Palmares
Started my career at 15 in 1975, team was called U.S. Carbonate, category Allievo(youth), this is my first victory…
1 victory and 8 top 5 places in my first season, then 8 victories and several top 5 on 1976 (second season) including twice top 5 at the Madonna del Ghisallo mountain classic finish near lake Como…
but the highlight of the season was winning the first edition of the Trofeo Ristorante Romagna race organized by my father with the finish line just outside the entrance of my family Hotel and Restaurant, late edition was also the very first victory of my good friend and famous cyclist…Claudio Chiappucci…
and this is my brother the chef Ivan, my cycling inspiration, just after the finish…
prize presentation between my dad on my right and my DS Ugo Bernasconi on my left…
In 1978 I moved to V.C. Varese L.Ganna as Junior and won 4 races on the first year plus several top 5, then on my second year I won 8 races (4 in 10 days) almost made to the Italian national team for the junior world championship in Washington…
…on my second year I found myself more confident on peloton sprints, just below the classic Milano-Borgomanero with a long (500mt front of the bunch) sprint and victory…
In 1979 moved to the famous GS Lema, academy style team we were leaving at the top floor apartment of the Hotel Ventolosa near the alps outside Bergamo…
Lead by the great director sportif Domenico Garbelli…
I managed in my first year as dilettante on winning 4 races of wich the very important Castellania-Alassio also called the race of Coppi…
training was hard and lifestyle was almost like a monk, very strict diet lead to make me lose weight and struggle most the season, despite winning few races on my first year, this is the face of a very tired Flavio…
on my second and last season as amateur or dilettante 1st category, I moved to G.S Monti, a moved wich I deeply regretted.
I’ve still managed to get great results and getting my pro contract, but despite the generosity of the management and technical support, I think leaving Garbelli was the greatest mistake.
Anyway as I said managed to win 5 races of wich the piccola Milano-Sanremo and another International early season…
then the targa d’Oro of Legnano…
practising my peloton finish again…
Lead for 2 days oat the “Settimana Lombarda” International road race (in the photo with Moreno Argentin)…
and 5th overall at the “Giro della val d’Aosta”….
Refusing the national call for the Tour of Polonia was another stupid mistake, maybe because of the comfort of my pro contract for 1981.
Pro team Hoonved/Bottecchia…
After a slow start of the season this is my first victory on the top of the mountain stage of the Giro del Trentino were attacking at 2 km to go I’ve managed to keep a small distance to the rest including Francesco Moser and Moreno Argentin raising star of the italian cycling winner of 2 Liege-Bastogne -Liege, many stages at Giro, etc…
gained the leader jersey for the overall classification and lost it at the last time trial stage off Roberto Visentini.
During the same season Giro D’Italia we won Team time Trial Giro d’Italia creating a great surprise by winning in front of very important team as Bianchi, Inoxpran Carrera and Moser team Famcucine…
Several top 10 place on Giro delle Puglie, Giro d’Italia and Tour of Suisse…
1981 Top five in Italian Championship and first of the neo-prof, Coppa Placci…
and again almost get into the national team for world champs in Goodwood, got in the top 5 in 2 of the 3 pre world selection races , but missing a 20 people b/away on the third one and loosing the national jersey call…
1982 not much racing due to surgery on the Achilles tendon, I’ve then moved on 1983 at Metauro Mobili Pinarello, were I spent most of the year working for my team mates, Lucien Van Impe and Joan Van der Velde were the joint captains…
In 1984 I regain confidence in my performance and started well with 12th at Milano-Sanremo and 18th at Paris-Roubaix….
and several top 10 at the Giro the same year, holding green jersey for 2 weeks til last stage won by Laurent Fignon…
In 1985 I’ve moved to Team Murella/Rossin, I had finally gain position for been amongst the top riders in the team, Garbelli was back, although was not coaching because he was sponsor with his company Rossin bikes.
The all team were coached by a new way of thinking in cycling and Aldo Sassi very young at the time started his career with us.
Errors were made and 10 out of 12 riders did not have a contract at the end of a terrible season including myself.
Aldo Sassi then became in the latter years a very recognized quality coach with Mapei and then set up is coaching business looking after several athletes, Cadel Evans and Ivan Basso amongst those.
My career then ended with few appearances in 1986 when I’ve attempted to ride solo without a contract.
Ciao.
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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!
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Hi Flavio
We were workin at OUP on Friday,and stumbbled upon your cafe,a big up for your hospitality and complimentary expresso, hope to get a few boyz down on there bikes before Christmas.
All the best Tom
hi there,
>
thought you might be interested in my recent travels.
> so there I was reading ‘cycling weekly’ about doing the Tour Of Flanders bike sportive. A race
> full of history and I googled it, 5 mins later and an impulse purchase was made. on friday I found
> my way to bruges via eurostar and onto the hotel cassle bergh both highly recommended.
>
> opened my bike and found that my headset had come apart! bit of a nightmare trying to find a bike
> shop open in an unfamiliar town at 5.45pm on good friday but fluked it. then
> took my bike for a spin in bruges on friday and thought these cobbles aren’t too bad. felt in good
> shape, ate well and off to bed.
>
> woke up early to eat and it was pouring and the flags were flapping………..er great only
> 255km of wind rain hills and cobbles to go. 100′s of bikers all anxious to sign in and ge off
> quickly out of the cold. got captured by belgian radio who tried to give me the impression that it
> was complete madness to do ‘flanders’ on my own. the penny had already dropped and realised it was
> important to find some friends(!) to ride with or the wind would just do me in.
>
> found a bunch of fellow londoners and got to first feed. rain cape on and off all day.
> worst part for me was the first 50Km to ostende. so windy and hardly anyone working together
> effectively. when we hooked back inland the wind was mainly to the side and with the showers made
> it hard work. took care to eat, drink, pee, rest when required but often co-incided with very good
> feed stations.
>
> having french and enough spanish allowed me to tag in and out of groups as needed making sure I did
> my turn on the front. the only issue really was both my knees started aching about 140km (probably
> because saddle mispositioned). blagged a couple of painkillers at a feed station and on I went.
> got lucky a few times, missing crashes in front of me and cars (oops).
>
> now those cobbles………the cobbles on the course are way, way different to the ones in bruges.
> you’ve got big cobbles with wheel sized gaps inbetween that could be a worm hole that takes you into
> a different dimention (e.g. the nearest hospital). so much rain had made the cobbles very greasy,
> difficult almost impossible to get out of the saddle at all. that’s why it favours strong guys who
> can push that gear round rather than pedal floaters such as contador. I appreciated every gram of
> my 82kgs but always kept the cadence 55+ with 90+ on the flats.
>
> however did all the climbs except patenberg, busy so had to get off and the muur which I totally
> messed up forgeting the 2nd part beyond the little square – blew up big style. did koppenberg by
> waiting for a clear run at it (and a very helpful big push from a very helpful big dutchman) and all
> the others including getting 2nd wind and dropping my group on the last climb the bosberg.
>
> tagged onto a pair of local belgians did the last 20km or so back into ninove, by which time it was
> dark. hard, hard day took me 12hrs with stops but got my card checked so happy. blagged a ride off
> some more lovely belgians back to bruges from ninove as there were no buses left.
>
> finally got back to bruges, showered and ate myself silly on ‘chips with fremish stew’ (which could
> have been horsemeat which I love by the way). clean, fed, watered in a very comfy bed with ‘match
> of the day’ on the hotel tv – as near to bliss as possible!
>
> right that’s flanders done, next year paris roubaix or milan san remo!!!!!
>
> for you tecnocrats;- used kuota kom with dura ace 7900 53/38 13/27 mavic r-sys ssc and continental
> 4000gp (NO PUNCTURES!!!!)
>
> take care all,
>
> check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmkC2FynBkU for the koppenberg
>
>
> Julian Cousins
>
>
>
a bravo bravo bravo…………….
Ciao Flavio,
I live near the Small Batch coffee shop in Hove and I heard from Al and Brad that you came into the shop. I am sorry that I was not in the shop to say hello. I remember you riding in the 80′s and have enjoyed reading about your return to the sport and your development team. You are also a coffee fan so what is not to like; Italian cycling and a good coffee. Keep up the good work and I hope you enjoyed Small Batch they are a good bunch of guys who really care about their product.
Davie
Hi Davie,
I need to ask few info about Brighton and Hove cycling scene…can I get your email adress?
Best
Flavio
flaviozappi@googlemail.com
07944877321
grande con queste foto mi stai ricordando i piu bei giorni della nostra vita.,tu eri un grande,solo che avevi momenti difficili nella tua anima,diversamente saresti diventato un grande corridore.,,,
grande,con queste foto mi fai rivivere i piu bei giorni passati insieme. tu eri un grande corridore.che ha avuto meno di quello che valevi se la tua anima fosse stata piu tranquilla saresti stato nu grande campione ciao amico mio.