FlavioZappi’s Blog

Have you heard about sticky bottles ?

Well during long stages at the Giro or even at one day events, basically any time were a domestique rider needs to go back to the car and get drinks for himself or for the team is always take advantage of using the bottle as a little pull from the car to save some energies or to get to the peloton quick and easy.

Next video you will have a perfect example, is Cesare Benedetti former leader of Giro Bio for under 27 this year during a stage of the Giro Val D’Aosta:

Training back in the 80s was pretty simple, we use to meet in Gallarate near Malpensa airport at 9am all the pro in Varese area and strong amateur (dilettanti) normally about 15/20people and off on the road on row of 2 at very good pace…..

View from Passo del Cuvignone

One of our favourite ride was to go around the lake Maggiore climb up from Cittiglio (Alfredo Binda’s born village) up to Cuvignone 12km between 8/12% radiant and then down to the valley to climb again 2 more passes and back home by 2/3ish.

Passo del Cuvignone

But the interesting story is about Binda’s style of climbing training and obviously the Cuvignone. He use to tied behind his bike a big bunch of thin branches for burning on fireplace and pull it all the way to up the top of the mountain which was at the time small passage with gravel and stones.

Alfredo Binda

I guess the training suits him as he become probably the the strongest rider of his time and for a long period of time.

You probably think I’m a fan of Marco……well yes I am,  because beside all the doping issue around his story the table below easy explain why was such a great performer when was time to conquer a climb and this with or without doping aid:

Pantani

Indurain

Berzin

Armstrong

Jalabert

I was always interested in cyclist brothers, don’t ask me why but this are some of the one that I remember. By the way looks like the younger one are the stronger!

If you know of any please post me details and i will add to the list. In alphabetical order:

Algeri Vittorio e Pietro

Baronchelli Gianbattista e Gaetano

Bevilacqua Antonio e Leonardo

Cipollini Mario e Cesare

Coppi Fausto e Serse

De Vlaeminck Roger and Eric

Downing Dean and Russel

Madiot Marc and Yvon

Moser Enzo, Aldo and Francesco

Schlech Frank and Andy

Many people know Fausto Coppi story, the greatest Italian champion in many people point of view the greatest ever together with Merckx and Armstrong.

But not many people knows that is blind physio was probably also one of the greatest in his field.

Not a great rider himself during the period of Girardengo, he then develop his massage skills techniques and become a great masseur, but he become blind at 40. He never gave up and he actually  started a cycling school were young rider would live with him and with his very hard trainings, diets and massages develop and giving a chance at young riders to turn pro and start a cycling carrier.

Story of old pro are saying that he could with the feel of his hands and by listening to the noise of their heart whether they could become great rider or not.

Once become Fausto’s massaggiatore the two were inseparable and Biagio would follow the “Airone” (heron) every were in the world give him also advice on trainings and race tactics, to then develop Fausto even further in his carrier.

THE CANNIBAL!

He could win anything and wanted to. If you got time to spend to see his palmares, you will see he won almost anything possible, from 1 day racing to stage racing, crits, and 6 days.

But one thing I was told, he was so competitive that even when he was playing cards in the evening he had to win, and he was very very upset when he was loosing.

This is maybe a little fantastic, but I like to believe that is true maybe to add even more to his competitive personality.

Do you train or do you relax at the rest day?
Well Most of the “girini” (riders) are training between3 to 4 hours at steady pace, this is to do with keeping the routine of exercise, massage and sleeping. Many people feel that if do not your body the next day feels very bloated and therefore very hard at the start of the stage.

One of the myth is that very often riders that are up to the rest day doing very well they get worse after the rest day, (this are the one who need to train more), and the one which are not been doing great are improving considerably, body or mind?

Do you know that Giuseppe Saronni used to train in the summer most of the time with a woollen top, he use to say : Hey ragazzi (guys) I need to sweat. But most of the time before he would sweat he made us sweat so much