Cycling Passion

Marchand will try to improve his one hour record at 102 years old

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 3, 2013
No Comments on Marchand will try to improve his one hour record at 102 years old

Robert Marchand continues to inspire us. The evergreen Frenchman has set a new goal: breaking his own hour record in the over-100s category in January 2014, at 102 years of age.

In February 2012, Marchand rode 24.25 kilometers (15.1 miles), setting a one-hour speed record in the new over-100s category created by the UCI. Then, on September 28, 2012, the ever-green Frenchman set the 100-kilometer cycling record for the 100+-year-old category, with four hours 17 minutes and 27 seconds, at the Parc de la Tête d’Or Velodrome in Lyon.

Tags Robert Marchand

History and Legends Bicycles and Equipment Classic/Retro bicycles Special Bicycles

7-Eleven’s Eddy Merckx bikes

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 2, 2013
1 Comment on 7-Eleven’s Eddy Merckx bikes

A 7-Eleven Eddy Merckx bike (photo: classicrendezvous.com/Benelux/Merckx/d_shelor_7-11.htm)

In the late 1980s, an American team has started to shine in the European cycling scene: the 7-Eleven Cycling Team.

The 7-Eleven team founded by Jim Ochowicz, a former U.S. Olympic cyclist, in 1981. A few high-profile cyclists including Ron Kiefel, Sean Yates (former directeur sportif of Team Sky), Andrew Hampsten (1988 Giro d’Italia winner, also King of the Mountains, with the 7-Eleven team), Davis Phinney (father of BMC Racing Team rider Taylor Phinney) rode for the American team. The team lasted 16 years (from 1990 to 1996 under the sponsorship of Motorola).

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.

Tags Laurent Fignon, Scott, Tour de France 1989

Training and Nutrition

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date October 27, 2013
No Comments on Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

The Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) or the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion is a way of measuring physical activity intensity level. In medicine, this is used to document the patient’s exertion during a test, and sports coaches use the scale to assess the intensity of training and competition.

Special Bicycles Bicycles and Equipment

Sak_art design

Chesini Florentia MMXIII, designed by Sak_art — Chesini Florentia MMXIII

Sak_art is a motorcycle & industrial design company founded in 2010 based near Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. They design motorcycles, helmets, and bicycles. Sak_art design wants to create synergies with the greatest frame builders, Each fine frame becomes their unique painting work that displaying their aesthetic creativity and passion that have roots in the beauty & culture of their land, Tuscany, Italy.

Tags sak_art design

Giro d'Italia History and Legends Races

The greatest show on earth

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date October 17, 2013
No Comments on The greatest show on earth

Vincenzo Nibali wins Giro d'Italia 2013 stage 20 (featured) — Vincenzo Nibali wins Giro d'Italia 2013 stage 20

The Tour de France is a ‘bigger’ race than the Giro. It has more media, more commotion, more people making demands on the cyclist’s waning energy. What it doesn’t have is the tifosi (see notes 1) of the greatest show on earth.

I discovered my passion for cycling at a very late age. I always enjoyed riding my bicycle starting from my boyhood: I rode for commute, I rode for enjoyment, I even raced a couple of times. But I started riding a road bike in my early 30s. Then I started watching cycling races and immediately fell in love with them.

I watched some races including Tour de France 2008 edition, with little understanding of what was going on actually. In the early stages, I was even thinking Mark Cavendish was going to win the Tour.

Hors Catégorie

Why cycling is so great?

A climb in Norway — Photo by Piotr Trybalski Photography. The climb is in Norway. Piotr Trybalski Photography on facebook

Just a single photo can explain it. Enjoy…

Cycling and Music, Cinema, Art Classics History and Legends Paris-Roubaix

Jean Metzinger’s “At the Cycle-Race Track (Au Vélodrome)”, 1912

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date October 10, 2013
No Comments on Jean Metzinger’s “At the Cycle-Race Track (Au Vélodrome)”, 1912

Au Vélodrome by Jean Metzinger (cropped)

“Au Vélodrome”, also known as “At the Cycle-Race Track” and “Le cycliste”, is a painting by the French painter Jean Metzinger. According to the art historian Erasmus Weddigen, it illustrates the final meters of the Paris-Roubaix monumental classic and portrays its 1912 winner Charles Crupelandt (1886-1955).

The painting was acquired by Peggy Guggenheim in 1945 and is now permanently on view in her museum in Venice; Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Jean Metzinger (June 24, 1883- November 3, 1956) was a major 20th-century French painter, writer, critic, poet, and sensitive and intelligent theoretician. Along with Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Albert Gleizes, developed the art style known as Cubism.

Tags Paris-Roubaix

Special Bicycles Bicycles and Equipment

LeMond Limited Edition Series

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date October 2, 2013
No Comments on LeMond Limited Edition Series

LeMond Limited Edition Series: Greg Lemond, triple Tour de France winner (the only American to win the Tour), and twice UCI World Champion, teamed up with the French frame manufacturer Time to relaunch his signature brand.

The first three models are limited editions and different only in cosmetics, named after Greg LeMond’s three Tour de France victories: TDF 1986, TDF 1989, and TDF 1990.

Tags LeMond Bikes, Time, Tour de France 1989

History and Legends Bicycles and Equipment

The rebirth of Legnano

Gino Bartali's Tour de France 1948 winner bike — Gino Bartali (Legnano) shifting the Campagnolo Cambio Corsa during his 1948 Tour de France win. A Legnano equipped with Campagnolo Cambio Corsa groupset.

The Italian Bozzi family has once again moved ahead to revitalize the historic Legnano brand. In 2010, they resolved a licensing agreement issue with Bianchi, who had acquired the famous brand after the assassination of Emilio Bozzi in 1974. The new Legnano models were introduced in September 2013 at ExpoBici.

The history of Italian bicycles starts with the “L” of Legnano. Few if any marques can boast a legacy of success in the competition thanks to champions like Alfredo Binda, Giovanni Brunero, Learco Guerra, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, and Ercole Baldini.

Tags Ercole Baldini, Frejus, Gino Bartali, Legnano