un fantastico 2016!!!



We wish you a Merry Christmas and a fantastic 2016!!!

venerdì 18 dicembre 2015

Il film del week end!

Siamo giunti al 10 e ultimo appuntamento con il film del week end.
Questa settimana vi proponiamo "Una domenica all'inferno" (1976) di Jørgen Leth
Documentario danese sulla Parigi-Roubaix del 1976, Una domenica all'inferno (En Forårsdag i Helvede) ci porta dentro una delle più leggendarie corse ciclistiche. Leth cattura il dramma, il crepacuore, la fatica, le condizioni atmosferiche che torturano sui tratti di pavé. Si può rivedere la maggior parte dell'elite dei ciclisti su strada degli anni '70, ma soprattutto la sfida tra Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, Freddy Maertens e Francesco Moser.




This is the 10th and last appointment with the movie of the weekend.
This week we suggest "A Sunday in Hell" (1976) Jørgen Leth
Danish documentary on the Paris-Roubaix in 1976, A Sunday in Hell (En Forårsdag i helvede) takes us into one of the most legendary cycling races. Leth captures the drama, the heartbreak, the fatigue, the weather conditions torturing on the cobblestones. You can review the most famous cyclists of the 70s on the road , but also the challenge between Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, Freddy Maertens and Francesco Moser.

giovedì 17 dicembre 2015

Caro Babbo Natale...

Caro Babbo Natale,

quest'anno siamo stati molto buoni ...
Ci piacerebbe tanto trovare sotto l'albero:


BIJOUX
Orecchini, ciondoli, bracciali, gemelli ... a forma di catene, pacchi pignoni ecc



LED per l’illuminazione
Dei LED per rendere la bici visibile anche di notte. Questo tipo di illuminazione non è solo un capriccio estetico per la nostra due ruote ma è realmente utile per la sicurezza



MAGLIETTE DA CICLISMO ORIGINALI
Esistono diversi modelli di maglie da ciclismo con delle fantasie originali, piuttosto delle solite piene di sponsor…




PORTA VINO DA BICICLETTA
Per chi pedala in stile un po’ retrò, il porta bottiglie è una chicca imperdibile. C’è la possibilità di caricare una confezione di 6 bottigliette di birra oppure una bottiglia di vino. Anche in bicicletta un uomo può non arrivare mai a mani vuote.



ASTUCCIO PER ATTREZZI TRENDY
Da mettere sotto la sella con gli attrezzi indispensabili in caso di necessità. 



“CICLOTTE” LA CYCLETTE CARBON DA CASA
Per chi ama il design, e d’inverno vuole allenarsi anche a casa c’è “Ciclotte” una stupenda Cyclette in carbonio che diventa un pezzo d’arredamento da esibire più che un oggetto per il  fitness da possedere.




Dear Santa,

this year we were very good ...
We would love to find under the tree:

JEWELLERY
Earrings, pendants, bracelets, cuff links ... in the form of chains, sprocket etc.




LEDS for illumination
LEDS to make the bike visible even at night. This type of lighting is not only an aesthetic whim, but is really useful for the safety


ORIGINAL CYCLING SHIRTS
There are several models of jerseys cycling with original patterns, rather than the usual full of sponsors ...



PORT WINE BY BICYCLE
For those who ride in a little 'retro style, the bottle holder is a treat not to be missed. 


COOL TOOL BOX 
To put under the seat with the indispensable tools in case of need.



"Ciclotte" THE BIKE CARBON FROM HOME

For those who love design, and wants to train at home in Winter  there is the  "Ciclotte" sweeping exercise carbon bicycles that becomes a beautiful design piece to show off more than an object for fitness...


mercoledì 16 dicembre 2015

La pedalata dei babbi Natale

Centinaia di babbi Natale di corsa in sella alla loro bici per la IV edizione della tradizionale pedalata di beneficenza per la Casa di Peter Pan.
La pedalata è partita domenica 13 dicembre dal Colosseo, per le vie più belle del centro di Roma, fino ad arrivare a Trastevere dove si trova la sede della Peter Pan, per sostenere la Casa di  Peter Pan e permettergli realizzare progetti a favore dei bambini onco-ematologici.


Associazione Peter Pan Onlus 
www.peterpanonlus.it 






100 Santa Claus have ridden their bikes for the fourth edition of the traditional charity ride for the House of Peter Pan.
The ride started Sunday, December 13 from the Colosseum, among the most beautiful streets of Rome, and finished in Trastevere where is setted the house of Peter Pan, that supports projects to benefit childrens.

Peter Pan Onlus 
www.peterpanonlus.it 

martedì 15 dicembre 2015

La poesia del ciclista

Pedala.......
Pedala.....
Pedala.......
ciclista
lungo le strade impervie e trafficate
lungo strade assolate o bagnate
....và il ciclista...che tra un ciarlar
di battute.....o con il fiatone
scatta o controscatta
....colpo su colpo.....
non vuol perdere
 la battuta...
e la fatica cerca di mitigare...
passa il tempo e così passano
 le ore....
Pedala......
Pedala......
ma non strafare...RICORDATI!
la legge della strada non perdona......
ingenuo ciclista...guardati
un pò attorno....
non c'è solo la ruota del compagno d'avventura
non c'è solo il rigo bianco da guardare............
e alza un poco la testa........
....rivolgiti con il tuo sguardo
 alle meraviglie dell'universo.
Ammira e contempla le stagioni
al tuo passare.......
tra strade assolate.........
dolci primavere.......
gelidi inverni........
Pedala.......
Pedala..........
....e rimani al tuo posto ciclista...NON DIMENTICARE!!
non essere come chi lungo le strade
affollate e rumorose
ti sfrecciano appresso.....
non esseri....
ma macchine mortali!!
RICORDATI!! NON DIMENTICARE!!........
E vai ciclista!!!
Noi che sudando e
tracimando acque
sotto il solleone
gelando nei freddi inverni....
godendo nelle dolci primavere...
noi che pedalar strada facendo
così passiam le ore
passiam il tempo
....tra il ciarlar e uno scatto...
Pedala...
ma usa la testa
su ogni tracciato
non strafare...siamo o non siamo
amanti delle stagioni?!
Le stagioni della vita
Le stagioni del buon senso
Le stagioni del cuore e dell'amicizia.
Pedala...
Pedala... amico/a
guardati un pò intorno
Qua e là
...Una bella ragazza/o
...Un universo in fiore
...Una fontana d'acqua fresca
così cauti si arriva alla meta
al traguardo sognato
agoniato
sudato...
non più stralunati... ma cheti freschi e amati
Pedala...
Pedala...e vai ciclista...

                            Renzo Rabboni

lunedì 14 dicembre 2015

Un grande gesto, un'esempio di grande sportività.


Mancavano meno di mille metri al traguardo quando il ciclista Ismael Esteban, che si trovava in testa, ha forato. Gli avversari hanno colto l'occasione per superarlo e piazzarsi sul podio ai primi due posti, lui si è messo la bici in spalla e ha cominciato a correre. 
A meno di trecento metri dalla fine della gara di ciclocross a Puente Viesgo, in Spagna, un altro corridore, Agustín Navarro, lo ha raggiunto. A differena dei due precedenti, però, non lo ha superato. Anzi, gli è rimasto alle spalle accompagnandolo a tagliare il traguardo e salire sul meritato podio. Il gesto da vero sportivo è stato molto applaudito dal pubblico.Navarro ha commentato: «Non credo che Esteban meritasse di stare fuori dal podio, mi è stato superiore per tutta la gara»



Granfondo degli Squali

Da oggi sono ufficialmente aperte le iscrizioni per la seconda edizione del Granfondo degli Squali!!!
Grande novità per l'edizione 2016 di domenica 15 Maggio: doppia partenza dall`Acquario di Cattolica: ore 8:00 per il percorso lungo e alle ore 8.20 per chi sceglie il percorso corto.Una gara appassionante con arrivo a Gabicce Monte con vista mozzafiato sulla Riviera Adriatica di Romagna e Marche, immersi nel Parco Naturale Monte San Bartolo!


Vi proponiamo:


- 7 notti (8 giorni) in Super mezza pensione, (colazione, pranzo a buffet fino alle ore 16:00, cena alla carta) in camera doppia con balcone vista mare- vino locale e acqua minerale ai pasti- iscrizione alla GF e pettorale- tutti i servizi "Superior All inclusive", nel prezzo
L'iscrizione alla GRANFONDO e il pettorale in griglia di merito te lo regaliamo noi!!
Prezzo speciale  € 595,00 a persona 

accompagnatore non ciclista : sconto - 10%
se prenoti entro il 31.01.2016:  sconto - 10%

Sei pronto per pedalare con gli squali???





Today have oficially opened the registration for the second edition of Granfondo degli Squali, that will take place Sunday15th May 2016.
The big news for the 2016 edition is the double start for the  two different tracks.

The arrival will be setted in Gabicce Monte surrounded by the green headland of San Bartolo that creates a unique view.
.
We propose you:
• 7 nights ( 8 days) in Super half board (hearty breakfast, lunch at buffet till 4:00 pm, dinner à la Carte) in double room with sea view balcony 
• Local wine and mineral water at meals registration to the race in merit position All inclusive " Bike Superior Services" , in the price
Registration to the Granfondo is offered by us !
  Special price: € 595.00 per person
- 10% reduction for non bikers
- 10% discount if you book within 31.01.2016

Are you ready to bike with sharks???

venerdì 11 dicembre 2015

Il film del week end!

Nono appuntamento con il film del week end.
Questa settimana vi proponiamo "The Armstrong Lie" (2003) di Alex Gibney.Un'altra faccia del ciclismo, che dietro a gesti eroici e parabole umane commoventi,talvolta nasconde menzogne che oscurano tutto. Lance Armstrong è stato prima un mito e un esempio di vita, vincitore per sette volte consecutive del Tour de France dopo aver sconfitto il cancro. Ma poi ha sconvolto e deluso tutti quando è stato dimostrato il suo uso di sostanze dopanti. Alex Gibney, documentarista consumato (di cui è ora al cinema il doc sui segreti di Scientology Going Clear: Scientology e la prigione della fede), con The Armstrong Lie ordisce un atto di accusa efficace, aspramente tagliente, contro il suo protagonista senza scrupoli e contro la "cultura dello sport" che lo ha generato. 


The film of the week end!
This week we propose you  "The Armstrong Lie" (2003) by Alex Gibney.The Armstrong Lie is a 2013 American documentary film directed by Alex Gibney about the cyclist Lance Armstrong. Originally titled The Road Back, the film takes its name from "Le Mensonge Armstrong", the headline of the August 23, 2005 issue of the French newspaper L'Équipe.The film was screened out of competition at the70th Venice International Film Festival and in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

giovedì 10 dicembre 2015

Miss ciclismo 2015

Manca sempre meno alla finalissima di Miss Ciclismoconcorso di bellezza nazionale riservato alle ragazze che utilizzano la bicicletta, che mercoledì prossimo a Lugano eleggerà colei che succederà nell’albo d’oro a Giada Macchi.
Anche quest’anno, come già avvenuto negli ultimi due anni vuole ricordare il biellese Luca Rosazza prematuramente scomparso nel novembre del 2013.
Proprio a Rosazza, che era entrato a far parte della famiglia di Miss Ciclismo organizzando la prefinale 2012 a Palazzo Boglietti, è dedicato il premio della critica che sarà assegnato alla finalista più votata da fotografi e giornalisti. 


mercoledì 9 dicembre 2015

On The Road by Bill Oetinger

Un grazie speciale al nostro amico Bill Oetinger per il bellissimo articolo.
Siamo molto felici che tu abbia trascorso una bella vacanza a due ruote insieme a noi!Visitate il sito http://bikecal.com/index.asp e scoprite il mondo a due ruote di Bill.

Alla prossima estate!!!


A big thank you to our friend Bill Oetinger for this super article!
We are very happy to know that you have spenta  nice bike holiday with us.
Visi the web site http://bikecal.com/index.asp anch check all the great news and trips!


See you next Summer!!!



"Cycle-touring in Northern Italy, Part II
...onward to the second week: on across the country to the Adriatic coast and the Hotel Alexander in the seaside resort of Gabicce Mare. We were heading to this particular hotel because my friend Robin had already stayed there at least three times before and couldn’t stop talking about what a great deal it was: how nice the staff and accommodations and food were; how well organized their bike concession was, and so on…and all at an astonishingly low price. (I’ll get that price topic out of the way right at the start: I won’t quote exact figures, which may change before next season, but we paid about half as much for our second week and got about twice as much for the money, compared to the first week’s package.)
Our pal Clay had to return to work after the first week, so on our departure day from Lake Como, the caterer drove us all to the airport north of Milano. Robin and I said “Ciao!” to Clay and hopped on a shuttle bus to the Stazione Centrale in downtown Milano, where we had tickets on the Frecciabianca—the fast express train—to Rimini, a larger city about half an hour north of Gabicce Mare. In theory, you can take a train to a smaller station just five minutes from the hotel, but that would be the “regionale,” the local train that stops in every little backwater town along the line. It takes a lot longer. The Frecciabianca whizzes smoothly across the country at about 120-mph, with—if I remember correctly—just one stop along the way, in Bologna. You can also fly in and out of the wonderfully named Federico Fellini International Airport in Rimini, but I have no idea what combination of puddle-jumper flights you would have to string together to make that happen, nor what the flights would cost. For us, coming from Milano, the express train worked best, especially because Roberto, the owner of the hotel, picked us up in person at the train station. I don’t know if they do that for every single patron of the hotel, but they did it for us.
In contrast to the hands-off approach of the caterers in the first week, here, at the Hotel Alexander, the support was decidedly hands-on. Cinzia and Roberto own the hotel and Roberto is the jolly impresario who keeps things lively every day. Their two managers, Eleanora and Camilla, couldn’t be any nicer or more efficient in staying on top of the needs of their guests. In fact, the whole staff is great. Several of the waiters in the dining room were such engaging characters that at the end of the week, I felt a bit sentimental about saying goodbye to them. We felt like part of a big, extended family while we were there.
And while talking about the support of the staff, let me mention the food. Three meals a day are included in the package. (Only breakfast had been included during the twice-the-price first week.) There was always a long buffet of items specific to whichever meal it was, and then there’d be whatever special items you wanted. At breakfast, Gianluca was standing by to cook our eggs however we wanted them (perfect scrambled eggs for me every morning and an omelet for Robin). And no matter how late into the afternoon our rides took, they were standing by when we returned, ready to serve us up pasta with all the trimmings. (In fact, they close up the lunch service at 4 PM, but we were never close to that late.) After happy hour in the bar or by the pool in the evening, we would wander into the dining room for another helping of Cucina Italiana…more good food than most people could shovel in, with a very decent house wine included with the dinner. But what about the bikes? That certainly is a good part of the reason we were there. I was on my bike every day I was there, which amounted to five longer rides and two little twiddles around the town on off days. One of the off days was an official rest day mid-week—we rode a little bit anyway—and the other was a day that threatened rain and caused me to chicken out on the proposed ride. Then, when it did not rain as much as had been predicted, I and another friend from the hotel did a little two-wheeled exploring around the town, down along the waterfront. The longest of the five full rides was 55 miles. None of them was brutally hard, but they all contained a fair bit of up and down and sometimes quite a lot of it. Although the distances were not all that great, every ride felt like a full helping of cycling enjoyment.
I am obsessive-compulsive to a ridiculous degree about planning my rides and making sure everything is just the way I want it. I can’t help myself. I am an inveterate route planner. So even though I knew we would have guides to lead us on our rides out of this hotel, and that they would figure out our routes, I still spent some time in the months before the tour looking at all the little back roads around the region in Google. I came up with my own list of roads I wanted to ride and places I wanted to visit. Then, having reassured myself that there was plenty of good riding in the area, I just let all that go and threw myself on the mercies of our guides: let them take me where they wanted. In the end, after all the rides were done, I realized they had taken me to pretty much every spot I had been hoping to visit, down every little road I had thought looked like a winner. All the items on my bucket list got checked off.
Getting out of the towns almost always required a few miles of busier boulevards and highways, but it only took a few minutes to be out onto little lanes and up into the hills. Most of our riding was in the southeastern corner of the region of Emilia-Romagna, just inland from those seaside resorts, amid the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, a landscape that looks a lot like Sonoma County: rolling meadows and hillside woods of oak and sycamore. One way it’s not like Sonoma County: hill villages. There seemed to be an almost inexhaustible supply of lovely villages, often with ancient, fortified districts at their centers. Some were quite tiny and others were much larger, such as the independent republic of San Marino and the grand old city of Urbino. I can’t even begin to remember all the little hill towns we rolled through or where we stopped for coffee and croissants midway through the rides. I recall that one—Fiorenzuola di Focara—is famous as the place where Dante wrote The Divine Comedy. Two others—Gradara and Mondaino (I think)—are said to be the towns where the rival families lived that gave birth to the legend of Romeo and Juliet. And then there was Tavullia, hometown of moto-racing superstar Valentino Rossi. (Not all the local color is from the distant past.) Any single one of these charming towns, if plunked down on a hilltop in California, would be absolutely teeming with tourists. Folks wouldn’t be able to get enough of its quaint charms. But here, although the most precious and spectacular of them are tourist draws, many are still sleepy no-places, with more locals than visitors and not many of either. The towns were the dots on our connect-the-dots meanders through the rolling hill country. It was all made to order for pleasant cycle-touring. Once again, as in our first week, we didn’t do any famous cols from the racing world, but they tell us the Giro did run right past the front door of the hotel on a recent stage.
The hotel takes its “bike hotel” designation seriously. There are displays of vintage bikes in the lobby and other bike-themed items around the hotel. But the heart of the operation is a shed out in the parking lot where their fleet of bikes is stored (and where their resident mechanic keeps them in good shape). I did a quick count and came up with about 36 bikes. A dozen were cruiser-type bikes for moderate rides along the coast. The rest were fairly high-end racing bikes, mostly but not exclusively Bianchis. I had a Bianchi Intenso with Ultegra gruppo. (I had a Trek Madone, also with Ultegra, the first week, and both bikes were perfect, as far as I was concerned.)
There are two guides on the staff: Chris and Fabrizio. Chris is also the resident bike wrench. He’s younger and races mountain bikes when he has the time. He’s very strong and appears capable of leading out even the most ambitious amateur riders. Fabrizio is a bit older—but still youngish—and guides the more moderate riders on routes that might be slightly shorter. Robin and I switched back and forth between the two groups. Both guides are good at what they do, but I especially enjoyed riding with Fabrizio. He’s very conscientious about keeping track of his riders, but is also full of fun and good humor.

Courtesy of Bill Oetinger

Although not all the guests at the hotel were there for the biking, quite a few were. During our week, we were joined, on one day or another, by a nice guy from Sacramento, 11 members of a bike club from Adelaide, Australia, a couple from Slovenia, and a couple from Luxembourg. About half the Aussies were stronger riders and the rest were cruiser-bike types. In the two couples, the husbands were quite fast and the wives a bit more moderate. It was a good mix, and they were all good company, both around the hotel and out on rides. There were also a few Italians on the rides, and that makes an interesting story, all by itself. We had made our reservations for the week many months before the trip. Then, months later, while we were e-mailing them our bike fit measurements, they let us know the legendary old pro Claudio Chiappucci would be staying at the hotel while we were there and would be going out riding with us. This is something the hotel has arranged as a promotion. I’m not as a rule attracted to offers to hobnob with a famous racer. But judging by many well-attended events I see out there—from fondos to VIP dinners—a lot of people are, so it probably makes great marketing sense for the hotel. For me, quite the opposite was true: I was a bit worried that I would be embarrassed by trying to keep up with riders much better and faster than I am at this point in my tired old career.
However, I needn’t have worried on that score. Chiappucci, now 52, still rides at a high level and is in good shape, but he was there to make nice with the clients, and he rode at our pace…pretty much as fast or as slow as we wanted to go. I was relieved to find I could keep up; that my legs were not going to be chopped up in chunks and served for lunch. More to the point, it turns out he is a genuinely nice guy: very accessible and cheerful and full of mischief, never appearing to take himself too seriously. In Italy, his days of glory (back in the ’90’s) are still remembered and respected. (People see him ride by and point or call out.) But among our international group, not everyone knew quite who he was. But I knew, and as soon as we met, we got going on stories about those old races…who did what, when. Perhaps he was just being polite, but I got the impression that he appreciated my grasp of the history of the sport and that I could more or less hold up my end of a conversation in that department, so we spent a fair bit of time over bottles of wine, hashing through the old lore. Chatting with him felt like doing some living history experience: he had stepped aside to take a phone call at one point and when he came back, we picked up our conversation, with me bringing up an incident in an old Giro involving Gilberto Simoni, and he said, “Hey, that was Simoni on the phone just now!”
In addition to Claudio, there was a fellow who I believe is his son-in-law…a good bike rider. There was another pro there too, a current one: Mattia Pozzo, with the Vini Fantini team. (He could be best described as a domestique working for team leader Damiano Cunego.) His career will probably never reach the heights that Chiappucci’s did, but on the other hand, he’s exactly half the old pro’s age and is in the pro peloton right now…except when he’s riding with us. (We’ve been over this before: even the humblest domestique is still light years faster than any of us middle-aged tourists.)

Courtesy of Bill Oetinger

After climbing to Mondaino and another hill village that first day, we started down a steep, twisting descent, with Chiappucci and Pozzo on the front and me tucked in just behind. I was happy when we had climbed the hills at my pace, but now I was a bit frustrated that we weren’t descending all that quickly. But I was amused to note that, as we carved down the hill through a series of tight hairpins on less-than-perfect pavement, Chiappucci was riding with just his left hand on the bars so he could continue to gesticulate, in the standard Italian fashion, with the other hand. (Go ahead…try that yourself.)
A little later, we came to another downhill. This time, I could see Chris describing it to Chiappucci. I wasn’t sure what he said, but I surmise it was something to the effect of: “It’s six K with brand new pavement, light traffic, and no intersections…let’s go for it!” Chiappucci doesn’t wear a helmet, just a black cycling cap with hell fire flames on the side. (His racing nickname was El Diablo and at this point, it’s pretty much his trademark.) I watch as he snatches the cap off his head and stuffs it in his pocket, and I think: “Okay…here we go…” He and Pozzo and Chris get it cranking, slicing and dicing down the hill, with me, Robin and one of the Aussies hanging on for dear life behind and all the rest of the riders long gone, off the back. That was fun. At that point, I was past any reservations I may have had about hanging around with celebrity pros. I’m like, “Hey, I’m carving down an Italian hillside right behind El Diablo! How cool is that?” I still wouldn’t go out of my way to arrange a cycling vacation around a hook-up with an old pro, but as this deal just fell in our laps, and as the old pro turned out to be such a charming and funny goofball, it was all good…value added. Our designated rest day involved an adventure that was almost as much fun as a bike ride. Anyone who was interested piled into a funny little shuttle bus and was driven up into the hills to a nice winery—Tenuta del Monsignore—for a lavish lunch and an endless marathon of tasting…well, flat out boozing, really. Chiappucci, Robin and I ended up down at one end of a long table, working hard to empty several bottles of assorted varietals…Sangiovese, Cabernet (two of them), Nebbiolo, Spumante Brut… Finally, when a big carafe of grappa was set in front of us, we had to shift down into our little rings and get serious. Some of the Aussies up at the other end of the table seemed to think grappa is just another kind of white wine and were knocking the rocket fuel back at a great rate, with results that led to some of them singing and dancing on the patio and others to sliding off their chairs and under the table. (I’m only exaggerating a little, and as proof of that I can note that at least one of them was so hammered she didn’t show up for dinner that night, nor for breakfast the next morning.) 
Courtesy of Bill Oetinger

This hilarious afternoon, with good food, good wine, and good company, and without a bike in sight, was as much fun as any ride we did.
So…once again, I make the case that it’s not always about the miles; that bike adventures can and should include more than bikes and big rides. Anyone who shells out their hard-earned dough to tour in Europe and then does nothing but ride…well, they’d be missing the point, I think.
I don’t know what my next Euro-tour might include. The Dolomites are still on my to-do list. But beyond those legendary, high-profile peaks, there are thousands of miles of little roads in dozens of different countries, just begging to be explored…from Scotland to Croatia; from Sweden to Portugal. Most of those roads don’t come with famous bike racing pedigrees. They’re just…roads. Roads connecting those cute little villages with the sidewalk cafes, cobbled streets and historic, eye-candy architecture. We’ll never get to explore them all. It’s like those great buffets in the hotel dining room: more goodies on offer than we can possibly get to. But give me a little time and I’ll bet I can come up with a plan to sample at least a few more of them.
Bill can be reached at srccride@sonic.net

venerdì 4 dicembre 2015

Il film del week end!

Ottavo appuntamento con il film del week end.Questa settimana vi proponiamo
"Totò al giro d'Italia" (1948) di Mario Mattoli
Tra Gino BartaliFausto Coppi e Louison Bobet, quelli veri, pronti alla corsa rosa, ecco inserirsi uno strano ciclista barbuto e tutt'altro che atletico mai visto prima: è il professor Casamandrei, ovvero l'inimitabile faccia da schiaffi di TotòIl professor Casamandrei, insegnante in un liceo bresciano, partecipa come membro della giuria ad un concorso di bellezza dove si innamora di Doriana, anch'essa giurata, e le dichiara il suo amore. Lei non lo corrisponde e per prenderlo in giro si dice disposta a sposarlo solo dopo che lui avrà vinto il Giro d'Italia. È comicità pura quella di Totò al giro d'Italia più che storia da emozioni sportive, ma la commedia di Mario Mattoli ci porta tra atmosfere d'altri tempi e tra veri idoli del ciclismo. 


giovedì 3 dicembre 2015

Mattia Pozzo

Professionista su strada dal 2013, attualmente atleta della Nippo Vini Fantini, ha scelto di mettersi in gioco dalla prossima stagione nella specialità della MTB Cross Country e Marathon correndo per il Team UCI RDR Italia Factory. Riparte proprio dalla sua amata Valle d'Aosta, dove nel 2008 colse la vittoria in una tappa della gara più prestigiosa al mondo per Elite/U23, il "Giro della Valle d'Aosta". 

"Sulla Mountain Bike sono nato come atleta, mia madre Cinzia Scardellato è stata campionessa italiana FCI Elite proprio in MTB a metà degli anni '90, lei e mio padre mi hanno trasmesso la passione per questo sport già da piccolo e tornare a correre fuori strada mi da uno stimolo fortissimo. La "strada" è stata per me una bellissima esperienza, mi ha permesso di diventare l'atleta che sono oggi, di acquisire un grande bagaglio di esperienze sportive e non, che sono convinto saranno indispensabili nel mio futuro di atleta, ma sentivo il bisogno enorme di uno stimolo nuovo per poter dare il meglio di me....e l'ho trovato con il Team RDR e la Mountain Bike ".



In bocca al lupo Mattia, noi tifiamo sempre per te!!!



Professional bikers since 2013, currently part of the Nippo Vini Fantini Team, Mattia has chosen to get involved for the next season in the specialty of MTB and Marathon running for Team UCI RDR Italian Factory. He starts again from his beloved Valle d'Aosta, where in 2008 won in a stage of the most prestigious race in the world for Elite / U23, the "Giro della Valle d'Aosta".

Go Mattia go!!!



Mattia Pozzo - Chris Conte - Claudio Chiappucci -  Alexander Bike Hotel Estate 2015!

martedì 1 dicembre 2015

Sotto l'albero ...

Oggi è partito ufficialmente il conto alla rovescia per il Natale!
Come ogni anno trovare regali nuovi ed originali è sempre più difficile.

Ai vostri amici ciclisti potreste far trovare sotto l'albero un bella lettura che abbia come protagonista la vostra passione più grande.
Vi proponiamo qualche titolo sperando di avervi aiutato in questo difficile compito!


Today is started the countdown for Christmas!
Like every year find new and original gifts it is more and more difficult.
Maybe  you can donate to your cyclists friends  a beautiful reading that has as protagonist your greatest passion.
We suggest you few titles, maybe it could be a nice idea!





L'insostenibile leggerezza della bicicletta di Claude Marthaler


Tipi da bicicletta di Isabella C. Felline


No bici di Alberto Fiorillo




venerdì 27 novembre 2015

Il film del week end!!!

Settimo appuntamento con il film del week end!

Questa settimana vi proponiamo: "Line of Sight" (2012) di Lucas Brunelle.
Folli, esagerati, assolutamente da non imitare, ma così entusiasmanti. Sono i temerari partecipanti delle gare "alleycat", spericolate e informali corse di bicicletta spesso ambientate in spazi urbani con "checkpoint" da raggiungere. Tra i più estremi, incoscienti e preparati c'è lo statunitense Lucas Brunelle, che pedala contromano a tutta velocità, a zig zag tra auto affastellate, senza fermarsi a semafori o stop, munito di casco con videocamera che riprende tutto, emozioni, rischi, adrenalina. Line of Sight è il film che ne è nato nel 2012, un doc che gli italiani hanno potuto vedere al Bicycle Film Festival di Milano. 


This week we propose you  "Line of Sight" (2012) by Lucas Brunelle.
Line Of Sight is a rare view into underground bicycle messenger racing which has become a global phenomenon. For over a decade Lucas Brunelle has been riding with the fastest, most skilled urban cyclists around the world while capturing all the action with his customized helmet cameras to bring you along for the ride. This is bike riding like you've never seen before, in gripping first-person perspective through the most hectic city streets, on expressways in Mexico City, over the frozen Charles River, under the Mediterranean Sea, across the Great Wall of China and deep into the jungles of Guatemala. Directed and Edited by Benny Zenga, Line of Sight is 60 minutes of the best Lucas Brunelle footage from a decade of Alleycat races around the world. "Lucas Brunelle goes for it. If you want to see what it's like to play a live game of 'frogger', on a bike, with only one life, check out Line Of Sight." -Mat Hoffman, Professional BMX 

giovedì 26 novembre 2015

Gran Fondo Miami

Grazie mille al nostro amico Claudio Chiappucci per aver condiviso con noi alcuni scatti del Gran Fondo di Miami dello scorso 15 novembre.
Una gara appassionante "Italian - style": 25,60,100 miglia, 3 diversi percosi ( 25, 60, 100 miglia) e  Italian Pasta Party all'arrivo al  Miami City Hall.
Come sempre il Diablo ha dato filo da torcere a tutti i partecipanti!!!


Thanks to  our friend Claudio Chiappucci for sharing with us some pics of the Gran Fondo Miami of last November 5, 2015.
An Italian-Style cycling event with a choice of 3 courses (25,60,100 Miles) that tour the Greater Miami area. The finish line at the Miami City Hall (3500 Pan American drive) with an authentic Italian Pasta Party

As usual the Diablo performed as his best and was a real "nightmare" for all the cyclists!!!


courtesy of Claudio Chiappucci

courtesy of Claudio Chiappucci

courtesy of Claudio Chiappucci

mercoledì 25 novembre 2015

Stop violence against women



aleXsandro Palombo





Come vestirsi durante la stagione più fredda?

L’abbigliamento richiede una certa strategia e anche una certa esperienza. La capacità di sopportare il freddo e il freddo che si percepisce cambiano da individuo a individuo e pertanto c’è chi tende a coprirsi di più e chi a coprirsi di meno.
Di sicuro, però, una protezione contro il freddo è necessaria!.
La prima domanda che dobbiamo porci è "quanto fa freddo?" e subito dopo dobbiamo pensare che non appena iniziamo a pedalare si inizia subito a sentire caldo e tanto più si è coperti, tanto più si suda e tanto più si è esposti a raffreddamenti poco salubri. E' molto meglio patire un po’ di freddo in partenza per poi riscaldarsi man mano che i muscoli iniziano a entrare a regime.  E' importante proteggere sempre testa, mani e piedi,  perché è qui che si percepisce maggiormente il freddo.
E gli occhi? D’inverno, come d’estate, vanno protetti e se fa particolarmente freddo potrebbe tornare utile la mascherina che si usa con il casco integrale. Un accessorio da non sottovalutare anche con un casco tradizionale.
Prima di partire è bene prevedere qualche capo di scorta in caso di improvviso abbassamento della temperatura.






Before leaving, it is advisable to take with you some changing dress in case of a sudden drop o of the temperature.
How to dress during the cold season?

Clothing requires some strategy and some experience. The ability to withstand the cold and the cold that is perceived can vary from person to person and therefore there are those who tend to cover more and who to cover less.
Surely, protection against cold is always required!.
The first question we must ask is "how much cold is it?" and then we have to think that as soon as we start pedaling we start to feel hot. The more we are covered, the more we sweat and the more we are exposed to  unhealthy cooling. It would be much better to suffer a little' cold at the beginning and then warm up when the muscles begin to get up to speed. 
It is always important to  protect head, hands and feet.
And the eyes? In winter as in Summer, they should be protected and if it's really cold maybe it coul dbe helpful a mask.