Rampiprima 2013- After the Dust has settled (or the mud has dried)

Conditions at the 2013 Rampiprima – Citta’ di Rovereto were a bit damp and soggy, making everyone - from the Freder, the team’s fun loving beer drinking mechanic, to each of the six FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM riders who started the race – work overtime due to sloppy course conditions.  After a week of rain in the whole of Northern Italy, the course overlooking Rovereto in the Adige River valley held up surprisingly well… but also had some surprises in store for everyone who started the race.

After a week of recovery from Gran Prix d’Inverno,  the riders of FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM lined up again this week hoping to have put the bad luck of a week ago behind them.  Unfortunately, the thick mud over large sections of the course had other ideas.  Fabian Rabensteiner showed great form (I hate to say I called it, but please see the previous post), surging into a commanding lead in the second of the five curcuits before the mud claimed one of its many victims breaking his chain and forcing him to abandon the race.  Rabensteiner, though understandably frustrated by his misfortune, was happy with his form, especially considering that he has recently recovered from the flu.

Rabensteiner launching what could very well have been the winning move

Meanwhile, Andrea Righettini, racing in front of a hometown crowd, had a rare off day in his season debut but still finished 7th in the U23 Race.  After a rocky start  (as those of us road racers turned mountain bikers are inclined to have), I was able to recover well enough to finish 7th in the Elite Race.  After a good showing a week ago at the hotly contested GP d’Inverno, Beltain Schmid was unfortunately forced to retire from the race with stomach problems.

Also in good form today was Kevin Filipozzi but he, like Rabensteiner was forced out of the race, in this case due to a crash induced mechanical.  Jenny Fontana, who was confined to watching TV (presumably) on the couch all week long due to influenza, showed tenacity in finishing 6th.

Fontana grits her teeth

Next on the docket for the FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM is a good solid block of trainig before a return trip to Tregnago for the GF Tre Valli in two weeks.  

Season debut 2.0 – Rampiprima – Citta’ di Rovereto

After a false start for about half the team last week at the Grand Prix d’Inverno in Tregnago (Verona), the FOCUS XC ITALY TEAM will continue (or restart) on the road to the 2013 World Cup at the Rampiprima – Citta’ di Roveto in the Trentino province of Italy. 

Beltain Schmid maistro of any descent

Beltian Schmid who, after the “shock” of his first race at the longer U23/Elite distance, will look to build on the experience gained in his first “Marathon.” Jenny Fontana and Kevin Filipozzi will also start their second race of the season after strong showings from each rider a week ago.  Fabian Rabensteiner will start his season after a bout with the flu last week.  After having previewed the course, I can attest that a powerful rider like Fabian could certainly go very well here.  Personally, I will restart my season after a serious last minute mechanical left me with a teammate’s bike and a front wheel in continuous braking action.

This bike will be used by its owner, not by yours truly tomorrow!

Andrea Righettini, who lives less than 10 km from the race course is certainly excited about his season debut at home.  Though he was certainly knocked down by a flu virus one week ago, I can say that he knows the course like the back of his hand.  In fact, the last time that the Italian National Championships were hosted here, Righettini broght home the Maglia Tricolore as national champion.

There surely couldn’t be many better places to start out the 2013 season.

The road to the world cup starts here for the FOCUS XC ITALYTEAM!

Groundhog Day Aftermath

Groudhog Day, unlike for Bill Murray, there is a day after

Ever sine I was a kid growing up in Minnesota, where temperatures regularly reach -20 (when its that cold, Celsius and farenheit are pretty much the same thing: cold, as in your spit could freeze before it this the ground cold). Now that I’ve escaped from North America’s version of Siberia to Verona, in Northern Italy, I’ve realized I dislike winter about the same amount. It’s not so much due to the cold, but seeing as the reason I’m here is to race bikes, I just want the spring racing season to start.  Back in Minesota, where winter will have been too present since mid November, everyone is looking forward to spring and hoping that the groundhog won't lie yet again saying that spring will come early (in Minnesota its always late March, regardless of what the rodent says on February 2).  Much like my childhood days when I learned to hate that pathological liar of a groundhog, I have another month of hard training and final prepartions ahead of the season.

Life as a cyclist living at the foot of the Italian dolomites entails a daily routine for me. Wake up and look at my “ilmeteo” weather app to check the weather at Latke Garda, The Lessina mountains, and the Valpolicella wine region just outside of Verona. Depending on which area’s weather prediction sounds least unpleasant I decide my route.  Mostly this consits of drinking enough coffee to motivate a move toward the door and into the ever present fog of the Val Padana.

Verona, just below the Dolomites

Preparing for a season on the world cup and international MTB race scene doesn’t end on the bike, however.  Holding an elite/pro license in Italy requires a slew of health and blood checks.  Nobody likes going to the doctor’s office, but going to our team doctor’s office was more like going on a villa sight seeing advenure.  Instead of the typical Nixon-era  office park that usually accompanies a doctor visit, we awaited our medical checks inside an 18^th century villa that tourists would pay to see.

Once inside the doctors office, the check up was more or less what a family practitioner would do with one exception: the cyclometer.  Electrodes are placed to your chest and a blood pressure monitor strapped to your arm while you pedal progressively harder.  If you pass, you get to go onto the next step of the licensing process: blood alalysis. All of these tests are in place as much to determine that you are healthy enough to race as it is an anti-doping tool.  In fact, most of the tests that are run I’ve never heard of, nor do I know why I have my vitamin B-12 levels tested.  Much like my days at the University of Minnesota, where I once wrote a paper on the the effect of  13^th century wool trade on the 100 years war between France and England, I’m not thinking so much as to why these exams are important, but rather thinking about when I can get the tests out of the way and start riding.

Testing on the cyclometer

After months of hard preparation and tedious, though definitely entertaining, medical testing, the season full of international racing is just around the corner.  Thankfully, in my  case, I don’t have to await the verdict of a groundhog to tell me when the fun can begin.

A Test on Christmas?

 Most people love Christmas and despise tests.  When Focus XC Italy team got together to test their new offroad training bikes, it sure felt like Christmas.  But this was a test, right? 

The new  off-road training bikes

No tree, but there sure is a lot of new gear from Fi'zi:k, Limar and Focus

It  may be January, but this weekend felt like Christmas for the Focus XC Italy Team.  We had a team get together to hand out some the sponsor gear from Fi’zi:k, Limar, and of course, the Focus Raven training bikes for offroad training.  Nobody could really wait to try the new stuff out the next day, so decided to take it out on the cross country course just above Verona on the famous “Torricelle” for training.  

Fabian Rabensteiner and Beltain Schmid look like they got just what they wanted

For those who haven’t heard of the Torricelle, it is a hill just above Verona which was used in the UCI World Road Championships in 1999 and 2004.  Just off the road, it also happens to be a perfect place for cross country racing.

Did I mention the course is just above Verona?

The team takes a moment to see the view from Castel San Pietro

The course has a little of everything, some drops, technical, rooty, rocky descents, short punchy climbs as well as longer ones.

Me on the caboose

Yea, I’m last wheel, but still stuck in.  This is just a test day, right???

If it hadn’t started to snow, I’m pretty sure we’d have done a few more laps, but after getting a good feel for the bikes, we had to head for home.  It felt a lot like being called home from playing kickball by your mom.

Gladiators ready for battle in 2013!

The usual New Year's Resolution

...2010, 2011, 2012, 2013... 

 A racer wants the same thing every year: To go faster.  

In action in my last race of 2012

My first year mountain bike racing was a learning experience that I'm looking to build on in 2013.

New Year. New Focus.

Stay tuned.

(Some of) the guys of Focus XC Italy Team. Me, Beltain Schmid, Fabian Rabensteiner (L-R)

Out of Siberia

The holidays are not easy for cyclists aiming to get into, or stay in, shape.  There is always something around to detract from a training routine.  Food, family, and friends are welcome distractions to even the most obsessive athletes.  However, for those of us from climates that turn the winter into the set of Rocky IV, it is particularly tough. 

After 2 weeks of temps around 10F (-15C) in my native hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, I'm on my way back to Verona, Italy, my home away from home.  Though I certainly didn't get out (or into) shape, I really cannot wait for the first training sessions with my Focus XC Italy Team around Lake Garda and through the famous Valpolicella vineyards.

Looking forward to a great start to 2013!