Category: Races

Monte Zoncolan from a fan’s point of view (video)

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date June 4, 2014
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Monte Zoncolan with Adam Hansen — Monte Zoncolan - a fan's point of view - with Adam Hansen

Stage 20 of Giro d’Italia 2014 finished atop Monte Zoncolan. It is widely regarded as one of the most difficult climbs in Europe: the Zoncolan has been compared with Vuelta a España’s El Angliru, in the Spanish region of Asturias. The steepest, 23.6% pitch of the Angliru is very short however, being part of a kilometer stretch that averages “only” 17.2 percent – while the Zoncolan has a kilometer of nearly 20%.

The “thing” is situated in Friuli Venezia Giulia and belongs to the Alps. Starting from Ovaro, the Monte Zoncolan ascent is 10.5 km long. Over this distance, you climb 1210 vertical meters. The average percentage thus is 11.5%.

Tags Giro d'Italia 2014

Races

Podium last weekend

Intercity road race 40+ podium (May 25, 2014)

There was a road race at Istanbul Park (the Formula 1 track) last week. It was quite a short race (just 42.4K), so I knew it would be fast and furious.

Around 100 riders were at the start line. A few of them were pros, some of them were amateurs and some of them including me were age group racers.

Cycling Wear & Shoes Cyclists and Teams Races Stage Races

Peter Sagan’s custom jersey for Tour of California

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date May 8, 2014
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Team Cannondale’s clothing sponsor Sugoi launched a custom Peter Sagan jersey for the upcoming Tour of California. Peter Sagan himself also helped the jersey’s design.

The custom-built jersey has a Slovakian flag and colors on both sides (Peter Sagan is the current Slovakian road champion). Green is the dominant color and there are two red “Hulk” eyes in the back of the jersey.

Races Stage Races

The last stage of the Tour of Turkey 2014

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date May 4, 2014
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Mark Cavendish wins Tour of Turkey 2014 stage 8, Istanbul (featured)

Today it was the last stage of the Tour of Turkey 2014 (Istanbul-Istanbul), the 50th edition of the race. I went to watch the stage.

Tags Istanbul, Mark Cavendish, Tour of Turkey

Paris-Roubaix Classics Races

Terpstra wins Paris-Roubaix 2014

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date April 13, 2014
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Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) won the Paris-Roubaix 2014, the “queen of the classics” with a late attack on an elite group containing all the favorites in the last ten kilometer. John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) finished in second, big pre-race favorite Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) finished in third.

Tags Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Roubaix 2014

Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) Classics Races

Passion for cycling

A child is waiting for the peloton. — A child is waiting for the peloton at Tour of Flanders.

An anonymous but very beautiful photo… One of the best cycling-related photos, which contains no bike.

Tags Ronde van Vlaanderen, Tour of Flanders

Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) Classics Races

Cancellara makes the history at Tour of Flanders 2014

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date April 6, 2014
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Fabian Cancellara wins Tour of Flanders 2014

Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) won the Tour of Flanders 2014 (Ronde van Vlaanderen) spectacularly. This is his third (second consecutive) Tour of Flanders victory – so he joined the “Lions of Flanders” who won this monumental classic three times in history.

Tags Fabian Cancellara, Tour of Flanders

History and Legends Cycling Climbs Giro d'Italia

Merckx vs Battaglin on Monte Carpegna, 1973 Giro

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 25, 2014
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Merckx vs Battaglin, 1973 Giro (featured)

If you watch Jørgen Leth’s great documentary about the 1973 Giro d’Italia, “Stars and Water Carriers” (Stjernerne og vandbærerne), you may remember Merckx vs Battaglin battle at stage 8 on Monte Carpegna.

On one of the early climbs of the day, Eddy Merckx escaped bringing Spanish climber José Manuel Fuente (KAS) and the young Italian Giovanni Battaglin (Jollj Ceramica) along for company. Foolishly, Fuente took his pulls with the powerful Belgian and after having burned his matches, was spit out the back.

Tags Giovanni Battaglin

History and Legends Bicycles and Equipment Classic/Retro bicycles Races Special Bicycles Tour de France

Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France winner Bottecchia

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date October 28, 2013
2 Comments on Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France winner Bottecchia

Greg Lemond's Bottecchia — Bottecchia is a historical bicycle company that started as a small cyclery of Carnielli and improved in 1924 by Ottavio Bottecchia, the first Italian Tour de France winner (1924, 1925). A new company with a new name “Bottecchia” was born after the death of Ottavio Bottecchia in 1926. In 1940 the work force of Bottecchia was 100 people and the company became an outstanding race firm with the historical name of Ottavio Bottecchia and under the management of the Carnielli family. The bike was equipped with Mavic wheels and Mavic groupset: it was the only victory for Mavic as a groupset supplier in history of the Tour de France.

The advertisement of Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France winner Bottecchia (in Italian). A beautiful and extraordinary bike. LeMond was racing for the AD Renting-W-Cup-Bottecchia team.

During the 1980s and at the beginning of the ’90s, the size of the front wheels of the time-trial bikes was 650c, unlike today’s bicycles.