Fwd: [CR]L'Equip Article - Eroica 2006, sort of long

Thanks Guy, A nice article. Art Link,San Antonio,TX,USA

Guy Apple <cinelliguy@earthlink.net> wrote: Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 16:48:13 -0800 (GMT-08:00) From: Guy Apple <cinelliguy@earthlink.net> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]L'Equip Article - Eroica 2006, sort of long

Hi to all,

Below is my best shot (with help from my friends too) at a translation of the Eroica article featured in L'Equip. Please note that I did take editorial liberties and there is no intent to misrepresent the content of the article but I had to make it understandable.

Guy Apple Sunnyvale California, USA

~RetroCyclo Article~

One can always find several reasons for not liking Eroica, the cyclo-tourist ride that starts off every year from Gaiole in Chianti. For those who are obsessed by order, fanatical about strictness, mad about statistics or anxious for competition, they may as well stay at home. You might as well know, Eroica is for the genuine cyclist at heart. It is for those who love the taste of Chianti and of ham, which lingers in the air of this Tuscan region, and the warm friendship in route, all mixed with sweat and laughter. To win, you must know that in Gaiole, they reward winners for the most splendid and oldest cycles and gear. In order to truly understand the nature of this event, one has to go back to its source.

Giancarlo Brocci, a great lover of the history of cycling and Tuscany, was the creator of this event. “Italian literature has always cultivated the mythic history of cycling and the great cyclists of the road. I have always loved it. Furthermore, I’m crazy about my region and I can’t stand the fact that they are putting tarmac on the white roads to protect rich foreign visitors’ car suspensions in our country. It is to protect this environment that I want to relive the events of the past on these tracks, just like they were in the old days.”

In 1996 he organized the first edition of Eroica. Today we can say that Giancarlo succeeded in his quest. At first there were fifty vintage cycling enthusiasts in the event. Ten years later, fifteen hundred participants are ready to hit the road. Everyone in Italy knows about this event. Its name appears on road signs all over the region. Like Sienna or Florence, Gaiole in Chianti opens its treasure chest to all visitors. People come here to admire unique bicycles like the one that belongs to Patrick Joret, a 55 year old French man who restores and exhibits some really wonderful bikes: A Michaux 1865, a Kangouru 1883 or a spectacular Labor 1011, (with a unique front and back fork.)

Here, you can meet the real champions of yesterday. You can easily chat to Gianni Motta, winner of the Tour de Lombardie in 1964 and Giro in 1966, or talk to Renzo Soldari who will speak with anyone who is interested in hearing about how he managed to beat Bevilacqua and Fausto Coppi in a sprint to win the Tour de Lomabardie in 1950. It isn’t too difficult to become friends for a day with greats like Bitossi, Corrieri, Mealli, Chioccioli, Terruzzi Hampstead, Sorenson, or the Czech Lubos Lom who became famous winning by 100km in a dual race on the Paris-Roubaix route. The gathering at Gaiole has become an international event drawing participants from five continents and seventeen nations. People like the Frenchman Paul Brouzzo have become truly dedicated to this event. “My wife wanted to see Tuscany. As for me, I just wanted to treat myself to a great bike ride. And now I just can’t live without it. Everything is magic here.” This security guard from Grenoble has done up an old bike belonging to his wife’s great uncle. It is a bike from 1936 with two-gears, magnificent. He restored eight other bikes for his friends, who have gotten involved in this adventure also. Bob Freitas traveled even farther to be here. This industrialist from San Francisco, a weekend biker who participates in the 75km event on a 1962 De Rosa, was in Italy during the Varone World Tour in 2004, when he came across Eroica. “ I fell in love straight away. I love old bikes and these beautiful white roads. I love the warm friendship among the people here, too.” Having become a fan of this event, he is now a member of an Internet site with a whole community of cyclo-tourists who are interested in vintage racing bikes. This year he persuaded some twenty riders from various horizons to join him. David Benson, an importer of spare parts in Auckland (New Zealand) is one of this team. “My hobby is building up bike frames. It was in this context that I became interested in old bikes. I learned to understand and love the history of bike riding. I discussed it with Bob Freitas, I took my Cecil Walker (an Australian bike from the 70’s) and I arrived in Tuscany to compete in the 135 km event.” The race? Starts like a French start-off. At everyone’s own pace. After that, just enjoy the magnificent scenery. One smiles at the sight of huge tandems, scooters or giant delivery tricycles loaded with enormous bottles of Chianti. These sights alone are worth coming along for. At rest stops, giant tables are arranged for gargantuan feasts, and the stops are so long sometimes that certain competitors have to be put back on the right road, and in the right direction. However, the feast does not diminish the effort required. Eroica is physically demanding, especially when climbing the steep and challenging hills on bikes without derailleurs, or multiple gears. Luciano Berruti has become the symbol of this event, in which he participated since 1997. “Eroica is the return to the origin of the sport. It is beauty, simplicity but also it is the tough aspect of cycling, as it once was.” At 63, this man who has been nine times amateur champion of Italy, did the 75 km, struggling against strong winds on a 1930 Peugeot. He regrets the trends of modern cycling, which downgrade the champions of today. “Doping has also killed the dream. So it is great that events like Eroica can bring that dream back to life.”

The End :-)

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