Category: History and Legends

Cima Coppi history (1965-1989)

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date January 1, 2020
No Comments on Cima Coppi history (1965-1989)

The Cima Coppi is the summit with the highest altitude reached by cyclists during the Giro d’Italia. It was established in 1965, five years after the death of the “Il Campionissimo” (champion of champions) Fausto Coppi.

Naturally, depending on the altitude profile of the Giro d’Italia, the Cima Coppi changes from year to year. The highest point of Cima Copi in history is Passo dello Stelvio (Stelvio Pass), which is 2758 meters. Passo dello Stelvio has been used in 1972, 1975, 1980, 1994, 2005, 2012, 2014 and 2017 editions of the Giro d’Italia. It was also expected in 1967, 1984, 1988 and 2013 editions, but in each case, the course was modified due to weather conditions.

History and Legends Giro d'Italia Tour de France

Hemingway’s grimpeurs

Ottavio Bottecchia arrives in Briançon, Tour de France 1925. Image: Walter Vermeulen The monster stage had featured three major ascents, all above two thousand meters: Col d'Allos (2,250 m), Col de Vars (2,108 m) and Col d'Izoard (2,360 m). Fellow Italian Bartolomeo Aymo (sometimes written Bartolomeo Aimo), the Alcyon teammate of Bottecchia's rival Nicolas Frantz won the stage in 13 hours 5 minutes and 3 seconds. Bottecchia finished in second at 9 min 57 sec, 3 min 40 sec ahead of Frantz, who finished in third and reinforced his yellow jersey. Bottecchia, who had also won the previous years' edition and becoming the first Italian to win the Tour de France, started 1925 Tour by winning the first stage, then he won 6th and 7th stages, and made his Tour victory complete by also winning the last stage.

Ernest Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was a great fan of sports, most notably bullfighting and fishing. He also followed cycling, particularly the 1920s six-day races in Paris, which – along with horse racing – were among his pastimes chronicled in A Movable Feast (see notes 1).

History and Legends

Happy 100th birthday, campionissimo

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date September 15, 2019
No Comments on Happy 100th birthday, campionissimo

Fausto Coppi, 1952 Tour de France winner.

100 year ago today, on September 15, 1919, a campionissimo (champion of champions) was born: Fausto Coppi. He was a cycling icon like no other.

History and Legends Cycling Records Hour Record

Graeme Obree, Athlete or Genius? (Short Film)

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date May 15, 2019
No Comments on Graeme Obree, Athlete or Genius? (Short Film)

Graeme Obree in Superman Position — After his "praying mantis" position being banned by the UCI, Graeme Obree developed another riding position, the "Superman" style (pictured above), his arms fully extended in front, and he won the individual pursuit at the world championships with this and Old Faithful in 1995. That position was also banned later by the cycling's governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale.

“Graeme Obree, Athlete or Genius?”, is a short film published by the Endura Official channel on YouTube. Endura is a cycling clothing company which was founded in Scotland in 1993. In this short film, they tested the positions invented by Graeme Obree, “The Flying Scotsman”. Using these positions (the “praying mantis” and the “Superman”), Obree broke the Hour Record twice (1993, 1994) and became the 4000 m pursuit World Champion, also twice (1993, 1995).

History and Legends Races Tour de France

Ottavio Bottecchia arrives in Briançon, Tour de France 1925 Stage 13

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date May 12, 2019
No Comments on Ottavio Bottecchia arrives in Briançon, Tour de France 1925 Stage 13

July 9, 1925: in this historic photo, the legendary Italian cyclist Ottavio Bottecchia approaches to the finish line at Tour de France 1925 stage 13, a 275 km going from Nice to Briançon. The monster stage had featured three major ascents, all above two thousand meters: Col d’Allos (2,250 m), Col de Vars (2,108 m), and Col d’Izoard (2,360 m).

Fellow Italian Bartolomeo Aymo (sometimes written Bartolomeo Aimo), the Alcyon teammate of Bottecchia’s rival Nicolas Frantz won the stage in 13 hours 5 minutes, and 3 seconds. Bottecchia finished in second at 9 min 57 sec, 3 min 40 sec ahead of Frantz, who finished in third and reinforced his yellow jersey. Bottecchia, who had also won the previous year’s edition and became the first Italian to win the Tour de France, started the 1925 Tour by winning the first stage, then he won 6th and 7th stages, and made his Tour victory complete by also winning the last stage.

Tags Tour de France 1925

History and Legends Classics Races

Lucien Lesna during the 1901 Paris-Brest-Paris

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date May 12, 2019
No Comments on Lucien Lesna during the 1901 Paris-Brest-Paris

Lucien Lesna during the Paris-Brest-Paris 1901 edition. Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) was a long-distance cycling event. It was originally a 1200-kilometer bicycle race from Paris to Brest and back to Paris. The start of the ride is scheduled from the national velodrome situated in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The last time it was run as a race was 1951.

Today’s historic photo of the day: Lucien Lesna during the 1901 Paris-Brest-Paris, with his support car beside him. I love the heroic era of cycling and the clothing of that era. Lucien Lesna (11 October 1863 – 11 July 1932) was a French racing cyclist. He won 1901 and 1902 editions of Paris-Roubaix.

Tags Maurice Garin, Paris-Roubaix

History and Legends

Louis Darragon

A medieval knight? No, he is a world champion cyclist. Today was the birthday of the French cyclist Louis Darragon (6 February 1883 – 28 April 1918) who won the UCI Motor-paced World Championships in 1906 and 1907. He also finished the race in second place twice, in 1909 and 1911.

Special Bicycles Bicycles and Equipment History and Legends

Boutique Bicycle Manufacturers – The Ultimate List (I-J-K)

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 1, 2019
3 Comments on Boutique Bicycle Manufacturers – The Ultimate List (I-J-K)

Jaegher Phantom - Terra Orange & Terra Brown — Jaegher is a Belgian brand which build "tailor-made" steel bicycles. It was founded by Odiel Vaneenooghe, a racing cyclist. Now, Odiel's grandson, Diel Vaneenooghe owns the brand and he is also the master framebuilder. He measures every customer meticulously, builds every TIG welded frame (Interceptor and Ascender) and verifies every Jaegher cycle before it leaves the workshop. He grew up amidst the steel of our workshop in Ruiselede (West-Flanders). Diels' father Luc (1958) is built of no lesser steel. For Luc, Eddy Merckx is not a god, but just one of the many racers who would stop by the family's workshop. Merckx would come to pick up the bikes with which he won just about every race on the planet. When you choose a Jaegher frame with lugs (Raptor Pistier or Phantom), you can be sure that Luc will weld it state of the art. Luc learned his craft from his father Etienne (1932). Obsessed with bicycles, he started a café-come-bike shop in the fifties, in Ruiselede. Pouring pints and building bike frames, it doesn’t get more Belgian than that. Etienne's father Odiel was the first of the family with bike fever in his blood. If you wanted to participate in Milan-San Remo, you had to cycle to Milan first. Those are the times he lived in. He won the toughest leg in the Tour of Belgium in 1932. That was the start of the Jaegher adventure. Odiel was a phenomenon, and rest assured, only the one letter and the four generations separates him from Diel. "When it comes to aesthetics, nothing beats a hand-crafted steel bicycle: it’s stylish, timeless and pure. And when it comes to performance, steel is definitely top dog. To put it simply, there is still no better material to build a bike with. The latest generation of steel has made this more true than ever."

Here is the list of the boutique bicycle manufacturers, ordered by their name (starting with I, J, and K). If you want to find a unique bike that fits your personality, review this list.

Special Bicycles Bicycles and Equipment History and Legends

Boutique Bicycle Manufacturers – The Ultimate List (B)

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 1, 2019
1 Comment on Boutique Bicycle Manufacturers – The Ultimate List (B)

Bixxis Prima - Steel frame (Columbus Spirit tubeset), TIG welding, one-piece CNC-machined dropouts, customized geometry available both in regular and slope versions, Italian thread 70mm bottom bracket, 29,4mm seatpost diameter, 32mm derailleur hanger. Super record Campagnolo groupset, Campagnolo Shamal Ultra wheels, fi'zi:k Aliante saddle, Look Blade pedals, Deda Elementi Super Light / 0100 handlebar, Vittoria Open CX tires, Falz fork (by Pegoretti). Bixxis products are entirely hand-made. Each Bixxis frame is 100% made in Italy, at their Seregno workshop, just few miles north of Milan, Italy.

Here is the list of the boutique bicycle manufacturers, ordered by their name (starting with B). If you want to find a unique bike that fits your personality, review this list.

Tags De Rosa, Giovanni Battaglin, North American Handmade Bicycle Show

Cycling Climbs Giro d'Italia History and Legends Races

Monte Zoncolan

One of the most demanding climbs in professional road bicycle racing, Monte Zoncolan is a mountain in the Carnic Alps, located in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. It has been used in the Giro d’Italia six times (2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2018) and in the Giro Donne (Giro d’Italia Femminile, rebranded in 2013 as the Giro Rosa), once (1997).

Tags Gilberto Simoni, Giro d'Italia 2007, Giro d'Italia 2011, Giro d'Italia 2014, Giro d'Italia 2018, Joaquim Rodríguez, Stefano Garzelli