|
August 1, 2005
Tobias,
I was describing the Campagnolo Granfondo and your company to
several other cyclists at the Wisconsin State Time Trial
Championships. I’ve been meaning to write to you to let you know
how much we enjoyed the trip. Based upon your web site
descriptions and pictures, my second hand knowledge of the
Granfondo, and my other European bike adventure, I had very high
expectations. My expectations were exceeded!
First the Granfondo
itself: it is fair to call it a race, for there are certainly
Cat 1 and Cat 2 riders (or the UCI equivalent) riding very fast.
I intended to ride the Medio course as a race; that is to say,
fast as I could. But others including Joanie just really enjoyed
the crowd, the excitement, the great organization and support,
and went out at their own pace. I’ve raced around the US, and
the larger events tend to be more chaotic. Our state time trials
just completed, for example, started late and got later, with
miscommunication and class start time changes, just like the
road events in Superweek earlier this July. No such dilemmas for
the Campagnolo Granfondo! Race organization is superb, the event
goes off on time, everyone is gated to their start slot
efficiently, the course is well marked, and it all happens with
that festive Italian love of life that makes the country so
wonderful.
The start is a
typical crowded fast road race type, with a huge field, the
largest I’ve ever been in. But the length of the event allows
the field to really spread out, and the pace can’t be faster
than your reaction time, so the day was really enjoyable, with
opportunities to enjoy the beautiful panoramas (and marvel as
you look back over your shoulder, “did I REALLY climb all the
way up there?!”). Rich and I stopped several times to take
pictures, as well as a short stop at the monument to Tullio
Campagnolo that graces the summit of the last climb. But the
race was hard. We don’t have many races of this length at the
amateur level in the US, and we don’t have elevations like this
in the US. The Medio course was 120 kilometers with 3 mountain
passes, about 4,000 meters of climbing. My time of 6:02:xx was
in the middle of the finishers for my age category. But I never
doubted that I would finish, and the enthusiasm of the crowds,
the good nature and comradeship of the other riders (who were so
happy to see Americans that could climb and descend), and the
gorgeous weather and scenery all contributed to my confidence.
One undervalued aspect of riding in a mountainous environment
like the Dolomites is the frequency of natural springs. In Italy
these have been used as drinking water for centuries, and spout
clean, cool, delicious mineral rich water (but drink electrolyte
replacement too!). No pictures can adequately represent the
beauty of the sites (and smells!) of riding in the Italian
Dolomites.
Even pre race
registration was cool, with many booths handing out information,
selling clothing and accessories (some of which can only be
found in Europe), and providing another opportunity to enjoy the
company of Italians who love to cycle. Alas, they were all more
successful at practicing their English on me than I was at
practicing my Italian on them! The post race dinner was like the
event: well organized, very efficient, high quality. But we all
looked tired; not a lot of conversation, even among the usually
boisterous Italians! I was glad I rode the Medio; those who rode
the long course looked exhausted for days afterwards.
And speaking of “well
organized, very efficient, and high quality” I should conclude
with a few words about our hosts, Tobias and Carrie Panek, and
their company Granfondo Tours. The web site does a very good job
of emphasizing the tour strengths of the company. This is about
enjoying long hard climbs, spectacular mountain vistas, and
hours in the saddle. Our routes were very well selected, well
mapped and explained every day, and well chosen to alternate a
challenging day with a recovery day. After a week, we were all
ready to ride the Granfondo. The routes were extremely well
supported, and had long and shorter options so that everyone
could find an enjoyable length and degree of difficulty.
Including local guides like Gaetano and Massimo was terrific!
This vacation is first and foremost a bicycling adventure, and
is so well designed that both those who came to race and those
who came to tour had a wonderful time.
But you can’t spend
ALL your time on the bike, and Joanie and I just loved the other
aspects of the Granfondo Tour. The “Sport Hotels” we stayed in
were gracious and well appointed, with wonderful staff. The food
was fresh, wholesome, and delicious, the towns and villages were
beautiful and each contained historic treasures of art and
architecture worth enjoying. I’ve been to Italy five times,
including several visits to Verona and Venice, but I think this
may have been my favorite! That is largely due to the attentive
but unobtrusive support that came from Carrie, Tobias and Sean.
We arrived on Saturday afternoon without my wife’s prescription
glasses…and by Monday morning she had an (incredibly stylish)
Italian replacement! My bike suffered a cracked brake lever on
the plane ride over; replaced within one hour of discovery.
Specific requests or needs from others on the tour were equally
well dispatched, with a casual appearance of ease that concealed
how well organized and knowledgeable our hosts were.
The entire tour
unfolded with an easy rhythm that mixed incredible variety with
plenty of free time to take an impromptu ride, stroll to the
piazza for gelato, or just hang out on your balcony and enjoy
the magnificent mountain vistas. If I start to tick off the
activities – the walking tour of Verona, the days in Venice, a
boat ride on Lake Garda to Catullus’s Roman villa, the visit to
“Otze the Iceman” in the Bolzano Natural History museum, the
trip to the hot springs – the tour sounds hectic before you
include the bike riding. However the organization and pacing was
perfect, the trip was extremely relaxing, never feeling rushed.
But with all the great times spent together at meals and seeing
the sites, the bike rides up Perre Fosse, over Stelvio and Gavia,
through the Alps and Dolomites are still the part I rejoice in,
every day.
My one disappointment
is that while I came back faster and stronger, all my USCF
competition somehow got faster and stronger too! I am currently
hanging on to sixth place in the Wisconsin Cup …I was sure I’d
return and smoke’em! But I can’t fault Granfondo Tours for that.
It is quite the opposite: you guys got me motivated, first to
get back on the bike after a 20 year absence, then to return to
racing. So thanks for that as well!
Joanie is also riding
more…on her birthday gift, a Pinarello Marvel. She noticed that
most of the good women riders were on Pinarellos, and I don’t
think Brian’s Dogma was unappreciated. And we are saving our
money for next year: we’ll be back for Riviera/Florence
Granfondo or the Pinarello Granfondo, depending upon your final
schedule. Riding with you is the very best way to enjoy Italy!
I wear your kit to
almost every race now…in part because of its quality and fit,
and in part because it starts so many conversations. Folks are
writing down your web site address; I hope your success
continues to grow.
See you next year,
Bill and Joanie.
|
