La Gazzetta dello CycleItalia

News about "La Dolce Vita in Bicicletta"

Giro d'Italia 2014

Che fortuna! The 2014 Giro d'Italia will feature an individual time-trial stage between Barbaresco and Barolo, right in the heart of Piedmont wine country. Better yet, Stage 12 is scheduled for May 22, smack in the middle of our More Monferrato 1 vacation. How can we NOT go see it? We'll offer a special day-trip to see the event and perhaps ride a bit on the actual course if the authorities permit it. Best of all, there is NO extra charge. You could even stay on and follow the final week of La Corsa Rosa with us. Perche no?

CycleItalia Guided Tours 2014

Grande Ciclismo Series

May 26-June 2 - La Corsa Rosa - see crucial stages of the Giro live

June 23-30 - La Primavera - trace the route and history of Milano - Sanremo

June 30- July 6 - Grandi Alpi- Val d'Aosta, GS Bernardo, Cervinia and more

July 6-17 - Salite Leggendarie - the Giro's legendary climbs

Classic Road Vacations

May 20-28 - More Monferrato- Sublime fixed-base cycling in Piedmont

June 2-11 - Vineyards to the Sea- Monferrato, Appennines, Cinque Terre

June 10-16 - More Monferrato - Sublime fixed-base cycling in Piedmont

June 16-24 - Best of Piedmont - Monferrato, Gavi, Langhe, Barolo

BikeRaceInfo

Our good friends, Bill and Carol McGann, write and edit BikeRaceInfo, an informative and entertaining website chock-full of interesting stuff you'll not find elsewhere. A great series of bike tech essays, historical articles and even details on some of the most famous climbs in pro cycling are featured. Bill even lets Larry throw in some memories of climbing the mythical passes from back-in-the-day. Worth a visit!

Holiday Gift Guide 2013

Sometimes shopping for the cyclist on your gift list is a challenge. Below, in no particular order, we present some gift ideas you may not see elsewhere. While we're all about shopping at your local bike shop, we've also provided websites for more details or to purchase directly. Happy shopping!

Retro Jersey

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Way-cool and made-to-order, just click HERE

Bike Wash Kit

We're big on washing your bike, the ONLY way to get rid of the effects of sweating on it. This kit features hard-to-find, high-quality brushes. Click HERE to get one.

Santini Clothing

Our clothing supplier and Italian "family" still makes everything 100% in Italy. These knee-warmers will keep you comfortable and won't fall down. Order HERE.

Dual Eyewear

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You may not be old enough to need these clever bifocal sunglasses yet, but perhaps the cyclist on your list has trouble reading the small print on that wine bottle? Help him or her HERE.

Favorite Italian Foods

Real, DOP hazelnuts from Piedmont are a treat. Order some HERE.

Hibros Chamois Cream

Our favorite chamois cream, hard-to-find in bike shops. Order HERE.

Coppi: by Herbie Sykes

Fantastic book reviewed in an earlier issue of our newsletter. Great for those cold winter nights, perhaps with a shot of what's below? Get a copy HERE.

Grappa from Mazzetti

You may have tried this grappa at our HQ hotel. It's made just a stone's-throw away from Hotel Ariotto, but you can buy some HERE.

Woolie Boolie Socks

Our favorite cool-weather cycling socks. Thick and warm, but not too bulky to fit inside your normal cycling shoes. Order HERE.

Philosophical Athlete by Heather Reid

Why do we enjoy this sport? Great insights from the brain behind CycleItalia's success. Order HERE.

"Pedala forte, mangia bene" t-shirt

Limited-edition, azzurro blue, what's not to like? Order HERE.

CycleItalia Gift Certificate

Special holiday offer - get a gift certificate equal to a $500 deposit towards any CycleItalia guided cycling tour, for just $400. Must be purchased before January 1, 2014. Not applicable to current reservations. MUST be given as a gift, though we'll let you buy one for your spouse/friend and talk them into buying one for you so you both can save. Contact us for details.

Featured Tour:

More Monferrato

Marina of Hotel Ariotto could be shaving truffles over YOUR risotto next summer. We've been deluged with interest in Piedmont and especially Monferrato after our friends at BICYCLING published "Feast your Thighs" in July of this year. If you haven't seen it, you can read the online version

HERE. Don't forget: In addition to our Best of Piedmont tour, there are TWO versions of More Monferrato to choose from - both featuring welcome and farewell dinners at the Ristorante della Villa along with dinners the other nights at local osterie.

New for 2014: Smaller group size

Upon careful reflection, we've decided to limit 2014's guided tours to just one nine-passenger van*. We've done this unofficially in the past, most recently this season in fact. While of course some of our competitors might also do this, they still can host larger groups because a "seat in the van for every guest" is not part of their service. With us this means 6-7 clients per tour will be our maximum. The benefit to you (as one of those clients) is that Larry or Heather will be on a bicycle on the route with you (or in the van supporting you) for every kilometer of every route, every day. This also provides an unbeatable staff-to-client ratio, making CycleItalia tours among the most hands-on and personal in the world.

* We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time. Contact us for details.

Carlo Zarri

Our friend, Chef Carlo Zarri, closes up Villa San Carlo and visits North America each winter season. He delights in sharing the delightful tastes of Cucina Piemontese in various locations. This season's stops include Portland, Napa and southern California. Click HERE for more details and other locations. Then make plans to enjoy more of Carlo's cooking during our Best of Piedmont tour.

Note: if you've been served wine by Carlo you'll recognize the photo of his ritual seasoning of the glasses - he does pour you more wine than is shown here

CycleItalia's philanthropy

We're extremely fortunate to be able to make a living doing what we love. Each year we distribute some of our profits to worthy organizations like 1in6, supported by Greg LeMond and urge you to contribute as well. GRAZIE!

Pasta all'Amatriciana

Larry just cooked up a batch of this favorite for his bike-shop pals. We last featured this recipe in 2009 so some of you may have missed it. 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.