A bookend to the Eurofoods series where I want to look at a few small things rather than one single product. Produits Diététiques There’s no exact translation for these products, they’re part diet-food, part health-food and you’ll often find a whole row in a supermarket dedicated to these products. There’s everything from rice biscuits to … Read more
The 2011 Milan-Sanremo race will be unchanged from 2010, despite trouble finding a spot for the finish line. Traditionally the race finished on the Via Roma, the main street in the centre of Sanremo. But in 2008 the finish moved to the Lungomare, the coastal road. Building works prompted the move and since then local … Read more
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, known as il Risorgimento, “the Resurgence”. 150 years ago this week the citadel of Gaeta, about halfway between Rome and Naples, surrendered after a two month siege and King Vittorio Emanuele II proclaimed the nation unified. The 2011 edition of the Giro d’Italia promises to … Read more
There aren’t many blogs dedicated towards single bike brands. But there is one for Colnago called Colnago con brio. The clover-leafed company from near Milan is a mythical name in the sport, no wonder it has such a following. I grew up revering the name, the Italian frame builder was completely out of my league. … Read more
The clip above is from the film Casablanca. When the police swoop on Rick’s Café, the police chief Renault expresses his shock to find gambling happening on the premises, using this breach of the law as a pretext to close down the bar. But only after he picks up his winnings. Beware of people expressing … Read more
And we thought Contador had issues Riccardo Riccó has apparently admitted to blood doping, transfusing himself with blood that he’d stored in a fridge at home, confessing that he’d kept the sample for 25 days, that the blood could have been poorly stored during this period as a warning to the doctors. The sensational news … Read more
Slowly but surely the gran fondo scene is spreading from Italy to the US. There’s a thriving scene in Britain although this is hamstrung by local laws preventing riders from racing and it’s beginning to take of in Australia with the Alpine Classic and races like Grafton – Inverell being open to all. Gran fondo … Read more
There are some foods that are particularly European. Maybe people think of fine wine, truffles, baguettes and ravioli. But for cyclists there are some particular foods that stand out. As part of a series about food in Europe for riding, here’s the sixth: pasta. Sans sauce Product description Pasta is Italian for paste and it … Read more
There are some foods that are particularly European. Maybe people think of fine wine, truffles, baguettes and ravioli. But for cyclists there are some particular foods that stand out. As part of a series about food in Europe for riding, here’s the fourth: coffee. Product description This doesn’t need much explanation. If you have to … Read more
Followers of cycling will note that the finish of a race often sees many flags being waved. My favourite is the “Dirk Hoffman Motorhomes” board, a common sight in Belgian classics. It’s inevitable, the finish line is filmed in detail and the images are repeated on news broadcasts. In other words, it’s valuable airtime. I’ve … Read more