About
Hi!
My name is Flavio Zappi, an ex-professional cyclist from Italy, currently living and racing in the U.K with the Zappi’s Cycling club.
Why this blog? Well, different reasons..
I suppose the main purpose is to share with other sports lovers such as myself, my experiences (both past and present), my attempts at improving training approaches, and valuable conversations with professionals or just cycling lovers from the cycling world.
I hope you can find something of value in my blog, and any feedback will be really appreciated!
Thanks!
-
Recent Comments
flaviozappi on Zappi’s Cycling Clu… James on Zappi’s Cycling Clu… Tony Gray on Zappi’s Go Ride U16 flaviozappi on Contact Kasra on Contact
-
Archives
- March 2012 (1)
- January 2012 (1)
- September 2011 (2)
- April 2011 (1)
- March 2011 (2)
- February 2011 (2)
- January 2011 (3)
- December 2010 (2)
- November 2010 (4)
- October 2010 (4)
- September 2010 (5)
- August 2010 (1)
-
Categories
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
Hi Flavio,
We met on Tues when my wife and I came into your cafe for lunch. Sadly, I lost your napkin with your email. Thanks to Google, I found your blog, which I have enjoyed.
Are you heading out tomorrow morning, Sat? I may be busy on Sun morning (i am hoping to get a ride in a ballon), but if its too windy for the ballon, I’ll be out on the bike instead. The stiffness from Tour of Wessex has now receeded, so I was thinking of getting a few hours in, but at a recovery pace. That may not fit in with your plans, though.
Anyway, this is really just to make contact.
I am riding the Highclere Castle sportif on 7th June with some friends and then the Dave Lloyd Mega Challenge on 21st June, but I imagine that you are probably racing.
All the best,
Dom
Hi Dom I’ve posted my training diary i hope I’ll be able to see you sometimes on your bike. Ciao
Hi Flavio,as le tour starts today how about a choose the jersey winners post?
I was thinking doing a post for the TDF with race analysis and jerseys winners is a good idea, thank you.
Ciao
Hello Flavio,
Terrible the news about Laurent Fignon. I was just thinking of him this week because he was my hero in his cycling years. Asked my husband about him and so he told me he has cancer. With some googling I also found your side.
I thougt he would be around beginning of 50 years old but he’s one year younger than I am.
What about the use of EPO etc ? I think when the organisation in total ( press, sponsors…money) will come to the conclusion that cycling is not about earning a great deal of money, the cyclers can stop with using dope.
The pressure for winning is to big and is related with marketing/merchandise.
‘They’say that it is the audience that expect such extreme
prestations. This is very untrue : what we see is what we get(on television) and I will assure you that none of the spectators hopes that a cycler has used EPO or otherwise not. We wish all sporters have good prestations within a healthy condition/body !
With greetings,
Petra.
Hello there
Nice blog, came across it when googling some info on italian W. Champs – anyway a quick intro we’re a small distributor just re:launching CIOCC in the UK,and also a few other italian based products including fine art prints of cycling Legends and cycle tours with a base in the Italian lakes. We are situated in Bucks, not a million miles away from you,so if you think there may be any common ground – let me know if its worth a conversation.
Kind Regards
Nick O’Brien
Hi Nick,
sorry for my lateness…I’m Italian, some friend of mine told me about your project and yes we can talk, my club is only started in Nov last year but we have already 75 active members and 40 racers, I coach a team of U23 riders wich are performing realy well soo far and I am open to conversation, are you planning to come to Oxford sometimes?
If you do I’ve got the best panini and coffee in town, you are my guest.
See you sometimes.
Ciao
Flavio
07944877321
flaviozappi@googlemail.com
Zappi’s cafe’
67 Walton Street
Oxford
OX2 6AG
Ciao Flavio
Looking forward to seeing you and the rest of the team at the Lincoln GP next month. Can anyone join your club memnbership or do I have to be a competitive cyclist?
Grazie
Mark
Ciao Flavio
So sorry in taking so long to reply to your email. Unfortunately it is some time after the Lincoln GP and therefore I missed the opportunity to have a few words with you personally. As you said Lincoln is a very technical course and with the steep, narrow climbs, there is always the danger of something happening. I thought your boys put themselves about for at least the first half of the race and if any of them heard shouts of “Forza Zappi” and “andiamo ragazzi” that was me and let me tell you I did not have much of a voice at the end. I hope the squadra learnt a lot at the race and will come back next year, stronger. I for one think it’s great what you are trying to do, especially with all your experience of the Giro etc. As for the shirt, I generally take a size(L) so if you can tell me how much they are I will buy one shortly. For now ciao and FORZA ZAPPI E BUONA FORTUNA.
Mark
Hello Flavio!! I hope you remember me!! I worked in Harveys with you some years ago!! I`m from Brazil! Do you remember me??? I came back to Brazil to finish my studies, now i`m finishing my Pos-graduation and working in my fathers company!! Tell me about you! I can see you opened your own cafe now??
Nice to find you!!
Andre
Hi Flavio
I work with John Gibbons at Peak Sporting, i hear you have had a little trouble with your back, hope that is going ok.
I am as you are probably already aware a cycling fan and rider. I am really interested in hooking up with like minded riders in Oxford. My wife is having a haircut in North Oxford tomorrow afternoon so I will pop down to your cafe with my baby son for a coffee i am looking forward to seeing some of the memoribllia John has told me about.
I will try and get to your club night on a tuesday next week if that is ok.
Anyway hopefully meet soon
Cheers
Ski
Hi Andrew,
nice to ear from you and you are very welcome to come to the cafe’, but I’m leaving tomorrow for holiday and I will ne away until wed the 11th of August.
Hope to see you sometimes,
Ciao
Flavio
Hello, This is Ben Foxall from Cycling Plus (Britain’s Best selling Cycling Magazine) and we are running a feature on the best Cycling cafes and why to visit them and you’ll be happy to know that Zappi’s came up. So we were wondering if It were possible in the upcoming weeks to come down and photograph your café either with models or when your busy to show off your café.
Thanks for your time
Ben
Hi Flavio,
I’m from Brazil.I live in Oxford and I love cycling, so I would like to know more about your club and how I can join in. Please send me the details. Hope to hear from you soon
Thanks
Maria
Hi Maria,
if you go on the Zappiscyclingclub tab on this blog you will get all info you need, if you still need more just pop in the cafe’ sometimes any Saturdays, dont forget we are riding from 9am to 12/12.30.
Bienvenida!!
Flavio
Hi,
We are organising a charity bike ride from London to Oxford and wondered if you and your club would be interested. It is on Sunday 27th March and entry is £20. Perhaps we can drop some leaflets and entry forms into the cafe?
Fiona
Sure you can just pop in the cafe’.
Ciao
Dear Mr Zappi .
You probably won.t remember, but my son and i had the pleasure of riding with you for a short time a couple of Sunday.s a go and you very encouraging and motavating .Tom certainly needs some serious advice and guidance,although he is only 16 he is a 3rd cat rider and has done 54.12 for 25mile TT,last year . IF you think its possible to help him ,he would appreciate your thoughts .
Hi Michael,
my best is road…I’ve trained Sam Parker last year leading to the British National Championship TT U23 in september and he got 5th, but most of that was his legs
Maybe sometimes you can pop in the cafe’ for a chat, the cafe’ as been moved to the top floor at Bikezone in St Michael street Oxford and will be ready in 2/3/ weeks.
Looking forward to see you.
Ciao
Flavio
Dear mr Zappi .
Many thanks for responding to our enquiry ,your offer for a chat will be very kind and encouraging . Tom,s not wildly interested in timetrials , thats part of cycling, but he is very interested in learning to race and is fanatical on the classics.
Thank you .
Michael.
Hello Flavio,
Do you still have the cafe at 67 Walton Street?
Colin
Hi Colin,
we are in the process of moving Zappi’s cafe’ at Bikezone bycicle shop in St Michael street in Oxford city centre…we are meeting at the moment every Tuesday and Thurday mid week leaving from the shop at 9am for training. We still doing the club ride at the w/end againg from the shop at 9am.
Ciao
Hello Flavio,
I am very keen to start riding with a group to improve my speed and skill levels. I have been riding for about seven years, training for and riding sportives and charity rides. I would not want to embarrass myself or hold other people up on a club ride. Do your club rides tolerate slower riders or are they only for the racers? I’m not really slow, just not that fast either!
Hi Julian,
our club is an inclusive club, we have all ages, sex and abilities.
In our Saturday ride we split in two or three groups to accomodate fitness, speed and condition….slow, medium and fast.
Then the Sunday is more a medium one and Mike or Wylie are leading those rides at sportive standars.
The Tuesday and Thurday rides are more a competitive rides, most of the people are racers, but anybody can join and do what they can even if is going to be for just part of the ride.
All rides starts at 9am from Bikezone in St Michael street Oxford.
Looking forward to see you sometimes.
Ciao
Flavio
Hi Flavio,
In late June the iCycle cycling club, based in Bedford, makes its annual club ride to Oxford and back (115 miles). We’d really like to stop by your cafe for lunch. Is it open on Sundays? There will be about 25 of us.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Bill
Club Ride Coordinator, iCycle.cc
Dear mr zappi .
having studied your website etc,
im wondering if you have room to coach me on a racer level as i would eventually like to get to elite level . Im 16 years old a 3rd cat witha pb of 54mins for 25miles ,im not a member of a team and am eager for sensible direction .
Tom Bowering
Hi Flavio, I recently bought a new bike (it’s a hybrid Chris boardman) and really want to get out there and use it a bit. I heard about your club rides on Saturday’s at 9am and wondered if I would be able to tag along? I am pretty much a beginner and would definitely be in a slow group!! But keen to get fit nonetheless. Shall I just come along on the day? Or do I need to join the club first? Anyway I think your coffee is great )). Ciao
David.
Hi David,I
think you shold be fine there is a small group of beginners riding the slow group, so….see you tomorrow!!
Ciao
Flavio
Hi Flavio
I have been in a few time for a coffee, and have decided I need some group riding. unfortunately I am only in UK for another month or so. Can I turn up and pay for each ride or is it best to join the club. I would like to come on a ride tomorrow (19/11/11).
Look forward to hearing form you
Mark
Dont worry about pay just come along and enjoy…see you tomorrow.
Ciao
Flavio
Hi Flavio,
My wife and I love your new cafe, it’s now our only choice for lunch when we come to Oxford. Was good to see you there last week. Godd to see your fab bike too, fully Campag’d!
I come from a family of cyclists, my Dad and Grandad being pretty handy in their time, but only took it up myself when moving out to the Chiltern hills a few years ago. Having been a track runner previously, I had a bit of a head start, so love to ride the hills around here where my Dad raced in the 60′s. We go to watch the Tour of Flanders every year and I take the bike to get a few hills in before breakfast. No better way to start the day.
Last year I entered a local sportif, only 55 miles, but was in second place coming into the last half mile when I hit some oil on the wet road. I broke my femur and took a few months to get going again.
Last Sunday when out for a spin aroound some of the quietest lanes around Aylesbury, I thought I’d try a hill I’d not ridden before. I was just cruising up to th foot of the hill when a lady pulled out in front of me. My fron t wheel and fork were shattered, as was her windscreen when my head hit it. Lots of stitches and a swollen head later, I’m getting the worst part of the whole crashing situation. My wife and I are to have a baby in july, so family and friends asuming I’m going to give up the bike.
What would you say to the nay sayers? Neither crash was my fault, but because it’s been two in the space of 7 months, everyone assumes I’m a poor rider. Can’t win! I can’t bear to think I’ll never sweat up the hills again. Any advice?
Best wishes, keep racing and good luck with the team.
Steve Hanscomb.
Hi Steve,
you know what I was saying until few years ago:”3 crash a year is a standard!”
Crashing off the bike is part of cycling and a good cyclist is aware from the beginning…
Well as long they are not a major ones…last year I had a big one myself and did not stop me coming back and …race again!
Sure few people they been making jokes but this is life and this is the fun of taking in turn of making jokes.
Stay on yout bike if you are enjoing and with the new arrival it could be a great way to take some little breaks for yourself.
Keep riding
Ciao
Flavio
Thanks for the support. If all else fails, I’ll just tell them I’m in the garage on the rollers for a few hours!
All the best, Steve.
Hi
This is Kasra Gharaee, 17 years old from Iran. I have had cycling training course in Iran’s Cycling Federation since three 3 years ago. I have been fully engaged in my regular practice and successful to get in the ranking of top three in my country in Road and Time trial while my records are quite near to Asian top cyclist. The main issue for my further progress is that I suffer from lack of proficient coach in my country. Therefore, to realize my dream of joining a European cycling team, it is at utmost importance to have chance of working and training under supervision of a professional trainer/ coach. This is the reason that I seek your kind help. Please let me know how can I proceed correctly and effectively to more success in my professional sport life.
Fortunately, my parents are willing to support me and to some extent, they can afford the training course expenses.
Kind Regards,
Kasra Gharaee
Hi Kashra,
this is my email adress:
flaviozappi@gmail.com
please get in touch with me so we can take this further.
Ciao
Flavio