Red Hook Criterium Milano

Last Saturday I was in Milano to follow the last race of the Red Hook Criterium Series.
I've to say that I didn't assist to a Criterium, I assisted to a Masterpiece.
Seeing all the riders (men and women) on their minimal bikes and in their colorful leotards made me feel part of an incredible show.
I participated, as a spectator, to all the previous edition, but this time, finally, a new concept of cycling has been reached.
It can be summarized in: Cycling as a work of art.
The riders and the spectators were perfectly mixed and were part of the same big artwork.
The urban circuit has been the perfect scenario for the birth of this new form of art and cycling and where could this happen if not in Italy, the cradle of art and culture?

Answer The Survey And Find Out Who Will Be The Rider Of The Tour de France 2017

Who is the rider of the Tour de France 2017?

Kittel

Matthews

Barguil

Bardet

Froome

Uran

Yates

Calmejane

Aru

Landa

 

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Giro 100 Pt. 3

I want to  divide this brief Impression in three parts, because we've just finished an intense week.

SPRINTS & SPRINTERS

Last week has been the week of Gaviria, he claimed and obtained a place in the sprinters' elite.
He dominated the sprint, winning each  time in a different way, showing the world his multiples skills.
Ewan could be the only one faster than him, but he is too small and struggle too much while fighting for position.
Sam Bennet is supported by an incredible team, but unfortunately found a sprinter stronger than him.
I'am a bit disappointed by Greipel, he could not be satisfied with just one stage win, even if it gave him the pink jersey.
If you are one of the best sprinters in the world, you have to do something more to remain in the elite, considering that, as we said, you have a new impressive opponent.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AND PINK JERSEY CANDIDATES

I've never seen Tom Dumoulin so confident and self-aware.
He demolished his opponents on his field, the TT, but what he did on the Mount Oropa climb is even better.
He won on the Pantani's climb wearing the pink jersey, what else do you need to be considered a champion?
He has learned a lot from his Vuelta's defeat and will fight 'til the end of the Giro, with a great TT waiting for him in Milan.
Quintana is the strongest climber of this Giro 100 and it seems to be the only one capable of attacking Dumoulin.
We will see, we have great week ahead.

TEAMS

What can I say about Quick-step Floors?
The Wolfpack is honoring the race and demolishing its opponents on the roads of Giro 100, winning and exciting the crowd on any terrain. What a team!!
The last consideration is about the so many teams that haven't already gotten anything from this Giro 100 and that are doing nothing in order to justify their participation.
You will understand of which teams I'm talking about once the Giro is over, reading the upcoming article in which I'll rate the teams.

The Legend of Peter Sagan - Milano-Sanremo 2017

I've alwaye heared old people saying: "yes, nowadays there are good riders, but when there was Coppi..." or "but when there was Merckx...".
Nobody can say this anymore watching Sagan riding his bike.
Sagan is able to do romantic feat in a cycling dominated by technology and mathematics.
What he did on the Poggio during the 2017 Milano-Sanremo has been something that will remain in the history of this sport.
Milano-Sanremo in recent years has become a sprinter Classic and organizers where thinking about modify the route. This is not necessary anymore, you need champions, not route modifications in order to have great races again.
Yesterday the plot of all the romantic masterpieces was respected once again, the main hero didn't win, beaten by a clever and strong rider, the former World Champion before the Sagan's era.
I don't think this is the start of a new dualism, Sagan is simply The Hero and will have to face many different riders trying to defeat him.
Kwiatkowski deserved his Victory, he won in the only way he could against The Hero and will be remembered in the Milano-Sanremo winners list, but Sagan will be always remembered as The Legend and his presence in the Winners list of the various races will be just in the back burner.
Sagan doesn't know the cycling history, they say, It doesn't matter, It is more important making it.

Strade Bianche 2017

WHAT-A-RACE

This edition of Strade Bianche has been amazing! The rain made the race harder and just the true men survived 'till the end!

Kwiatkowski and Team Sky will remember for a long long time this victory, one of the best of his great career.

Nevertheless, two important facts emerge from this hard race characterized by this hard weather conditions:

1) It is important to underline that fighting for the victory there were just great World Tour Teams, none of the new teams were fighting for the victory in the end.

2) We can say the same about the riders, in this case it is partially different because a lot of good riders, among them the World Champion, weren't fighting in the final but there wasn't any Carneade.

The riders fighting for the final victory were all good riders representing solid World Tour Teams.

In a race like the one we assisted today there was no space for naive teams or riders, so congratulations to Team Sky and Kwiatowski, confirming themselves even in the hardest racing condition.

2017 Best Racing Kit

After 10 days of hard battle and tons of votes, Orica-Scott's kit has been elected the best 2017 racing Kit. Congratulations!!!
This is just another trophy in 2017 for the team, which seems to have started the season in the best way.
Caleb Ewan has dominated every single sprint during the Tour Down Under and now everybody is curious to see him in action again in Europe.
Milano-Sanremo? Why not! In recent years it has been a race for Aussies and I think Caleb will be happy to continue the tradition.

Just a quick comment on the two worst kits of 2017: Bora-Hansgrohe's and Uae Abu Dhabi's.
There is nothing to say, the two kits are horrible but, while Sagan's vitories will comfort Bora-Hansgrohe, who will help UAE Abu Dhabi?

Which WorldTour Team Has The Best Kit For 2017?

Which WorldTour team has the best kit for 2017?

AG2R La Mondiale

Astana Pro Team

Bahrain Merida Pro Cycling Team

BMC Racing Team

Bora - Hansgrohe

Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team

Dimension Data

FDJ

Lotto Soudal

Movistar Team

ORICA-Scott

Quick-Step Floors

Team Katusha - Alpecin

Team LottoNL-Jumbo

Team Sky

Team Sunweb

Trek - Segafredo

UAE Abu Dhabi

 

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Neoprene Cycling Gloves (Bontrager Trek Factory Racing)

I've tested these gloves the 31st of  December, It was -4° C and at the end of my training my hands were boiling.
The Bontrager Trek Factory Racing gloves: 100% neoprene with a bit of silicon on fingers and palm are an incredible product, one of the best I've tested so far.
They are incredibly comfortable and easy to slip on and slip off.
The gloves present a little padding that makes them confortable even on cobblestones; the silicone part on fingers and palm allows you a better bike handling.
The gloves are completely waterproof, even in the worst weather conditions.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back folks!
Hope you enjoyed your holidays riding a bike or watching cycling.
The Olympics races have been really emotional.
Nibali's crash was tremendous and remembered me a similar one he did in the final kilometers of the cycling World Championships in Florence, Italy.
Sagan has tried to write a new page of history but unfortunately luck wasn't on his side.
Cancellara has won a gold medal in the year of the retirement following the example of Vinokourov in London.
Nevertheless the most emotional medal has been the one of Viviani, I think that the entire cycling community cried with him on that track.
Now it is time to vote the rider of the month...

Answer The Survey And Find Out Who Will Be The Rider Of The Month

Who is the Rider of the Month?

Contador

Aru

Groenewegen

Froome

Lopez M. A.

Sagan

De Bondt

Quintana

Dehaes

 

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Rider Of The Giro

Congratulations to Steven Kruijswijk who has been elected rider of the Giro d'Italia 2016!!!

A special mention goes to the team Etixx - Quick Step Pro Cycling Team that gave aeverybody a lesson of tactics and showed how to work as a team.

Nibali, The Human Champion

In one of the worst Giro ever created by the organizers, the Alps and the riders keep the Giro d'Italia the most exciting Grand Tour of the year.
Nibali, supported by a strong team and a gigantic Scarponi, is the main character of this Giro: the human and humble champion.
He didn't demolished the road: he fought, he struggled, he won, this is what true champions do.
There has been a lot of chatting around Nibali but Vincenzo, with his Sicilian charcater, kept riding  and fighting.
I think that now Nibali can be definitely considered one of  the top Grand Tour riders in the world, if not the best.
I don't know how many Tour de France winners of the latest years would be able to do what Nibali did in this Giro, but that's a matter for a separate talk.
There is just one stain on Vincenzo's epic quest, but it is not his fault: Nibali won't celebrate his victory in Milan, the city of the Giro d'Italia. This is the last shitty surprise coming from the organizers; luckily tomorrow it is the last stage.
Imagine to win a Tour de France and celebrate riding the last stage in a place different than Paris, this is what will happen tomorrow.
Thank you Nibali, the human champion.

Team Vs. Individual Sport

There in as everlasting diatribe: Cyling is an individual or a team sport?
This Giro is proving that you can play it and maybe (we have to wait until sunday) win in both ways.
Etixx - Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team is the most representative example that cycling is a team sport. They came to the Giro without a real champion and with their perfect team tactics were able to: win stages, keep the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey) and the red jersey for a few days and maybe (we have to wait until sunday), win the white jersey.
Steven Kruijswijk is proving that you can win a Grand Tour alone, trying to affirm that cycling is an individual sport.
Once again the diatribe can't be settled, it depends on Kruijswijk. If he will win the Giro, this would be a seatback for the supporters of the team sport side.
Nevertheless, if Kruijswijk will loose the Giro, this would be a knockout blow for the theory affirming that cycling is an individual sport.
The last 3 stages of the Giro d'Italia are not just a battle for the final podium, they are a battle between two different conceptions of cycling.