U.S. FED CHIEF SAYS RECESSION OVER, DECLARES
CYCLEITALIA GREAT VALUE FOR 2010!
Ben Bernanke didn't really single us out as a great value but it's true nonetheless. Click here to see why.
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All the details on our 2010 season are viewable now on the website so reserve your place now on one of our seven guided tours or two self-guided itineraries. New for 2010 are Vineyards to the Sea, Couples Cooking with Carlo and Legendary Climbs of the Giro WEST. Don't forget: All guided tours are limited to just twelve participants total. And each reservation/deposit received before December 31, 2009 enters you in the drawing to win a Torelli Corsa Strada bicycle with Campagnolo Centaur Carbon gruppo. More details on the sweepstakes are below. |
Basic stuff ... 
Maynard Hershon, cycling journalist, MotoGP fan and friend of CycleItalia helps yours truly edit each edition of La Gazzetta. He writes a regular column in BicyclePaper, published in Seattle, WA. He also publishes a blog. A recent column struck me enough to want everyone we know to read it. Below is the first paragraph, click here to link to the entire piece.
Learning the stuff mentioned in this column will help you become a genuine cyclist, not merely a pedaler. You can remain a pedaler for years, no doubt, or you can acquire a few basic skills and, hey, you're a bike rider. You don't need a Cervelo; you need some skills. And you can practice them while you ride - how cool is that?
None of this requires sketchy, scary riding. You don't need to learn how to ride a wire strung across Grand Canyon. You do need to learn how to ride a straight line. Not that you hear much about that. We cyclists mostly talk about gear. In a perfect world, cyclists would talk about things to learn instead of things to buy. But I saw in the paper this morning that this is not, after all, a perfect world.
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Win a TORELLI - Campagnolo bicycle!
YOU could win a Made-in-Italy Torelli Corsa Strada bicycle with Campagnolo Centaur Carbon compact 10-speed group plus Torelli's Bormio wheels, handlebar, stem and seatpost. Our friends at SMP will provide a "Strike" saddle and Sci-Con will provide a seatpack.
Your bike (Larry's older model is in the photo below--but he's not giving it away!) will be custom assembled to your personal specs including choice of size and color. How do you get a chance to win this great prize? It's easy: Just reserve your place on a CycleItalia 2010 vacation before the end of 2009. We'll draw the winning name in January 2010 from  reservations confirmed by December 31, 2009. More details are on our website. |
 Recipe: Passata di Peperoni Gialli
Your farmer's market or favorite grocery store should be overflowing with yellow and red peppers now (Italians don't buy green ones as they're not yet ripe) so why not use 'em up in this velvety zuppa? We like to roast the peppers first but you can skip it if you're in a hurry. Serve warm or at room temperature over bruschette or fettunte (grilled bread rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt..
4-5 yellow peppers roasted under broiler and peeled (or quarter them fresh) remove seeds and tough white bits inside
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 T extra virgin olive oil (use the best you can find)
1 medium onion
1 celery stalk
1 medium carrot
4 C chicken broth (use vegetable broth if you prefer)
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
Chop onion, carrot, celery, saute in olive oil until soft. Add peppers, potatoes and broth plus water to cover if needed. Bring to boil, then cook 40 minutes at low/medium until everything is tender. Puree with food processor or hand-held immersion mixer (I call it the "boat motor") until smooth and velvety. Too thick? Add some water. Too acid tasting? Add some milk. To serve, place a slice of bruschetta in each bowl, then cover with soup. Top with a drizzle of oil and a bit of grated cheese.
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 New Vacation: Couples Cooking with Carlo
Recently we've received requests for an itinerary combining the same high level of activity for non-cycling spouses that we offer avid cyclists--we designed and offered this tour back in 2007 so perhaps we were just ahead of our time? In any case it's back for 2010. This is a special opportunity as Carlo Zarri is much more than just a "hired-gun" who shows up and gives a cooking demonstration. Not only will the cooks actually prepare some of Carlo's special recipes (which we'll all get to enjoy) in his kitchen, they'll be treated to excursions arranged personally by Carlo each morning, whether it's to a vineyard, market or enoteca in the Piedmont hills. Join us for this unique itinerary June 18-24, 2010.
June 18 - Overnight flight to Milan. June 19 - After a short transfer from Milan's airport, you'll be assembling your bike (or being fitted for one of ours) before a warm-up ride in Monferrato wine country. Or simply relax at one of our hotel's panoramic pools before our welcome dinner of piemontese specialties. June 20 - Cyclists ride to Cortemilia through Alta Monferrato, land of Gavi and Dolcetto wines while the non-cyclists enjoy a morning in the spa town of Acqui Terme for shopping and lunch before meeting up with us at charming Villa San Carlo, our home for the next three nights.
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No connection to or endorsement by Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport is expressed or implied. All rights reserved CycleItalia LLC
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