L\u2019EROICA
Following a couple nudges from CR list members, I have been coaxed into writing a short report on my visit to this year's Eroica.
My note is aimed primarily at those who already have experience of the event, so that they can see the direction it appears to be going in and can therefore make an informed judgment about whether they wish to compete next year.
New listers will be able to find all the basic information on this historic event on the dedicated website http://www.eroica.it.
And for those who wish to have an \u2018in the flesh\u2019 report, take look at
CR member Martin Appel\u2019s excellent account the 2009 event, at http://62.75.166.92/
It includes a super snap of the Chrome, Campag laden, Curly Hetchins that bore my fellow rider, Bob Johnson.
Praise is also due to CR member Angelo Garcia, whose July posting alerted me to the existence of the Gino Bartali Museum at Ponte a Ema.
For full details of its exhibits and a note of the restricted opening
hours see http://www.ciclomuseo-bartali.it/
You can also find details and some interesting background on Angelo\u2019s blog
http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/
The Museum lies no more than a couple of miles from the Firenze Sud junction of the AI Autostrada. The very motorway that most newly- arrived, would-be Eroicisti must take in order to travel from Pisa Airport to Gaiole in Chianti where the event is held.
This was my third attempt to complete the 75 km Eroica circuit. I was so shocked and drained by the gradients and gravel during my first attempt, that I took a shortcut in Radda, to avoid the longest and steepest of the \u2019white road\u2019 climbs just before Volpaia.
This, despite the fact that I had equipped my curly-stayed Hetchins Millennium with a triple chainset and a pair of eight speed ergo levers, suitably modified to change my seven-speed block.
Last year, I returned with the very same bicycle and completed the whole 75 km course. To compete with Bob Johnson\u2019s two-ringed steed, I reserved the smallest chainring for emergency use only. And there were such emergencies - the inclines require riders of even above- average ability to get out of the saddle.
Not too much of a problem on the tarmac but a nightmare on the \u2018white roads\u2019. Without an aging rider's broad bum firmly planted on the saddle, an ageing bike's narrow tires cannot be firmly planted on the ground.
And so to this year's Eroicat, held in warm sunny weather. Over the years, the growing popularity of the event had seen numbers increase beyond the organiser's expectations. It had also begun to attract a growing number of modern and mountain bikes.
This year they decided to stop the rot, by insisting that entrants registered details of their bicycles at the time of entry. They also clarified the type of bicycle that they were prepared to allow to compete. The Eroica site gives full details, though the insistence on downtube levers is a little misleading, as bar end friction shifters (Bartali\u2019s fifties favourites) and of course Cambio Corsa and Paris Roubaix gears are also permitted. In truth, the exposed cable regulation is also flakey; one sees a large number of very early Italian frames with internally routed brakes.
The new regulations forced me to swap from my ergo-d Hetchins Millennium for a curly-stayed, 1959 example of the marque, which I hastily equipped with a Nuovo Record triple chainset.
The new regs, aided no doubt by the economic climate, saw entries reduced to 2333 riders. As well as lessening the field, the more rigid rules increased the camaraderie. It was a wonderful experience to clitter-clatter along the narrow village streets in one's racing shoes, shoulder to shoulder with a couple of hundred like-shod, similarly dressed, equally obsessed 'bikies'\u2019. Each proudly pushing his own vintage velo, some begged, some borrowed, all beloved.
We were all offered a free cup of "Benzina" as we shuffled past the Butcher's shop, the owner legitimising his offer of home-made vino rosso by passing it off as 'fuel' for the journey that lay ahead. I topped up my tank accordingly.
Then, off we went in groups of three hundred, several minutes apart. Our posse being lead out by an elegantly dressed corporate team headed by none other than Francesco Moser.
This year saw a change to the early route; instead of following the main road all the way to the Monti turn off, before reaching the \u2018white road\u2019, we turned earlier and climbed up into the grounds of Castello Di Brolio. A steep, narrow, winding path that had many riders off their saddles and onto their feet.
This white road later joined the one that we normally used, taking us past San Felice towards Pianella, where the second section of \u2018white road\u2019 begins.
Other than this change the ride was very much as before. Although, the preponderance of vintage machinery and absence of mountain bikes created a much warmer atmosphere, as did the sunshine on our backs.
At the finish there was a subdued atmosphere. A rider had died from a heart attack whilst tackling the 200 km course.
As I queued to have my card stamped, I noticed a young Frenchman in period clothing, with what looked like a 1920s roadster. It had cable brakes and a wing-nutted, flip-flop hub with two freewheels of very similar size. He had completed the 200 km course in something like 10 hours.
Martin Appel\u2019s report has many fine photographs of the "bike jumble", which was smaller this year. Inside the registration hall there were fewer stands than usual. The \u2018Don of the decals\u2019\u2019, Georgio Panciroli was not in attendance and two of the regular \u2018inside the hall\u2019 vendors had opted for the cheaper pitches outside.
Bici Vintage were siter there, selling fabulous old-school shirts at a fabulous price; 150 euros or more. The Rapha boys drove down from London for the first time and were a real hit with the Italian riders who were not that familiar with their fine range of performance clothing. Gianni Donati, the Bianchi buff occupied his usual spot on the upper driveway, alongside Gianfranco Trevisan of Bicedepoca amongst others.
Late on Saturday morning a van arrived from Germany full to overflowing with seventies and eighties equipment. Entire Zeus groupsets still in their presentation boxes. Everything Mavic. Plus an astounding collection of \u2018mint in box\u2019 NOS Campag equipment. It was like \u2018campyoldy in a campervan\u2019. Sadly, the prices were equally astounding; 380 Euros for a pair of Cobalt brakes. And a similar pricetag on a brand-new series 1 Record C fully-enclosed cage rear derailleur.
Overall, there were less stalls and fewer bargains to be had, particularly for Brit bikers who have to cope with the pound\u2019s current equality with the Euro.
Oh, the halcyon days of 1.50 Euros to the £1.
Next year perhaps?
Alfredo Marcantonio.
Twickenham, Nr London,England.