|
ITALY GIRO CAMP 2010
MAY 23 TO MAY 31
Well , the Tucson Camp is done and it is time to think "Italy".
If you read the blog or you attended the AZ camp
you know what it is all about!
I am happy to announce that a long time dream of mine will come true this
2010 spring. FinKraft, in partnership with our
friend Paolo Zenoni who lives in Bergamo,
Italy will provide a
fully supported cycling experience in Italy. Often called “the mother
country of cycling” in many people’s eyes, we will be riding on legendary
roads and routes that the Giro d’ Italia and
other classic road races like Giro di Lombardy have passed through over the years. There
is no other country with such a strong history in cycling and such amazing
scenery.
Cycling there is a culture and if
you love cycling, this trip is a dream come true.We
will leave in the evening from the US
on May 22nd and arrive in Milan
the following morning (May 23rd). If traveling from a different destination
all arrivals have to be on Saturday morning to enable a convenient airport
pick-up for all clients at the same time.
We will have a support van (Team
bus) which will be our transportation during our stay. Each client is
responsible for his or her own airline ticket and bike transport to Milan, but group
discount for airline tickets might be available. Upon arrival at our base
camp Hotel Cascina Belvedi
(http://www.cascinabelvedi.it/)
we will get settled and after a short nap we will assemble our bikes and go
for a light spin before dinner.
The
personnel is English speaking and our
accommodations include a big breakfast and a nice real authentic Italian
dinner every day. The ride program will be flexible with weather conditions
and logistics such as travel to and from different locations.
Here is a preliminary route schedule:
Saturday:
arrive at the airport; bus transfer to the hotel; bikes assembly and short
easy facultative ride.
Sunday:
scenic loop, relatively flat and visit to the old city of Bergamo (Citta`Alta).
Spouses take public transportation (easy) and meet up in Citta` Alta. Riding time: 4 hours
Monday:
hilly ride, Passo San Marco. Spa day/hiking for
the spouses (stores are closed Monday morning but open in the afternoon
around 3:30pm so shopping not possible in the am). Riding time: 5 hours.
Tuesday: bus transfer to the beautiful town of Stresa
and flat ride around Lago Maggiore. Spouses can
enjoy strolling through the town and taking a ferry ride on the lake,
visiting the isles and the enchanting gardens. Riding time: 6 hours.
Wednesday:
hilly ride to Madonna del Ghisallo and visit to
the museum of the cyclists and to the sanctuary of the Madonna del Ghisallo. Spouses take bus to Bergamo and train to Milano
to shopping/sightseeing - full day for them and rest afternoon for us.
Riding time: 4 hours.
Thursday:
travel by bus to Bormio. Climb the Mortirolo and the Gavia
passes. Spouses have the opportunity to see this alpine town, where the
World Ski Cup is held every year and ride by bus to the ski town of Livigno enjoying breathtaking mountain views (1,5 hour
by bus from Bormio) and tax free shopping. Riding
time: 6 very tough hours.
Friday:
easy ride around the Bergamo
area. Relaxing in countryside for the spouses. (Idea: take local bus to
either 1) horseback riding in Valle Imagna for a
few hours, 2) visit to winery locally, 3) indoor swimming pool for fun with
the kids, etc) Riding time: 3 hours
Saturday: Giro d'Italia
day! Bikes will be left at hotel and everyone can have a fun day watching
the hill finishing 20th stage of the Giro (Bormio - Ponte di Legno - Tonale) - bus trip to
location to watch stage and back later to hotel.
Sunday:
Nice ride through the rolling vineyards of Franciacorta;
bikes packing. Wives bus to Bergamo, train
to Lake Como for the day) Riding time: 4
hours. Monday: Bus transfer to the airport. Program may change due to
weather reasons.
Monday: Bus transfer to Airport Total riding time: at least 32
hours with some extremely challenging climbs.
Deadline for sign up is April 15, 2010. There are a lot of logistics for
this trip , so the sooner the better.
Thanks
Roger
Kevin Hines
Team Cornercycle , MA
Kevin
just finished our FinKraft training camp and is back
on the east coast racing again.
Kevin is what you could call the "King on dirt".
An Ex Pro Enduro Moto
rider and now he is killing it on the Cross and
MTB circuits not just in New England, but all over the country and
even in Europe.
Kevin won the Cross Country National Championship in MTB last summer, then he went on to win the Cyclocross Championship
as well in December in his age group.
What is even more amazing is he decided to give the Cross Worlds in Belgium a
shoot in Jan. He won the Belgium National championships in his class as a
warm up (let's say the Belgians were not happy) before getting barely
edged out at the Worlds to take the silver.
Kevin turns 50 years old this year, but that does not mean anything
when he is racing with guys half his age. A great attitude and a
healthy lifestyle is key , but plain and simple ; Kevin has fun riding
his bike and loves training and racing with the dream of
wearing the rainbow jersey one day , to become a " World Champion"
|
