Make your plans for 2010 now!
We're gearing up for another great season, our 12th year of "pedala forte, mangia bene" cycling vacations. Whether you'd like to join us on Passo Gavia like Mike (shown above) or enjoy more mellow terrain, we've got a tour for you - either guided or self-guided. We look forward to sharing Italy with you. |
www.cycleitalia.com is now e-commerce ready You can now reserve and pay on-line for your space on a CycleItalia adventure using our secure server. Once your space is confirmed you can access confirmation materials in PDF form on our website. It's never been easier to join us!
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COMPACT CRANKS: Revisited
A few years back, when compact cranks were first introduced we ran an article titled "Help or Hype?" in La Gazzetta. Here's an update. As you may know we chose to equip our new Premium rental bike fleet with Campagnolo Veloce 10-speed groupsets using "compact" 50-34 chainrings. Our goal was to offer a simpler, lighter system and alternative to our Standard, triple-equipped rental machines. We also set up our personal Torelli 20th Anniversary bikes with the same groupsets. Heather quickly decided to return to the familiar triple setup for the wider range and smaller steps between gears while yours truly wanted a more thorough test. After a full season of riding in Italy I've modified my position a bit on compact vs triple, based on the terrain I ride most often. Here in Iowa and elsewhere in the US I've kept the triple setup because riding here is more "flat with some hills". In Italy where our rides are more "hills with some flats" I find the compact setup to be just fine. For 2010 our friends at Campagnolo will offer a 12-29 11-speed cassette for more top end speed and all their rear derailleurs will handle the 12-29 cassette's range so no more need for "medium" or "long" cage changers!
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Last Chance -- Win a TORELLI - Campagnolo bicycle!
Act quickly and 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 supply 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 early in January from reservations confirmed by December 31, 2009. More details are on our website.
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Spaghetti all' Amatriciana
For our welcome dinners in Rome, we ask the kitchen for "cucina romana" which delights them as they get a chance to make "their" dishes for us. Here's one of our favorites. Bucatini is the classic pasta for this but be careful as these "hoses" tend to fling the sauce when you twirl them around your fork!
1 lb dry spaghetti or bucatini
1/4 lb pancetta (or bacon)
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
15 oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/4 C whipping cream
1/2 C pecorino romano cheese, grated
Start the pasta water, then chop pancetta and cook in a large skillet until lightly browned. Drain all but 1 T of fat, then add onion, garlic, red pepper, cook until soft. Stir in tomatoes, cook until thickened (10-15 minutes). Remove from heat and add cream and half the cheese. Add pasta to sauce, toss together and serve with additional cheese. |
Featured Tour: Legendary Climbs EAST
This tour takes on special meaning in 2010 as La Corsa Rosa returns to some of our favorite and, well, legendary climbs. You can test yourself on Passo Mortirolo and Gavia (we take the more challenging "classic" route over Gavia) as well as see the graffiti work of the tifosi along the climb of Passo Palade as we descend to our lodging in the Val Venosta. Even better, we visit this area later in the season when the weather is reliably good. Read on for more details
At CycleItalia, we think the Dolomites must be where God takes His vacations. Storybook green countryside rests in the shadow of spectacular rock spires, offering some of the most scenic - and challenging - cycling in the world. In addition, we've designed this tour to offer you most of the famous mountain passes of the regions bordering Austria and Switzerland. Make sure you've got low gearing and get ready to "pedala forte, mangia bene!"
June 27 - Departure for overnight flights to Milan. June 28 - Benvenuto in Italia! A short transfer from the Malpensa airport will have you relaxing in the wine country. Do an easy warm-up ride or relax by the pool and meet your fellow travelers before our welcome dinner. June 29 - Our cycling adventure starts after after a morning transfer by private van. Wind up the beautiful Éores and Erbe Passes before descending to our lodging in the panoramic village of Antermoia. Edith, Enzo and "Mamma" will spoil us with Ladina hospitality and traditional mountain cuisine at our group dinner. June 30 - We'll be sorry to say good-bye to our hosts but we've got a big day ahead of us on our way to the Olympic village of Cortina - heart of the Dolomites. We'll scale the Passo Furcia then cruise the scenic Val Pusteria before climbing past Lake Misurina and over Passo Tre Croci with a steep option to Tre Cime di Lavaredo. A final descent leads to our charming hotel just steps from Cortina's lively downtown piazza.
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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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