[CR]Re: Eroica report

(Example: Framebuilding:Technology)

Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:09:39 -0400
From: "Edward Albert" <Edward.H.Albert@hofstra.edu>
To: <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Re: Eroica report

Its 5:30 AM in New York and I am wide awake still living on Tuscan time where it is 11:30 AM and way past my time to be up. Got back last night after a trip to L'Eroica, Tuscany, and south to Todi in Umbria.
      Needless to say my wife Brenda and I had a wonderful and adventurou s time during our 12 days or so in Italy. We arrived a few days before L\u2019Eroica and checked into a house we had rented out in the country on strada bianche 10 or so klicks outside of Gaiole. Although we were not officially traveling with the \u201cgroup\u201d we were taken in tow and Bob and Rita Frietas made sure we made it to the big dinner on Friday night. It was great sitting with Peter Johnson and Jan, Mike Schmidt and Robin and reliving old racing days, old bikes, and the upcoming EVENT, which seemed to loom large on everybody\u2019s mind, especially those who had not had the pleasure of meeting the strada bianche face to face before.
    Saturday, registration and swap meet. I won\u2019t rehash what others have already reported on. I will say that that since I began doing L\u2019Eroica in \u201904 the swap has continually gotten bigger and more interesting and the show/exhibit smaller and less interesting. If this had been the t-town swap I might have bought tons of stuff and a few bikes but as it was Italy with all the problems of getting stuff home in addition to my own 1978 Albert Masi GC that I was to ride on Sunday I just had to pass. I satisfied my collecting habit with a pair of Campy Shield hoods (original I think and NOS for 25euro a pair), a t-shirt, and a bit of jealousy over Dave Martinez\u2019s mid 50\u2019s Bianchi Campione del Mondo, in his size and in original condition, that he got for a nice price considering the value (or lack thereof) of the dollar. A new wrinkle this year was that bikes that wanted to be part of the \u201cvintage\u201d contingent had the opportunity to have their bikes inspected by Irio Tommasini and crew, photographed, and logged. This process took some time and cost $20 Euro for which one will receive a picture, a commemorative head badge, and an entry in the book they are now compiling of vintage steeds. Given the talk I heard from listers some thought it worth the trouble, some a waste of time. I paid my money, lined up, and look forward to see what comes of it.
   Anyway, I and a friend who is an expat living in Italy lined up on Sunday morning at about 6:20 AM in the dark with lights on for the start of our day of \u201cfun\u201d in the Chianti sun on the 135 K middle distance course. As racer types we were not out to see the sights and blasted off, both of us on Masi GC\u2019s-- we actually only saw one other the whole day as they seem quite rare over there \u2013 (BTW, Peter and Jan were also on Masis doing the 80K loop) Some klicks into the ride we saw Rita and Paul Lee having a good time at the side of the road just relaxing and taking in the views\u2026at least I think there were views. My friend and I pushed on through a number of checks both of us feeling good and climbing well\u2026espe cially my friend who, at 6\u20193\u201d --to my 5\u20196\u201d -- one would not expect such prowess. Whomever we saw ahead we chased. Please don\u2019t ask why\u2026that\u2019s just the way it is \u201cres ipsa locuitor\u201d. At a bit over half way we turned left outside of the little town of Asciano and stopped at our third feed station and ck point to have our Carte stamped. My friend Marco, who speaks fluent Italian, asked what lay up the white road ahead of us. They smiled and said it went up and down. UP & Down!!!!!!!!! !!!!!! If any of you have seen the movie A Sunday in Hell about Paris Roubaix, then you\u2019ll know. We were about to enter our equivalent of the Tranchee d\u2019Arenberg\u2026the Arenberg Forest but with hills. This stretch of Strada, used two days later by the pros in their Monte Pasche Eroica race (which BTW we watched from this spot on Tuesday with Mike Schmidt and Robin), went both straight up and straight down as it made its way up to the high point of the ride at Monte Sante Marie. To put it mildly this was knarly, sketchy road with deep ruts and no purchase on the 18%++ climbs and equally steep descents that scared the living hell out of me. By the time we had exited what I think was this 11K section of Stada Bianche (the longest on our loop) I knew that I was in trouble. Left leg starting to cramp. The rest was pretty ugly; my friend broke the wind and stayed with me as I tried to hold off the cramping until we reached the bottom of the climb up to Radda in Chianti. There with both legs now cramping on the climbs, he rode up into Radda himself and waited. Gave up and rode to the finish. I trailed in a few minutes later I am told, But he of course has stopped for 15 minutes in Radda for a coffee and then, thinking I had passed by, continued in by himself.
   I could go on an on and on. In spite of the cramping, staggering in covered in road dust, I was happy as hell and happy it was over. Marco\u2019s first comment to me as I got my Carte stamped was \u201cnext year we do the 200.\u201d Yea\u2026\u2026right.
   We had a week left of our trip but I will cut to what is relevant to the list. On our way out of Chianti on Thursday, we stopped at the Bartoli Museum on the outskirts of Firenze. PLEASE GO. I believe this museum to be both undervisited and underrated. It was a joy. The Directore and force behind its founding, Andrea Bresci, took Brenda and I under his wing. We got a private tour and, in spite of the fact he spoke little English and my Italian is atrocious to say the least, we were able to talk \u201cbicycle\u201d with ease. The museum has some great stuff and I will post pics as time allows. He was so welcoming and so impressed that an American was so interested in his hero Gino Bartali that before we left he presented us with two autographed photos of Bartali. I said \u201cno you cannot do this\u201d these cannot be \u201coriginale\u201d he kept repeating \u201coriginale, originale\u201d What a gift to a pair of strangers. We left feeling that whatever else happened on this trip, and it had its moments, his warmth and passion made the whole thing worth it. Please visit the museum when you are in the area.
   A final note: Bizarre occurrence #1,234. Six degrees of separation . We spent one of our last days in Orvieto in Umbria doing \u201ctourist.\u201d
   We had found one of the few free parking lots below the Duomo and squeezed our Renault station wagon into a space suited only for a Fiat Polo. After hours of walking and sitting we headed back to our car. As we approached we saw getting out of a car right next to ours someone I thought looked familiar. As I approached I had a senior moment unable to remember the name of the person standing next to my car. All I could say was I hope you didn\u2019t dent my car getting out. Who was this familiar face? Josh Berger and his wife Fay. Josh, of course, is a CR listmember and member of Mr. Pergolizzi\u2019s BVVW who lives twenty or so miles south of me in the Bronx. Blown away\u2026\u2026Things just get stranger and stranger don\u2019t they. Edward Albert, glad to be home again in the familiar in, Chappaqua, NY, USA