InGamba – The Magazine 2018

O PATRÃO

EMOTIONAL GUIDE

João Correia

Ann Edlen

PUBLISHER

FOOD SERVICES

Colin O’Brien

Amy Sweeney

O BALA

TEAM CONSULTANT

Jim Merithew

Kerri Shelly

ETIQUETTE EXPERT

OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CHAIR

Beatriz Severes

Jon Biele

WORD HERDER

FASHIONISTA

Bill Gifford

Giordana Andretta

PRESSERS OF BUTTONS

GREENSKEEPER

Ashley Gruber Jered Gruber

Paul Casey

TROUBADOR ORIGINAL DONKEYS Jay Lidell Paul Daniels Pete Giese Paul Thomson

David Helfrich

PROOFREADERS Zöe, Liam, and Thomas

THANK YOU MAYOR Paolo Cioni

CORVARA BUREAU CHIEF Mark Bianchi

LAURA SPENCER’S HUSBAND Ted King

BOSS LADY Katie Bolling

PRO PELETON POSSE Helder Gomes Luis Gomes Jorge Queirós

SPIRITUAL LEADER Patrick Sweeney

Alex Craddock, Ed Keller, Ed Scheetz, Jamie Streator, Jonathan Heiliger, Mike Dudgeon, Nathan Codding, Nelson and Allison Bebo, Manuel Bottazzo, Nate Loyal, Paul Rosica, Phil West, Todd Thomson, Tom Hacket, mErCh, Inga, Andrew Reed, Aaron Olson, Kim Anderson, Fausto Pinarello, Giorgio Andretta, Michil and Mathias Costa, Lorenza Sebasti, Marco Pallanti, Chris Zigmont, Dain Zaffke, Peter Lago, Nicoló Idlos, Elizabeth Reeder, Dan Hickle, Chris Ritchie, Lisa Colombelli, Laurens ten Dam, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Lee Hutchinson, Bill Gifford, Bill Strickland, Tiiu McGuire, Manuel Correia ... and The Godfather.

ISSUE NUMBER 018 ANNUAL PUBLICATION SAN FRANCISCO INGAMBA.PRO — The Magazine was made possible by the infinite talent and generosity of all the people listed above.

Their enthusiasm and willingness to participate is what made this project what it is today. If you are interested in collaborating with inGamba, dis­ tributing it, or being a part of our projects in the future, please contact us at hello@ingamba.pro

A LIFE WELL LIVED FROM THE DESK OF JOÃO CORREIA

This past summer, I was having lunch with a friend who also happens to be a brilliant creative director. He said to me that stress is the gap between how you live your life and how you want to live your life. The thought stuck with me, and I spent the following few months deliber­ ating over what that meant for me personally, and how it manifested in what we do at inGamba.

I've been thinking about cycling, and what it means to me, a lot over the last year. I'm an ex-racer and a professional sports agent, so I don't think I'll ever be over the competitive side of it. It's a part of who I am. But I'm also a guy in his early 40s with a family and a demanding business. So my relationship with the bike has changed a lot since I last pinned on a race number with any real expectation of finishing near the front. These days, cycling is about more to me than watts and results. Where I used to spend all of my riding time building muscles and trying to get from A to B as quickly as possible – now I want to use those precious hours to also build relationships with people. I want to enjoy the journey rather than just rushing to the finish line.

I’ve come to realize that biking, like life, has at least two layers of experiences: the outer world of the bikes, food, team, friends, and entire culture around the sport; and what goes on inside of me.

Embracing the inner experience, what the bike does for me, has been incredibly rewarding. And, I've always prided myself on the fact that inGamba provides the best outer experience anyone can have while riding. We have the fastest bikes, the coolest equipment, and the nicest kits. More importantly, we have great people – from the guides, soigneurs and mechanics, to the restaurateurs, hoteliers, and winemakers – that make our trips so unique. Until recently though, I don't think I gave myself enough time to really understand how one’s personal experience can come together with external elements to create unforgettable adventures.

As I look forward to the 2018 season, I hope that our trips feel like being on a pilgrimage. As you travel to the kind of enchanting desti­ nations that most people only dream about, I want you to also have the opportunity to leave the predictable patterns of home life behind.

You will have the chance to examine your personal sense of vision and mission and return home renewed. As our trip unfolds away from 10

everyday responsibilities and patterns, we will all have time to express our passions and experiences in a way that isn't always possible at home.

It's easy to appreciate the tangible part of inGamba: The five-star hotels, Tour de France-winning bikes, delicious bottles of wine, Michelin-starred meals – they are all awesome. Anyone who's ever met me will know that I enjoy the finer things in life and I'm not about to turn my back on La dolce vita. In fact, I want to make the sweet life even sweeter. By giving more time to think about things like relation­ ships, an engaging conversation I had, or maybe the intrinsically pleasurable act of just riding a bike for the hell of it – all of these things mix with the outer experiences to make for unique and enriching life moments.

Our aim at inGamba is to strike a balance between the internal and external experience when you're traveling with us. The fleet from Pinarello really is exceptional. Zipp and SRAM have done an unbe­ lievable job with the wheels and the wireless-shifting, disc brake groupsets. I honestly think that our friends at Giordana make better clothing than anyone else on the market today. And I know for a fact that our guides and support staff are the best in the business. But I hope that your time with inGamba can be about more than all that.

It will be life-affirming … and that's not the kind of experience that you get from “stuff.” It really isn't all about the bike. Sometimes, it's just about being open to everything that's going on around you.

Enjoy, João Correia 11

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THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

22 PINARELLO F10 24 WHAT'S IN MY BAG

JOÃO CORREIA

26 TEN DAM'S TOP TIPS

LAURENS TEN DAM

30 PORTUGAL 32 FORM & FUNCTION

COLIN O’BRIEN

44 THE SLIDESHOW

SCOTT FOREMAN

56 TUSCANY 58 NIEPOORT

COLIN O’BRIEN

68 DOLOMITES 70 STAYING WITH IT

BILL GIFORD

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TAO GEOGHEGAN HART

COLIN O'BRIEN

78 PROVENCE 80 THIS BELIEF THAT...

ANN EDLEN

82 LAMBS TO SLAUGHTER

COLIN O’BRIEN

86 CATALONIA 88 FROM Ø TO HERO

JIM MERITHEW

92 CHEERS! 96 THE INGAMBA FAMILY 102 CALIFORNIA 104 FRASI FRASES PHRASES 110 12 TIPS FOR A PERFECT WEEK 112 WHY I LOVE LECCHI

JIM MERITHEW

Thule Chasm 40L Thule The Chasm is just that, a giant duffel bag. But it's also so much more. It's the first duffel bag where we can actually feel just a nudge organized. With its internal mesh pockets and thoughtfully-placed compression straps, the contents of our Chasm don't turn into a desperate reorganizational mess every time we need to reach into the bag. And with the ability to carry it as a duffel, or strap it to our backs in backpack mode this has become our go-to bag when we need a second bag when heading to Europe.

— thule.com

Zero Pedal Speedplay Dual-sided entry. Walkable cleats. Almost endless amounts of adjustability. A rainbow of color choices. If you’re not already using Speedplay, run, don’t walk to your local bike shop and get a pair or three. Your knees, feet and back will thank you. We promise.

— speedplay.com

Fizik Antares 00 Carbon Braided Road Saddle fi'zi:k Boy, oh boy does my bum love this saddle.

Built with carbon rails and a carbon shell, the Antares and all of Fizik’s carbon railed saddles are lightweight and, thanks to the WingFlex technology, very comfortable.

Whether you are a Chameleon, a snake or a bull Fizik has a place worthy of putting your patootie.

— fizik.com 14

THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS We're lucky enough to have some of the greatest partners in the business. So if you want to upgrade your game, check out this top-shelf kit from the best brands in cycling.

Sunglasses Oakley We wore these Oakleys all of last season and we're not ready or willing to trade them for any other shades. I mean what would we trade them in for? These are the top of the top shelf in cycling glasses.

This is one of the rare products where form and function meet right in the sweet spot. We have clarity in our love of the Oakley Jawbreakers.Â

— oakley.com 15

Luggage Tag Alessandro Stella Alessandro Stella is Italian. He makes things with his hands. He’s a craftsman, nah, he's an artisan. We wear his shoes, and we hold our pants up with his belts.

So when we decided that we needed fancy leather luggage tags for our guests, we couldn't have gone anywhere else. They make us happy. We believe they will make you happy, too.Â

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Fizik Knits

FR-C Pro Jersey

fi'zi:k

Giordana

More comfort and more breathability.

Count us in. Our little piggies were already happy as can be with our team Fizik R1 cycling shoes, but when Fizik announced they were knitting one and pearling two to bring a pair of Knit R1s to market, we were properly stoked.

Secured with a pair of boas and built on Fizik’s uni-direction full carbon outsole, these kicks are the perfect blend of form and function.

We love to wear Giordana. We don't say that because they're a partner – they're a partner because we want to wear them. The FR-C jersey is everything we want in a cycling jersey, and nothing we don’t. The fit, function and fashion are all spot on. This jersey never fails us and, with the amount of abuse we throw at them, that's saying a lot. Get some Giordana in your ride. You won’t regret it.

— fizik.com

— giordana.com

eTAP WiFLi rear derailleur SRAM What could make our beloved eTAP even more amazing? How about a bailout gear for those days when climbing the Passo Giau is not going as well as you had hoped? The new WiFLi rear derailleur allows you to run that lovely 32. Add this little bit of insurance to the crisp shifting, amazing braking and super clean build of your SRAM eTAP equipped whips and 2018 has the potential to be the best riding year ever.

— sram.com

Synthe Helmet Giro If you love it, put a lid on it. We love our heads, and we love our Giro Synthe team helmets. The Synthe is the perfect combination of aero, lightweight and comfort. And while we appreciate the fact our melon is protected like the gold at Fort Knox, we also appreciate how pro it looks while doing its job. We particularly love the extra bit of bling brought to our guides lids by Victory Circle Graphix

— giro.com

Nut Butter Clif Bar Normally, we'd stick to the tried and trusted mantra: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But Clif Bar have proved us wrong by ripping open our favorite ride snack and stuffing it with nut butter. So to the genius at Clif who came up with this idea, all we can say is “Thank you.”

— clifbar.com

Park Adjustable Torque Driver

Bidons

Park Tool

Elite

When you ride a custom PInarello F10, the last thing you want to do is be working on it with subpar tools.

The F10 deserves the big, beautiful blue tools from Park. One of our favorites is this adjustable wonder, with the ability to dial in from 4-6 Nm. So whether you are trying to get your seatpost bolts set or make sure your headset is perfect, this blue, boutique beauty brings science and specificity to your game.

When you run your touring company with the precision of a World Tour team, you have to hydrate your riders like the pros. For that reason, we choose Elite water bidons – just like Sky, Sunweb, BMC Racing, Movistar, FDJ, AG2R La Mondiale, Mitchelton-SCOTT, UAE Team Emirates, Team Dimension Data and Bahrain Merida.

— parktool.com

— elite-it.com

Race Rain Bag Scicon Our custom Scicon rain bags are roughly the size of a large shoebox and designed to keep you prepared regardless of what the day brings.

Some riders keep the bare minimum in their bag, but the sage veteran will effectively keep a spare (or two!) of everything one might need on a long day: shoe covers, leg warmers, knee warmers, an extra baselayer, arm warmers, gloves of all varieties, vests and jackets, neckgaiters, cycling caps, winter beanies and even an extra pair of shoes. This small, unassuming piece of kit is designed to sit in the team car, allowing a level of comfort even on the most uncomfortable of days.

— sciconbags.com

Buffalo Bike World Bicycle Relief We love our Pinarello F10 team bikes, but if you are going to buy just one bike in 2018 we hope it is a WBR Buffalo Bike. For just $147 you can help close the distance to school, work and life in general for people in the developing world. We have seen first hand how this program is having a positive impact in peoples lives and knowing we are part of sharing the Power of the Bicycle with others makes our rides all the more sweet. We donate 2% of all trip sales, and along with generous donations from our guests, the inGamba community has raised just over $1 million. Won’t you join us?

— worldbicyclerelief.org

Nytro

Corsa

Pinarello

Vittoria

Wish you could do the club ride with all your fast friends? Or do you dream of doing the great climbs of the Dolomites, but can't find the time to train five days a week? Perhaps you know a special someone who you'd like to ease into the wonderful world of road biking. Well, Pinarello has the power to fix all this. Nytro power. The new Nytro gives you up to 400 extra watts in a form factor that is truly Pinarello. So whether you're looking to hang with the cool kids, or just need a little extra foundation for your wattage cottage, look no further.

Regardless of where we’re riding, we know we can depend on the Vittoria Corsa. Riding over the Portuguese rollers of the Alentejo, climbing and descending the Dolomites or ripping down the white roads of Tuscany, these clinchers have taken everything we have ever thrown at them.

— pinarello.com

454 NSW Carbon Clincher Zipp Zipp 454s are their highest performing wheelset ever.

Ever. The sawtooth design is wicked aerodynamic and reduces the wind drag from any and all directions. They’re more stable in a crosswind, faster on the flats, descend like they're on rails and we can’t stop dreaming about them. Can you say “poppin’?”

— zipp.com

— vittoria.com

Dogma F10 Disk inGamba Edition Pinarello How do they make our favorite team bike of all time better? They add SRAM hydro disk brakes and a pair of Zipp 302 carbon wheels. The Pinarello F10 is the finest steed on the road, with an amazing blend of reassuring steadfast behavior and anger. This blend allows you to have an uncanny confidence in how the bike will behave in every situation, with the understanding this whip is ready for go time. And now with the added confidence the hydro brakes bring to the equation, we are rolling into 2018 like we own it.

— pinarello.com

WHAT'S IN MY BAG? I own a travel company, so it won't surprise you to learn than I spend a lot of time away from home. Packing efficiently is key if you travel a lot, and I stick to a few of my favorite items whenever I'm on the road.

But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style, once you prioritize quality and versatility. — João Correia

Palácio Belmonte The Belmonte is much more than just a great hotel. I’ve actually been going there since before it even opened to the public, and I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else in Lisbon. It’s a place where you feel the history in the walls, but like many things that are special, it’s the people you meet there who make it so unique.

— palaciobelmonte.com

French Collar Shirt Brunello Cucinelli I first met Brunello Cucinelli when I was working for Esquire Magazine just after the millennium. Back then, he was a small Italian designer with a passion for how a man should dress.

I fell in love after hearing him speak about fabrics.

— brunellocucinelli.com

Stan Smith Adidas As much as I like leather boots, my day to day shoes are Adidas trainers.

I’ve been on a kick lately with the Stan Smiths both in black and white and there’s a reason they call it a classic.

— adidas.com

Duffel Bag

Leather Boots

Brooks Brothers Duffel Bag

Alessandro Stella

Before my freshman college roommate brought me to Brooks Brothers, I'd always thought like an athlete – function mattered more than fashion. That shopping trip introduced me to a whole new world of style, and I've been careful about how I dress ever since. I bought this bag somewhere in the mid to late 90s and it's still going strong.

I first walked into Alessandro’s bespoke shoe shop in Siena when I was in college, traveling around Europe on an eating tour with my roommates during Spring Break. I’ve been going back since then and dozens of pairs later, it’s still a special thing to put on his shoes in the morning.

— brooksbrothers.com

Sweater Brooks Brothers When the storied American brand was bought out by the Italian Caudio del Vecchio, one of the smartest things they did was create a younger hipper version of the classics.

Collaborations with designers like Tom Brown and the creation of the Black Fleece line breathed new life into an American institution.

— brooksbrothers.com

Trousers Rag & Bone A friend from LA introduced me to Rag & Bone only a few months ago and I fell in love with their pants.

Between these in green and a pair of blue jeans, that is pretty much 90% of what I wear every day.

— rag-bone.com

Stationary

The Portugieser

Smythson

IWC Schaffhausen

Everybody should have their own stationary. Even if we are more used to e-mail and texts these days, it’s still nice to write things out by hand every once in a while and send people notes. I travel around with not only letterhead, but with stamps too.

I love my watch. It’s the only possession I own that I actually worry about losing. I bought it when my son Liam was born in 2005 and still remember teaching him how to wind it and telling him that when he gets married the watch is going to be passed on to him.

— adidas.com

— iwc.com

Champion T-shirt Todd Snyder Since I travel so much and like to pack light, my go-to items are usually simple and versatile. These t-shirts were a collaboration between Todd Snyder and Champion. I have them in multiple colors and they go with everything.

— toddsnyder.com

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TEN DAM'S TOP TIPS

Live slow, ride fast. That's my motto in life. When sit­ ting in traffic or in a line at some airport, I remind myself not to stress out or to run around like crazy, trying to fix problems that are out of my hands. I save my energy for the important things in my life, like my wife and kids, and of course, my bike rides. Being well-rested and ready to give 100 per cent is a pretty basic part of being an elite athlete, but I'm always surprised how many amateurs – and even some pros – think that they can burn the candle at both ends and still expect good results. There are so many distractions in modern life, but we all need to slow down, look around, and enjoy the moment. I take satisfaction in the small things in life, trying not to get sidetracked with all the irrelevant stuff. Save your energy for the bike, and leave it all on the road.

Laurens ten Dam is a top-10 finisher at the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, and in 2017 he was the road captain for Team Sunweb's historic Giro d'Italia victory with Tom Dumoulin.

He's also a big fan of camping, barbecue, and beer, so he knows a thing or two about creating a lifestyle that combines elite performance with plenty of fun.

Words by Laurens Ten Dam Illustration by Susa Monteiro

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Keep your momentum, and try to mix it up. It can be so hard to restart after something big, but momentum is key. Right after the Tour de France, I usually have a packed schedule of criterium races around France, Bel­ gium, and Holland, or I might be off to the Clásica de San Sebastián. When I come out the other end of that hectic schedule, I can back off the gas a little, but I still have to stay on top of my fitness and keep to some kind of train­ ing regime. I like to ride with friends and go mountain biking, because it takes my mind off the pro circuit and reminds me why I love cycling so much. Not every pro is given so much freedom to train and travel, but my team trusts me because I have a proven track record of staying in good shape and always arriving to training camps and races in good condition. That wouldn't be possible if I was doing the same thing every day for 12 months of

the year, even though I get paid for it, so as amateurs you can't expect to maintain motivation for the whole season without some variety. Cross, gravel, MTB, it's all good. Just get out and ride, and never forget that bikes are awesome.

Learn to let go. Everything is a succession of ups and downs – and we just need to deal with it. I've had big races when I've gone home ecstatic with my performance, and I've had years at the Tour de France when I've left Paris knowing that I could have done more if the circumstances were only a bit different. Being a pro as long as I have been is only possible if you can learn to move past that disappointment and channel it into the next thing. We can't predict illness, a crash, or an echelon when the pace is high. The beauty of life is in its unpredictability and any time things don't go my way, I remember that fact, and focus my energy on doing my best the next oppor­ tunity I get.

Don't exaggerate. It makes me laugh when I meet amateurs who stick to stricter diets and training pro­ grammes than most pros. It's too much, and in my opinion, unsustainable. Cycling is great, but there's more to life, and if you can't remember that fact, you're probably not going to be a lot of fun to be around. I'm a professional athlete who trains all the time – rain, hail, or shine – and who abides by a super-specific diet to keep my weight in check, but I still enjoy cooking barbecue for my kids and drinking a good Belgian Tripel with my friends. There's a difference between being passionate and committed, and being a masochist. Don't forget that.

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Leave time for some love! My family are my other team, my home team. My wife Thessa arranges every­ thing, so I can focus on what I do well; riding my bike as fast as possible. We have a good balance. When I’m away for weeks at a time, I don’t have to worry about how things are going at home. Around the time of the 2017 Giro, I was only at home for a total of six days in eight weeks, so that’s important. I teach the kids my values, or I try to. But I don’t push them into doing what I do; if we go to a restaurant and they want french fries, then they have them. They’re kids and they need that. We have three traditions when I come home from a race; we camp out on my boat, I make them a stack of my special pancakes in the morning and we go mountain biking in the dunes. That’s what they love to do.

LAURENS IS MANAGED BY INGAMBA'S FOUNDER, JOÃO CORREIA, WHO CRASHED INTO THE DUTCHMAN'S AMBULANCE AT THE 2010 TOUR DE SUISSE, WHILE RACING FOR CERVELO TEST TEAM. DESPITE THIS UNIQUE FIRST IMPRESSION, THEY'VE BEEN FRIENDS EVER SINCE.

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PORTUGAL Welcome to European cycling’s best kept secret. From the cork trees and the arid plains of Alentejo to the verdant hills of the Douro Valley, where some of the world’s most interesting wines are being made, Portugal is a treasure trove of great riding, diverse culture, rich history and incredible flavors. The variety of riding on offer here is stunning. One day you’ll be rolling along on quiet roads through the country’s agricultural heartland, enjoying the charm and the cuisine of its myriad little towns, while the next you might be working your way through the stunning Serra da Estrela national park, where the country’s highest peak, and all of the stunning views that it provides, awaits you. And farther north, towards Porto, you’re treated to perfect tarmac on empty, winding roads, surrounded by sweeping panoramas of the undulating vineyards that flank the Douro river as it snakes its way out towards the Atlantic.

FÁTIMA

LISBOA

VIANA DO CASTELO BRAGA BRAGANÇA

PORTO LAMEGO AVEIRO SARZEDA MARIALVA

VISEU PINHEL

GUARDA

COIMBRA

SERRA DA ESTRELA

CERNACHE DO BONJARDIM

CASTELO BRANCO

FORM &  FUNCTION Manuel Bottazzo is one of the bike industry's most creative minds, and for the past two and a half decades, he has been shaping how the sport looks and feels.

Words by Colin O’Brien

If you're into road cycling, chances are that you've used something designed by Manuel Bottazzo. The Italian is one of the bike indus­ try's most respected, and prolific, designers, and over the course of a career almost three decades long, he's worked on everything from grand tour-winning bikes and components to shoes and clothing.

He's done kits for World Tour teams and advertising campaigns for major events. And his products are everywhere. Do you like those hot Fizik shoes the inGamba crew rocks? Or the graphics on our Pinarello F10s? He did those. Remember the iconic design on Bradley Wiggins' bike for the Hour Record? He did that, too. We can't start listing off the greatest hits in his portfolio, because we'd run out of space, but we do want to introduce you to his work and his ideas because we think he's one of the most interesting people in cycling.

How did you get into cycling?

My dad was a track cyclist, after the war, and he tried everything to turn me into a bike racer. He didn't succeed, because like every other Italian boy at the time, I loved soccer and I lived to play ball on the street, kicking around with my friends. I joined a club and had some good results playing as a goalkeeper, but it wasn't going to become a career, and then I joined my first design agency, where the boss needed someone who had some ideas about how to make bicycles look good. Everything started like that, as is almost always the case, totally by chance. I actually think the first thing I designed for a bike was for the Mercatone Uno team – where Eros Poli raced.

When did you start to fall in love with it?

Cycling was something remote for me in the beginning, but by immersing myself in that world, I began to realize that there was something that fascinated me, a deep side, a real struggle with oneself for every rider, a strong challenge with the mind. I always say that road cycling is a sport that comes with maturity, I think it's difficult to make children fall in love with it, because it's a sport that often leaves you solitary and requires great suffering before 34

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you get to the fitness levels that allow you to actually enjoy the bike.

You have to be willing, you need a desire for solitude, a determina­ tion to dig into ourselves, but if you have all that, then the reward for that sacrifice will be enormous.

I really like a quote from Alfredo Martini, the most famous manager of the Italian national team: “Cycling is knowing oneself. It teaches you to know each other, to understand each other, to comprehend and – something which is not easy – to recognize the value of others.”

What was your first memory of cycling?

Very clearly, my dad pushing me off down the little street in front of our house, and getting a taste of that flying sensation. That's something I dreamed of doing with my own daughter, I think it's an indelible memory for all of us, perhaps similar to the first time a child walks. It's an unforgettable event.

If we're talking about real cycling, it was on my dad's old road bike, a dark green Lygie. As a kid I thought it was horrible, but looking back on it now, it was beautiful, the rich paint, with all the writing in gold, and the chrome brightly polished. It was a work of art. He kept it in the living room, covered with a bedsheet.

Fausto Pinarello gave me my first road bike in 1996 and that really ignited my passion. It was a Pinarello Paris, in aluminum, white and pink, the colors of Team Telekom. It had belonged to Rolf Aldag.

Beautiful. With it I made my first climbs, the first conquests, and my love of cycling was truly born. I haven't stopped since.

How did you start in this line of work?

I'm not sure if I've ever started working, because for me, it's a plea­ sure. My daughter asked me once why I decided to be a designer, and I thought about it and thought about it, and looking down at my hands I focused on a big cut on my thumb, which is the sign of my first creative idea: I was six years old and coming back home from school, when I found an opened can of meat on the ground.

For whatever reason, upon seeing it, I had the idea to do something special at home, and when I picked it up, it cut my finger deeply.

Today, that thumbprint is my logo because I think it perfectly rep­ resents the beginning, my first creative idea.

How long have you worked for Pinarello?

I started in 1992, I'd just come back from Paris and I was looking for a place to start doing this job. I was literally taken on as an assistant at no cost, but as destiny would have it, that little design studio had just started working with a bike company in Treviso, where Fausto had just taken the reins. They wanted to give some color to the bikes, they wanted to stand out, and it was the perfect job to put the new guy to the test. I've been there 26 years now, and seen a lot, I was there in the old factory and saw the new one being built, but above all I grew up with the boys, with the men, who made Pinarello, I lived with and lost Andrea [Pinarello, who died tragically young in 2011], and shared a life with Fausto. In parallel, I grew up, I built my own family, and my own studio.

Do you have a favorite thing that you've designed?

I've done a lot of things, tons of them. I actually find it hard some­ times to look at old hard drives, because they're full of so many beautiful things, so many memories, challenges, satisfactions. But if I have to choose one, in terms of commitment, satisfaction, success, it's absolutely the launch of the Dogma F8. It was a bike that marked a profound change in Pinarello. Everything was done very quickly, because that was our strength, we were small, but fast and efficient, with clear ideas. And we weren't wrong – today it remains the great­ est success of Pinarello. It's the kind of thing that in other companies would require huge resources and budgets. We proved that with the right ideas and the right people, we had no rivals. I'm proud to be a part of that.

How is an idea born?

Usually the day after a big presentation. I'll come home, and often the first question I have in my head is, “And now? what am I doing next year?” I think my secret is to never look at other bicycle

manufacturers, I'm away from the cycling world, I'm looking for ideas in other fields, in cinema, in music, in fashion, in everyday life. I go out on my bike almost every day in the summer, often alone or at most with one or two friends, and that's where I can find the ideas, the right inspirations. Pedaling alone, talking to myself like a mad man – that's when the mind becomes free, that's where creativity explodes.

Are there recurring themes in your work?

I love dynamism, so in all my graphics there is always the sense of being projected forward, the graphics must "push" the bike, even when it's stopped it should look fast, made to fly. I love the raw frame, I like touching it, passing my fingers over each corner, on every curve, to understand where the colors can flow, where there could be the point of contact or of detachment. After that, I let it sit in my office for a few days without doing anything, I just look at it when I come in, or when I'm drinking a coffee, and slowly I start to have different ideas, different perspectives, but everything has to come from the bike.

From there, I can start dressing her.

What makes a truly great product in your opinion?

Emotion. I'll only buy if the thing excites me. These days I'm lucky to do things that I love – bikes, shoes, clothing, which I want to wear. It's all to my taste, because I can't design just to please a client. I don't like to do three or four proposals, I always try to focus on the best one, and

if I propose it, it's because I'm sure it's the right one. I am a design­ er who prefers beauty to functionality, and I know that that way of thinking can worry some people, but I love beautiful things more than functional things. Santiago Calatrava's Ponte della Costituzione bridge in Venice is one of the most dangerous and defective bridges in the world, but it is monstrously beautiful. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is completely useless, but I have sat for hours admiring it. I loved what Steve Jobs and Apple did with Jony Ive. They made useless and expensive computers that heated up like a gas boiler, but they were beautiful, all glass and clean edges. We should surround ourselves with beautiful things. Nature has taught us that.

How do you see the future of design?

Honestly, I haven't a clue, you're asking the wrong person. I don't think about the future, or at least I try to think of it as little as possible. I live in the present and I try to enjoy every moment. My future, and that of my design, we're making today. If I work well now, that future will surely be beautiful. It's like riding a bike, if you keep pedaling, you can get anywhere, but you have to remember to keep raising your head often to enjoy the view. Keep looking around you, because life is now.

TO SEE SOME OF MANUEL'S IMPRESSIVE PORTFOLIO, CHECK OUT MANUELBOTTAZZO.COM

THE SLIDESHOW Photography by Scott Foreman Words by Jim Merithew

If you're a fan of inGamba, then you're more than likely a fan of Scott Foreman. For the last five years, Foreman has been the visual genius behind our inspirational videos. More than one of our guests has admitted to having spent hours watching our clips from Tuscany, Provence or the Dolomites. Even we can't stop ourselves from click­ ing “play” anytime we happen onto one of our destination pages. And although Foreman has cases and cases of cameras and lenses and drones and toys, it's his extraordinary visual sensibilties that make the magic. No doubt the tools help, but it's his sense of style and tim­ ing, along with his love of his craft, that draws us to his work. Add to that his dedicated and driven staff at Cultivator Labs, and you have a visual team capable of exceeding inGamba’s high standards. So when he told us that he'd shot some “stills” on chromogenic slide film, and that he was going to cross process them in color negative chemicals, we knew we had to give them pride of place as the photo feature in our magazine.

LUCCA PISA

LIVORNO TUSCANY How can we describe Tuscany? We could start with the alluring landscape, a patchwork of color, all undulating swathes of ochre and olive draped out to the horizon in every direction. This is a land that's equal parts peasant and noble, a miscellany of farms and palaces, of crum­ bling stone walls and cypress-lined, narrow strips of dusty, uneven, occasionally hellish gravel.

Then there’s Siena, as much a work of art as it is a city, with a skyline of terracotta towers and gargoyles, watching over a warren of slender streets, arches and marble facades, bound up by Medieval fortress walls. The city’s famous Piazza del Campo, one of the world’s great squares, characterized by red brick, gothic flourishes and narrow balconies with crooked, hand-wrought iron rail­ ings, is home to the iconic Strade Bianche spring classic, and also to the world’s oldest horse race, the Palio, a tense equine battle between the city’s divided neighborhoods famous for political chicanery, bribery, deception, betrayal and occasional violence.

Tuscany was the birthplace of the renaissance, and cultural treasures await around almost every corner. It's also one of the world's culinary heartlands, home to an abundance of wonderful produce, some of Europe's most celebrated vineyards, and chefs that combine centuries of tradition with modern flourishes to produce outstanding dishes that you won't find anywhere else. But perhaps most importantly, Tuscany is home to wonderful people, and it's their warmth and amiability that really make this such an unforgettable destination.

ELBA

FLORENCE

GAIOLE IN CHIANTI

AREZZO CASTELLO DI AMA

SAN GIMIGNANO

LECCHI SIENA

MONTALCINO

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GETTING TO KNOW NIEPOORT Words by Colin O’Brien Photography by Jim Merithew

We're on a modest street in Matosinhos, a port city just north of the Douro river that these days has been swal­ lowed up by Porto's urban sprawl. It's a working-class neighborhood, and walking down the Rua Roberto Ivens, a modest, cobbled street not far from the waterfront and the docklands of the Port of Leixões, it's hard not to feel like we've taken a wrong turn somewhere. The road is lined with old terraced buildings, some of which have collapsed in the back, leaving only the facades. Others are clad in traditional Portuguese tiles, many of which are chipped or faded. Where there is paint on the walls, it's peeling, and almost all of the plasterwork is cracked. We pass a lot of people dressed smartly and clearly hurrying to an office somewhere, but this corner of town feels a little unloved.

There are some cafes, complete with laminated pictures of food in their windows, shops selling electrical supplies and auto parts, and a couple of bars and night clubs with salacious signs outside, but little to suggest we're in the right place for some fine dining. Shows what we know.

Dirk Niepoort is waiting for us at Restaurante O Gaveto at the end of the road, opposite a high-rise car park.

There's no noticeable signage and if you weren't paying

attention, you might miss it on first passing, but on clos­ er inspection, the weathered metal and glass frontage hints at the smart and stylish looking eatery that's just behind. Inside, the décor is mostly white, with an open plan dining room and double-height ceilings that create a great feeling of space and an atmosphere that's relaxed, while still clearly being serious. There's fresh fish on dis­ play, and a table full of wines that someone has selected with great care, and it's clear that the focus here is on epicurean, rather than extraneous, detail.

We're late, and while they've kept us some seats, lunch has begun. The table is full of anchovies, sardines, goose barnacles, seafood rice, clams, bacalhau. And glasses.

A lot of them, being emptied and refilled at pace, as our hosts eagerly open bottles and compare notes. It turns out that Dirk isn't the only winemaker at the table. He's brought his friends, and we're being treated to a crash course in the best of Portuguese wine by the country's viticultural VIPs. Much like the restaurant, Niepoort's appearance is unassuming, and the dark blue shirt he's wearing, sleeves rolled up, under a weathered and worn-in cargo vest, gives him the utilitarian, hands-on look of a

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craftsman. It's at odds with the more formal attire of his friends, and yet somehow, it doesn't look out of place.

Niepoort, as you've no doubt already noticed, isn't a Portuguese name. Francisco van der Niepoort came to Portugal from Holland in 1842. In a place that has its roots in Celtic settlements around 300BC, that makes the family relative newcomers. But in the context of modern Porto, a seafaring city that faces out to the world and has always had a history of both immigration and emigration, the Niepoorts are an indelible part of what makes this place special. Their name has come to repre­ sent the best of port, arguably the region's most import­ ant export, and something that is perhaps better known worldwide than many of the city's modern attractions.

After all, they arrived some 44 years before the iconic Dom Luís I Bridge was completed to span the Douro river, five decades before the city's famous soccer club had first kicked a football, or its iconic tramlines had begun navigating through its narrow, winding streets, and a full century before the invention of the Francesinha, a humble sandwich that many natives point to as a drool-inducing, meat-filled and gravy-covered symbol of their home town.

Dirk's complexion and his accent are still northern Euro­ pean, but both his family and their company are deeply woven into the fabric of contemporary Porto.

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Since taking the reins from his father in late 1990s, Dirk has developed the Niepoort estate into one of the most respected and innovative wine brands in the world, branching out from their traditional port offerings to expand and improve their wine range, with the aim of redefining what a wine from the Douro valley can be.

At first, that met with some resistance and unfavorable reviews, but it doesn't take long in his company to know that Niepoort isn't the type to spend much time worrying about the opinions of others. He stuck to his convictions, and in time, those opinions changed. So too did expec­ tations. What was once considered to be a region poorly suited to the production of high-quality wines is now creating some of Europe's best. Farther from home, Dirk is also busy with a new project based in the Mosel, Ger­ many's oldest wine-growing region, alongside his son Daniel and a German winegrower. He describes these wines, all variations of Riesling, as dry and deliberate.

You could use the same words to characterize the wine­ maker's conversation.

“I don't really give a shit about the wine journalists.

An article just came out, and one of our wines was among the last in the wine ranking, but I think it's one of the best wines ever made in the Douro. The journalists are important, but I don't run after them, and I don't care

about the points. In fact, I don't like it. I think it's a very American thing, to try and define 'the best.'

“I'd rather build up our reputation organically, and then when everything else is in place, the points can be helpful. But if they come too soon, they just distort everything. You get people who don't know a thing about wine, buying it because they've seen the score someone gave it. And if you don't get the same points the next time, they stop buying it. So you become totally depen­ dent on that system, which I think is destroying how we think about wine. There's one journalist here, he's a good friend of mine, and he's openly saying bad things at the moment about our 2015 Batuta, provoking my people, joking about it, but if he tries it with me, it doesn't work.

I don't care. My general manager was upset about it, he thought something had gone wrong, but I said, 'No, they just taste differently. And that's ok.' This work requires a lot of attention to detail, and we're always fine-tuning.”

It's nice to imagine that the fine tuning takes place in settings such as this one, with glasses being passed around between friends, without any of the ceremoni­ ousness or solemnity that all too often ruins a good wine tasting. It all happens with speed, and there's no room for bullshit. A wine's weaknesses are noted as openly as its strengths. As its what we're currently drinking with

the food, the conversation turns to table wines, and Dirk's exasperation at the industry's obsession with seriousness.

The word “fun” is used a lot to describe what he thinks a wine should be. His idea of a good one is something that goes well with friends and long conversation, without stealing the show. Some of those on the table are so good that they can't help grab your attention, the Turris, in particular. Hailing from one of the family's oldest vine­ yards, the grapes had for years been used to add complex­ ity and depth to their other wines, before being allowed to express themselves solo, in 2012. The result is a genuinely unconventional wine that leaves a lasting impression.

“When I started, they thought I was crazy. No one was doing it. Some people made wine, but there was only one famous Portuguese red, Barca Velha, and it wasn't even labeled as Douro. It's strange to say now, that I was one of the first, because today everyone makes wine in the Douro. The wine side has become very important – 70 per cent of our sales. Our company used to be insignif­ icant compared to the big names like the Symington Family, and in a way, on the port side, we still are. But when it comes to wine, we're bigger than them now.

That's been a big change.”

On that note, there's a change at the table, too. The plates are cleared and in an instant, a new array of bottles

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appear. The selection of modern, progressive reds give way to tradition, to the fortified vinho do Porto that first made the Douro famous. There's a selection of Niepoort's finest, along with a 1980 Vintage from Warre's. The star of the show comes courtesy of the man from Symington, who has brought a bottle of Graham's colheita from 1882, a port from the year that Andrew Symington first arrived in Portugal. Having the luxury of trying them all alongside one another, even we, neophytes, begin to appreciate just how wonderfully complex a thing is port.

“Port is like the English language,” offers Dirk. “It's the easiest to learn, but the most difficult to understand.

There is so much nuance. To speak English is simple, but to really understand an Englishman, with his double and triple meanings, it's very tough. This is what port is all about. It's not hard to make, but to make it perfectly?

Almost impossible.”

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LAKE COMO

LAKE MAGGIORE

LAKE ORTA

LAKE LUGANO

MADONNA DEL GHISALLO

LAKE ISEO

MILANO THE DOLOMITES Home to some of the world’s most captivating scenery and its most exciting roads, the Dolomites is where cycling history has been written and where many of its myths have been made.

These mountains, once the scene of bloody confronta­ tion between Italian and Austrian soldiers in World War I, these days act at the backdrop for the Giro d’Italia’s most engaging battles. Pordoi, Giau, Falzarego are just some of the infamous passes that cut through this dramatic Alpine expanse of northern Italy, where the breathtak­ ing cliffs of the Cinque Torri loom large over countless switchbacks and where the flushed stone of the upper peaks glows pink in the summer sun.

Everyone from Fausto Coppi, Felice Gimondi and Eddy Merckx to today’s heroes like Vincenzo Nibali have had to tame the Dolomites before becoming true champions, and it is a definite must-do for any amateur rider who wants to test themselves and experience what it’s really like to follow in the tire-tracks of legends.

HOTEL LA PERLA PASSO GARDENA PASSO PORDOI

PASSO DELLO STELVIO

TRE CIME DI LAVAREDO PASSO DI VALPAROLA PASSO DI FALZAREGO PASSO DI FEDAIA

PASSO DI MARTIROLLO

TRENTO

MONTE GRAPPA

TREVISO VALPOLICELLA

LAKE GARDA

VENEZIA

VERONA

Why getting dropped will make you stronger

STAYING WITH IT

Words by Bill Gifford Illustration by Rita Parente

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The first time I got dropped, I didn’t even know what that meant. Looking back, it’s possible that I had been dropped on other occasions, possibly many times. But this was the first time where I realized what was happen­ ing. I had just moved to Philadelphia, and one Tuesday afternoon I decided to go for a ride after work. I had an old steel Peugeot with downtube shifters, and purple cycling shoes with sparkly straps.

Passing in front of the Art Museum, I noticed a group of cyclists lounging around by the Rocky steps, looking like a gang of feral cats. A bunch of them had matching jer­ seys, and I wondered why. I pedaled past their disdainful looks and headed out on a road paralleling the Schuylkill River. The crew boats were out, and I watched the rowers.

Then, about ten minutes later, I heard a buzzing sound behind me, like a swarm of insects. It was coming up fast.

Someone yelled, “SLOW RIDER!” and seconds later, a swarm of racers were blowing past me. “Slow rider!” they yelled. “Slow rider! Slow Rider!”

Did they mean me?

Yes, they did. There were about fifty of them, and as the last one shot past I sprinted to try to catch on to his wheel. No dice.

I asked around and learned it was a weekly Tuesday night training ride, known as “The Drives” because it circled the parkways on either side of the river, looping back down past Boathouse row and the Rocky steps.

The following Tuesday, I came out at about the same time, and once again they came up behind me. This time I was ready. I pedaled faster, so that by the time the last rider passed me I was going almost as fast as the pack.

Almost, but not quite. I hung onto the last guy’s wheel as long as I could, which wasn’t very long. A two-foot gap became 10 feet became 50 yards, and they slipped away. No matter how hard I rode, there was no catching them. My legs felt like they were full of spider venom.

The third Tuesday, I made it farther, all the way to the bridge where the group would cross and come back down toward the Art Museum. Mercifully, the pack slowed down (it inevitably does, I later learned). One of the guys in the matching jerseys, who rode for one of the big local teams, rode up beside me. His legs were shaved and shiny, I noticed. To my surprise, he was friendly. “Relax your arms,” he said. “Let the blood flow to your legs.”

It helped, but I still got dropped about a half-mile down the road. The Drives was like that, one of those Weekday World Championships that you’ll find in just about every cycling town. It was a big, ugly, hairy, ultra-cutthroat, sometimes unfriendly, fast and dangerous ride on a busy road with some pretty serious manhole covers. I loved it.

Eventually I got so I could last a full lap, then a lap and a half. I got addicted to that feeling of flying along with a big, fast pack, the hum of the gears, the dance of the wheels, the feeling of danger. I’d even take a pull

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now and then, which almost always resulted in immediate droppage, but I did it anyway. It just hastened the inevita­ ble: Every single week, pull or no pull, I’d get shelled and slink home, feeling like I sucked.

But actually, I didn’t suck, as I would soon find out. * As a recreational rider and mainly a mountain biker, I’d always been happy to go my own pace. That’s part of the joy of cycling, the freedom to go wherever you want, how­ ever fast you feel like going. Sometimes nice and easy on the bike path, and sometimes hard, like up a rocky sin­ gletrack climb. In road cycling, though, it’s all about the group. You’re riding at someone else’s pace, and staying with it is pretty much the game. Whether it’s a breakaway in a race, a big group ride, or just a few friends out on Sunday morning, you either stay with the group, or spend the rest of the day alone in Suckville.

The group gives you a physical advantage, reducing the amount of aerodynamic drag, but it’s also a mental boost, just feeling like you’re part of a collective effort, a sled dog in the pack. The paradox is that while it’s almost always easier to ride with a group, staying with it can sometimes feel next to impossible. You feel tired, you’re fighting the bike, eating the wind, and the dark thoughts invade your mind. Two feet becomes ten feet becomes fifty yards, a

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distance you can’t close, and it’s bye-bye. The worst part is that you can still see the group up ahead, slowly but in­ exorably pulling away from you. Then a few minutes later you feel fine, and realize it would have been easier in the long run to just not let yourself get dropped. Of course you could have gotten through the bad patch.

That’s part of what cycling – and specifically, getting dropped – teaches us. You actually can go harder; you actually can get through whatever pain you’re experienc­ ing, even if it seems unimaginable. Cycling lets you push yourself, or be pushed, to places where non-cyclists (who I think of as “civilians”) don’t get to go. Getting dropped is intensely painful, of course, but at the same time, it makes you stronger; you went to your limit, mental and physical. Most people don’t get to do that. Most people can’t do that. At least not in athletics. Life is another mat­ ter; life has a way of pushing you to the extreme, at times, whether you want to or not. You have to get through the bad patch, and keep going.

When I got into road riding, all those years ago in Philly, I was going through my own bad patch. I’d over­ turned my life and moved away from my hometown to take a new job, which turned out to be not quite what I’d hoped it would be. At the same time, I was enrolled in a graduate-level seminar in sociopathic girlfriends. (Leave it at that.) Also, my apartment had rodents. The Drives overtook me at just the right time. Getting dropped, hard,

taught me to fight through pain, to fight to survive. I put my job on autopilot for a while, and focused on riding.

At some point, I decided to try a road race. I’d raced on dirt, but this was a new challenge. One Saturday morn­ ing in August, I rolled up to the start of a Cat 5 race, as nervous as I’d ever been. I started at the back, where I thought I belonged. It was a hilly circuit, and soon I was riding around around guys who seemed to be going too slowly. There was a pack forming up ahead, and I pushed hard to try to catch on, just like I'd done on the Drives.

It worked. “Nice pull,” said someone behind me. It was painful, but the pain went away soon enough and I stayed with the group, trying to keep to sixth or seventh wheel.

It felt a lot easier than the Drives, but I still focused all my attention on following the wheels, staying with it. When I turned around and looked back, a couple laps later, there was nobody behind us. I finished sixth.

Years later, in Portugal, on a long, slow, maddening false-flat climb, I found myself dropped again. Like, really dropped. Really most sincerely dropped. It had been years since I’d ridden “seriously” on the road, and I have to admit, I kind of gave up. We were four days into a tough eight-day trip, and I needed a little break.

So I sat up, soft-pedaled, pulled out my phone for some picturesque Instagramming. A couple of guys blew by and yelled at me to get on. Nope, nope, nope. I pedaled along quietly for another few minutes when someone else

whooshed up beside me. José.

José the bull. “Come on!” he yelled, pointing to his wheel.

“I’m just riding home easy,” I replied.

“No, you’re not!”

It was more like a command, so off we went, and for a long while there was nothing but the road, the hot wind, the dry Portugese hills, and far ahead of us, the tiny black dots of the group. We buried ourselves, and it was a feel­ ing I hadn’t had in a long time.

Long story short, we caught them.

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TAO GEOGHEGAN HART Team Sky's brightest young talent talks to inGamba about joining the World Tour, the pressures of being at cycling's biggest team, and his favorite thing about being a professional bike racer.

Words by Colin O'Brien Photos by Jim Merithew

Tao Geoghegan Hart is the great hope of British cycling.

Born in Hackney, London, not far from Bradley Wiggins' neck of the woods, he's just 22, and yet it already feels like he's been around forever. Those in the know have long been touting him as one to watch, and his name is appearing with increasing regularity whenever the next generation of grand tour talent is discussed. The future, it seems, is very bright. And yet, he's not rushing into it.

Back in 2015, he rode as a stagiaire for Team Sky, but when a contract was offered, he politely declined, preferring to return to the US-based Continental team Axeon-Hagens Berman, reasoning that his development would be better served on the U23 scene for another 12 months.

It's the kind of offer that most young riders dream of, but the Londoner was proved right in his choice, because after a successful 2016 season that included an U23 British National Road Race title, Sky once again came knocking, and this time, found the young rider ready and willing to answer. Since then, it's been a steep learning curve, but not without results, and while Geoghegan Hart was main­ ly focused on settling into his new surroundings, it didn't stop him bagging top-10 finishes at the Tour of California and the Tour of Yorkshire.

With his sights set on 2018 and the possibility of his first grand tour start, we caught up to find out what it's like being the new guy at pro cycling's biggest team.

How would you rank your first year on the World Tour?

It has been a good year, I raced a lot, gaining experience of a wide variety of races and roles within the team and I was part of some big results and wins within the team. I really enjoyed racing for the team and discovering plenty of new races I had only previously watched on TV. You described the 2017 Worlds TT as your “least well executed time trials of the year.” How important is it for a pro to be able to move on from disappointments, and is that something you find easy or hard?

I woke up the morning of the TT with a minor chest in­ fection that has since taken me almost a month to shake.

It was disappointing but these things happen, it is a long season and sometimes there is very little you can do. You can only focus on what you can control.

You could have moved up sooner, but chose to stay with Axeon-Hagens Berman. Why did you go that path, and do you think it was the right decision?

Well equally, I could have stayed with Axeon another year, so it just comes down to the timing and I felt like it was the right time to move up. My agents worked hard once we had decided that and in the end they orchestrat­ ed a move to Sky, the team I was most eager to join. I think the timing was spot-on, I am glad I took the third

year (2016) to keep improving in the u23s, but equally I am glad I didn't remain an u23 category rider a year longer.

What's it like going from U23 to the biggest team on the World Tour?

It is a step up but I felt that it was manageable and I had been well prepared for it. In 2016 I raced 65 days and this year moved up to 80, so it was a jump but not astronomical. A big part of Axeon was that we raced across two continents and I think that experience was also really helpful in adapting to the World Tour. Having the ability to soak up the travel, time changes and all, without letting it compromise your ability to race and perform.

Why Sky? Did you consider other teams?

Sky was the team I wanted to join for a number of reasons.

From our early conversations I had a great deal of confi­ dence in their ability to provide a good environment for me to grow in. They were eager to have me within the team and I was equally very keen to join so it was a good fit. I think as a rider with future GC ambitions it is a great team to join, with the chance to learn from some of the best GC riders in the world.

What were you most happy about, in terms of your career, in 2017?

My consistency throughout the year, from January through to late September.

What are your big goals for 2018?

To step up within the team and when given the chance, start to prove myself as a leader.

If you could win one race, which one would it be, and why?

The World Championships Road race. It is iconic.

What are you favorite, and least favorite, things about being a pro bike racer, and why?

The travel. I love visiting new countries and meeting new people. And we are lucky to spend time in some amazing places. But sometimes it would be great to spend some more time with family and friends, to be there for the good times and the bad.

TAO IS MANAGED BY CORSO SPORTS MARKETING, ONE OF THE LEADING AGENCIES FOR YOUNG AND EXCITING CYCLING TALENT THAT WAS CREATED BY INGAMBA FOUNDER JOĂƒO CORREIA AND HIS PARTNER KEN SOMMER.

GAP

MONT VENTOUX

AVIGNON

NÎMES MONPELLIER

SALON-DE-PROVENCE ARÈNES D’ARLES

MARSEILLE TOULON

DIGNE-LES-BAINS

GORGES DU VERDON

NICE

MONACO PROVENCE

ST. TROPEZ

Home to some of the Tour de France’s most iconic beauty, and one of its most feared beasts, riding in Provence is all about sleepy little towns, seemingly endless fields of lavender, the rugged, gruelling allure of Mont Ventoux, and everything in between.

Ever since the Greeks first established the city of Mar­ seilles more than 2,600 years ago, this part of France has been attracting foreign explorers from far and wide. The Romans dubbed it Provincia Nostra, ‘Our Province,’ in 118BC, a name that stuck, and that is still remarkably apt for the modern cyclist who will arrive to find a terrain at once both familiar and completely new, full of classic roads inextricably linked to the world’s biggest bike race, and boasting plenty of lesser-known wonders too.

This is a land of idyllic countryside, vibrantly colored in purple and green, dotted with enchanting hilltop villages and bustling local markets. Expect to indulge in some of the area’s lusted-after wines and its rich, mouth-watering cuisine, and of course, to discover a rich tapestry of cycling heritage that makes it an unmissable experience for any serious rider.

THIS BELIEF THAT...

Words by Ann Edlen Illustration by Carolina Maria

... you can do anything for a minute, is a certainty for my spin coach, Kirk. Literally. A disclaimer here, he’s not actually “my” coach, he’s my husband’s coach. Mark is a competitive athlete and I gave him Kirk for Christmas several years ago. I’m just a hanger-on.

My experience, on the other hand, is that not all min­ utes are the same. The minute he is often referring to is the last minute of a three-minute set spinning at 23 mph at your maximum watts. I didn’t even speak “spin” until I joined his class and I am far from fluent.

I do know that the seconds that make up his minutes are EXCRUCIATINGLY SLOW. In those few moments when the perspiration flowing from my eyeballs clears for an instant and I can see the gizmo that tracks my efforts, the seconds do not “tick” by like a metronome, they “tick” by as in pissing me off because they appear to be STUCK. This situation probably results in “real” athletes digging deep, getting tough, doubling down, telling themselves that pain is temporary and success is forever (that actually is more spin talk from the coach). Not for me. The words in my head tell me that I am going to DIE, that stopping is the most intelligent thing to do and, after all, I’d rather be smart than dead.

Clearly, at some point the minute does pass and I do not pass on. When enough oxygen returns to my brain for me to be able to focus, I often do feel a tiny bit of ac­ complishment. That is until one of two things happen.

It is time to begin again or I happen to catch a glimpse of, or a comment about, the numbers, watts, that reflect effort on the bike.

WATTS. Not watts like in the abbreviation “watt’s up,” but watts as in, well actually, I still have NO idea what watts are other than, like many things people

measure, the bigger the number the better. (Just as an aside, this is the way I wish the numbers on the scale worked!) I, who you remember have almost died during the last minute (the one where you can do anything) of the set, have recorded watts hundreds of numbers smaller than everyone else, who I might add certainly did not contemplate that their last minutes on earth might be spent on a bike, at dawn, in a dark room, in spandex, with their feet firmly attached to the pedals.

As another aside, I have indeed imagined that losing consciousness with your feet “clipped” into a station­ ary bike would result in really, really serious injuries to both your body and your psyche (if you lived that is).

To be fair, the other truism of coach Kirk is: “what’s work for you is work for you”. Ok. In this particular class what’s work for me is a pre-warm up for the athletes, and what’s work for them is, well let’s just call it fatal for me. In the interest of full disclosure, I have indeed gotten stronger, one tiny watt at a time. I, however, cannot seem to buy completely into the mantra that you can do ANYTHING for a minute. The are many, many things that I can do for a minute, a large measure of them entirely pleasurable. In fact, those seem to be the minutes I’m most attracted to. But, I will continue to get up two mornings a week, in the dark, bike shoes in one hand, coffee in the other and make the trek to the studio. I will adjust my bike, clip in, start to pedal, and wait for that moment, one minute to go in the set, when coach Kirk appears at my side, puts a hand on my shoulder, and whispers into my ear: “You can do anything for a minute”. He believes it. And for now, he believes it for me too. I guess that’s what keeps me coming back.

LAMBS TO SLAUGHTER On the final Friday of the 2016 Giro d'Italia, Steven Kruijswijk went to bed with the Maglia Rosa all but won. By the next afternoon, however, his dream had turned into a nightmare. And as the Dutchman's race fell to pieces, Vincenzo Nibali defied both the odds and the critics to snatch victory in the most dramatic way possible.

Words by Colin O’Brien Photography by Jered Gruber

Stage 19 of the 2016 Giro d'Italia, and Vincenzo Nibali was out of form and out of ideas, a shadow of the gutsy, un­ predictable racer adored by the Italian tifosi, and nothing like the dynamic champion who had won the 2010 Vuelta a España, the 2013 Giro or the 2014 Tour de France. Only five other riders have won all three grand tours, and the press were slow to write him off, but deep into the Corsa Rosa's second week, criticism was building. The Dutch­ man Steven Kruijswijk had surprised everyone with his resilience, growing more comfortable in the Maglia Rosa every day. And if he cracked, went the common consen­ sus, it would be the affable Colombian Esteban Chaves who would profit. Nibali was out of the running. Nibali, some argued, might even be finished.

What had happened, no one knew. Paolo Bettini, the 2006 and 2007 world champion, was one of several to publicly question his compatriot's decision to change his pedal crank length so late in his career. Emilio Magni, the team doctor at Astana, blamed a surprise physical problem and promised extensive testing. Nibali's coach, Paolo Slongo, insisted that he'd take his rider home if he was sick, saying that they didn't want to “scrape the bottom of the barrel,” while Giuseppe Martinelli, Astana's veteran team manager, said it was “a difficult moment, the most complicated of [Nibali's] brilliant career.”

The 31-year-old Sicilian, normally a picture of com­ posure, looked ill at ease, and more than a little upset at the flak fired his way by the Italian papers and a lot of cycling fans. “Leave me in peace! I've nothing to say.

You can see how I'm going,” was his response to the

media after stage 16. “Why do you want to keep hurting my pride? I'm already in bits.”

He'd silenced the skeptics before, ending a disappointing 2015 season with a remarkably defiant win at Il Lombar­ dia to make him one of very few modern stage racers to also win a one-day monument, but this time it seemed different. It would take a miracle to turn this around. Or so we thought. In fact, was after all it took a stroke of luck, a rival's mistake under pressure, and then his own tenacity, that visceral resistance to failure that sets the great apart from the good.

The Colle dell'Agnello is among the most irresistible climbs in Europe, and at 2,744 metres, also one of its highest. It stretches more than 50 kilometers from its base in Piasco, ascending 2,178 metres to its pinnacle and the French frontier, sweeping through bucolic vales and dense pine forest, the very picture of the Italian pastoral idyl, on long false flats, before peeling away the vestiges of agrarian timidity and revealing its true, bru­ tal character, with the lone peak of the Monviso piercing the sky overhead. The highest point of the Alps along the Franco-Italian border, it's an unconfirmed but popular belief amongst the locals that it inspired Paramount Pictures' famous logo. Which is fitting, because the dra­ ma that unfolded in its shadow in May 2016 would make any Hollywood scriptwriter proud.

With snow covering everything but the tarmac, the race meandered upward toward 2016's Cima Coppi, past hoards of fans braced against the cold and enveloped in a thick fog that dulled the senses, limiting sight and

sound to just a few blurry metres. Michele Scarponi, 2011 Giro winner turned gregario di lusso, lost his breakaway companions early on the climb and rode alone to the summit, almost six minutes ahead of the peloton and of his team leader, Nibali, but not searching for personal glory. He was waiting for a surprise.

Close to the summit, Chaves attacked, covered by Kruijswijk and then by Nibali, and the trio stuck closely to one another as the road crested. Then, in an instant, the entire race changed. Kruijswijk, from northern Europe's Low Countries, struggled to hold the wheels of Nibali and Chaves, both excellent descenders. And after misjudging the apex of a long, sweeping turn careered off the racing line and violently into the snow banks on the road's edge, flying headfirst over the handlebars in a dramatic som­ ersault. Luckily, the 28-year-old avoided injury and was soon on his feet, but as both he and the neutral service mechanic struggled to get his bike back on the move, his lead in the general classification vanished with Chaves and Nibali at ferocious speed, plunging down towards the Queyras valley and into France. There were still more than 50 kilometers to the line in Risoul, where another difficult climb awaited, but the Agnello had blown the 99th Giro wide open.

It was the moment Scarponi had been waiting for, and the 36-year-old came to a virtual stop on the day's fin­ ishing slope where he sacrificed his own ambition in the service of the most unlikely victory in recent Giro history.

Nibali, reinvigorated, launched one attack after another in the closing kilometers, against the persistent ripostes

of Chaves. The Italian eventually broke free, finishing 51 seconds ahead of everyone else. The pink jersey belonged to the Colombian, but Nibali's was a greater prize: ab­ solution after almost three weeks in hell. The next day, another stage packed with mountains, he would erase Chaves' 44-second lead and take the Maglia Rosa for himself with just one flat stage to go. That too, was a tactical masterpiece, and Scarponi again played a huge part, but at that point the momentum had shifted. The Agnello changed the entire race, like only a truly great climb can, and it would be difficult to come up with a stage in recent memory that better illustrates just how captivating the Giro can be.

THIS IS AN EXTRACT FROM COLIN O'BRIEN'S BOOK ABOUT THE GIRO, WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE US IN 2018 BY PEGASUS, ENTITLED "THE BEAUTIFUL RACE: THE STORY OF THE GIRO D'ITALIA."

FRANC

E

ANDORRA LA VELLA

MANRESA

SANT LLORENÇ DEL MUNT I L’OBAC

LLEIDA

TARRAGONA

BARCELONA

PYR

ENE

ES CADAQUÉS

GIRONA

LLORET DEL MAR

TOSSA DE MAR

CATALONIA Blessed with year-round good weather, brilliant roads, and a population that has a deep and loving relationship with the bicycle, this corner of Spain is perfect for riding.

Italy and France might claim longer histories when it comes to racing, but these days Catalonia is the center of the world for a large part of the professional peloton, who flock here from all corners of the globe. Off the bike, there's a profusion of things to do, and in particular, downtown Girona is a foodie's paradise. On top of a rich culinary tradition that is constantly being reconsidered and reinvented by a host of talented chefs, it caters to the coffee connoisseur, with some of Europe's most stylish and sophisticated cafes, and for wine lovers, with a pleth­ ora of regional varietals to choose from. But the tastiest part of it all has to be the riding – it's guaranteed to have you coming back for seconds.

FROM

Ø

TO HERO Words and Photos by Jim Merithew

“I did it. Really, I can’t believe it. I didn’t get any help.

Raul was there, but didn’t push once. It really is unbe­ lievable. I should definitely now get the cover of the inGamba magazine – from zero to Mont Ventoux!”

She arrived in Portugal in April in a pair of tennis shoes, having never really ridden a proper road bike. By July, she was atop one of cycling’s most iconic mountains toasting Eros “Monsieur Ventoux” Poli, with a bottle of something special from her own winery.

It was an unbelievable scene, one moment in a year of unbelievable cycling moments for Lorenza Sebasti, who owns Castello di Ama, one of Tuscany’s great vineyards, which happens to be just up the road from inGamba’s birthplace.

Lorenza has been a firm friend of our founder João Correia well before inGamba was even a thing. She once

90

shared her firewood with him, when no one else wood. (see what I did there).

But it was this Spring, when she joined us in the Alentejo of Portugal for a trip, where she learned to love cycling as much as we love her wine and her spirit.

“It really is unbelievable.”

On the very first day of the trip in the lovely town of Setúbal, Lorenza walked out in full inGamba kit … sport­ ing a pair of oversized athletic shoes. She decided in the first 10 minutes that if she was going to be a real cyclist, she needed real bicycle shoes. So the next morning she showed up in full kit and a pair of Fiziks. She clipped in, and never looked back.

On the fourth day of the trip, I was lucky enough to be her riding partner and it is a day I will not soon forget. She was part 8-year-old school kid, part Italian philosopher,

and all bicycle rider. We talked about the freedom of being on the bike, the ability to see things one would never see from a car or on a walk, and the fragility of life, how one must grab on and not let go. We talked olive oil, wine and her love of simplicity. We talked about art and her love of travel. We talked about Rome and Florence. We talked about what a revelation the bicycle was for her.

Her eyes were the size of tea saucers as she pointed out the beautiful scenery and her heart was as big as all

92

"I DID IT. REALLY, I CAN’T BELIEVE IT." outdoors when she expressed her appreciation for the Portuguese countryside and the Portuguese crew which was helping her to become a bicycle rider.

By the time we reached the São Lourenço do Barrocal, the greatest of Portugal’s hotels, Lorenza was completely indoctrinated into the bicycling culture. The only word that seems to work for her by this point was hooked, and by July that hook had pulled her all the way to the top of Ventoux. And on that famous mountain’s peak,

as she sipped a glass of her Castello di Ama San Lorenzo, smiling the smile of victory and surveying the coun­ tryside of Provence that stretched out beneath her, you could see excitement in her eyes. Like a real rider, she was day-dreaming about where the bicycle will take her next.

93

CIN CIN! SANTÉ!

SALUT! SAÚDE! CHEERS!

NEGRONI

HUGO

PORTUGUESE DAISY

With its roots in early 20th century Florence, this is the quintessential Italian cocktail. Legend has it that Count Camillo Negroni wanted his favorite drink, the Americano, to have a little more kick, and so the bartender replaced the soda water with gin. Great as an aperitivo and the perfect choice whenever there's an edge that needs to be taken off, this is the gold standard in cocktail cool.

Think of the Hugo as the generic Spritz's cooler cousin from the mountains. Perfect for an after­ noon refreshment or to open the appetite before dinner, it's light, perfumed, and fruity – and if it's made well, the most revitalizing cocktail you can have.

No, this isn't a cute nickname for our beloved company founder.

The Portuguese Daisy a simple but elegant cocktail that packs plenty of flavor, thanks to its star ingre­ dient, the Port wine of the Douro Valley, which is one of our favorite places in the world to ride a bike.

Think of it as sangria's cooler cousin.

1 OZ

DRY GIN

PROSECCO

2OZ GOOD QUALITY PORT

1 OZ

CAMPARI

ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL (TO TASTE)

1OZ

BRANDY, TO TASTE

1 OZ

VERMOUTH ROSSO

SODA WATER

FRESH LEMON JUICE, TO TASTE

ORANGE (FOR GARNISH)

FRESH MINT LEAVES

HALF A TEASPOON OF FINE SUGAR

A DASH OF GRENADINE

01. Fill an Old Fashioned glass with ice.

02. Add all of the ingredients and stir until cold.

03. Garnish with a half-wheel of orange.

01. In a large wine glass filled with ice, combine the pro­ secco and a splash of soda water with the cordial and mint leaves and stir until mixed well.

02. As an added flourish, add a slice of lime or a sprig of rosemary to finish.

01. Combine all the ingredients and some ice cubes in a cock­ tail shaker and shake well.

02. Serve in an old-fashioned glass, with a lemon wedge to garnish.

SIDECAR

WHITE SHERRY SANGRIA

MAI TAI

Cocktail nerds might argue over this drink's origins, but most will agree that France is its spiritu­ al home, and we can't think of anything that suits that country better, whether we're living it up at a stylish bar after the last stage of the Tour de France, or enjoying a balmy summer's evening after a stunning ride in Provence.

Like the Portuguese Daisy, this is a stylish alternative to the cheap punch that unfortunately has become synonymous with sangria.

The best of Spain is represented here, because the red wine is re­ placed by wonderfully effervescent cava and we've swapped out the brandy normally used in sangria, in favor of sherry for some nutty depth and a hint of sweetness.

Because California knows how to party. The Mai Tai has a strong Tahitian vibe, but it was born in Oakland, and although these days the hipsters would probably shun its mid-century exuberance for being too uncool, we love the Tiki vibe, and the way it reminds us of the golden age of Hollywood.

1OZ COGNAC

1

2 OZ

GOOD QUALITY AGED RUM

1OZ

5 OZ MANZANILLA SHERRY

3⁄4OZ

FRESH LIME JUICE

1/2OZ LEMON JUICE

3 OZ SIMPLE SYRUP

1⁄4 OZ

ROCK CANDY SYRUP (2 PARTS

1/2OZ SIMPLE SYRUP

1.5 OZ COMBIER LIQUEUR D'ORANGE

SUGAR, 1 PART WATER)

LEMON WHEELS, MINT SPRIGS,

1⁄4 OZ

ALMOND SYRUP

ORANGE PEELS AND RASPBERRIES,

1⁄2 OZ

ORANGE CURAÇAO

FOR GARNISH

ORANGE LIQUEUR

A DASH OF LIME JUICE

01. Sugarcoat the rim of a cocktail

BOTTLE CAVA

glass.

02. Combine all the ingredients with some ice, shake, and then strain into the glass.

03. If you wish, garnish the drink with a small wedge of orange.

01. Add all the ingredients to a 01. Pour all of the ingredients into a large pitcher. Add ice and stir gently to combine.

02. Serve strained into a tall glass, with an expressed orange peel, a raspberry, a lemon wheel and a mint sprig to garnish.

shaker and fill with crushed ice.

02. Shake vigorously until the shaker is well-chilled and frosty on the outside.

03. Pour into a glass of your choice, and garnish with half of a juiced lime and a fresh mint sprig.

THE INGAMBA

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FAMILY Family can mean more than just parents, children, uncles, aunts and cousins. Family can be defined as any group of people who share common attitudes, interests, or goals.

A lot of companies abuse the word “family” as part of their marketing speak or advertising spiel, in order to try and create a sense of friendliness and affinity between their clients and the corporation, but when inGamba says family, we mean it. We’re a close-knit unit that believes in relationships, and that belief defines who we are and how we make decisions. We ride together, live together, break bread together.

We laugh like a family – occasionally, we fight like one too. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Because family isn’t something you choose. It chooses you.

Words and Photography by Jim Merithew

99

THE BOSS. João Correia is Portuguese. He spent his formative years in New York. And he lives in California. He is not defined by any of this, but this diversity informs all he does. He loves a good cup of coffee. He lives to make a deal. And his favorite lunch is a giant cooking pot filled with chick­ en cooked in its own blood. But the one defining factor is João’s life is the importance of family. He is fiercely loyal and you can take his word straight to the bank. It is his bond. This explains why you will see very little turnover within the staff at inGamba. We are family and like a family we look to the head of the family for inspiration, encouragement and direction. He carries this burden as the head of the family with passion and pride. And it doesn’t hurt to have a little Portugal, New York, Mill Valley and Venice in your blood.

MR. METICULOUS. Zé is our head mechanic, and if you’ve ever traveled with us, you’ll have been the benefit of his amazing attention to detail. This is because he runs his shop with precision and calmness of a samurai warrior.

Our bikes are tuned and dialed without any indication that preparing a fleet of bicycles every day, for a group of discerning family members, is even re­ motely a hassle. Now, if we can just get him to stop with all the constant chatter.

THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS. Filipa is our very own human spreadsheet. She readily admits she wasn’t the most engaged high school student, but by the time she got to “you-nee” (University) she finally buckled down and got to work. She double majored in Sports Management and Science. How she found her way to inGamba is a tale for another time, but suffice it to say we are glad she did. In her time off, these days you can find her riding her bike, sneaking to the beach for a little surfing, or at the neighborhood pub sipping on a ginger beer and talking about her next adventure.

THE CLOWN. It’s early. Really early. And you are awoken to the sounds of Por­ tuguese Fado blaring from Raul’s bluetooth speaker. You want to be mad, but you fell asleep to the same music playing late into the night the night before.

That’s because Raul is the hardest working man in the inGamba family. Raul is up early preparing bottles, organizing the day’s ride and making sure ev­ eryone is entertained at breakfast. He is guiding you to the perfect day on the bike, as you chomp into one of the handmade treats he wrapped for you the 100

night before. And he is massaging your sore muscles back into shape with his magic hands, so you are ready for the next day’s adventure. He does all this with good humor, professionalism and ease second-to-none. And although Fado is at its core a sad music, it brings a smile to our face to see Raul dance about the room singing along.

THE CHAMPION. The night before Eros Poli took victory atop Mont Ventoux he couldn’t sleep. It was not like he was dreaming of victory or even had the slightest idea the next day's stage would change his life forever. It was just that it was hot. Unbearably, unsleepably hot in his less-than stellar French hotel. His roommate had taken his mattress off the bed and was sleeping on the small balcony outside their room. And the man who would shortly become known as Monsieur Ventoux was watching football, Italy vs. Brazil in the World Cup final, to be exact. Italy lost. The following morning as Eros dragged his weary, tired legs out of bed and down the stairs, as there was no lift, James Brown came into his head. “I feel good, I knew that I would now,” started to repeat over and over in his head. As it would the rest of the day. He felt good and the rest, as they say, is history.

THE QUIET CRUSHER. Manuel Cardoso is no longer sitting on the front of the pack, pulling everyone along at what some would describe as a “brisk” pace and what others are unable to describe at all, because they're too busy gasping for breath and holding onto the wheel in front of them for dear life. Manuel is now sitting just slightly off the back of the pack. As I look back, I realize he has that look on his face. The look which struck fear in the hearts of the Pro Peleton for many years. The look which is part grin, part mischievous child and all business. He is about to start some shit. Sure enough, just a few kilometers later and Manuel has picked one lucky contestant out of the pack and they are sitting-in, waiting, like predators, for the perfect moment. For Manuel, just like when he raced pro, this is when the road turns slightly up, a spot in the road where it gets tough for everyone. And he accelerates with his breakaway “partner” in tow. It is something to see. He ramps it up to a speed with which no one can latch onto the back and with such precision you have to question whether or not you actually want to try and close the gap he has created.

And you can’t see it, but you just know, he is grinning from ear-to-ear.

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THE STORYTELLER. You may hear the sweet, sweet notes wafting towards your window at Borgolecchi, as our resident aristocrat practices his new found love of the clarinet. We’re never quite sure if all of his stories are based on reality, but they are without a doubt highly entertaining. Probably the greatest tale Giorgio is prone to tell you is that he’s not really a cyclist.

This yarn is not to be believed.

THE ATHLETE. The bikes have been washed, the bottles cleaned, massages given, Garmins loaded with the next day’s routes and most of the staff has settled down in front of the television with a Sagres in hand, recharging for the next day. But not Benji Carvalho. Benji is outside doing one-leg stair hops, following a nice long run. Benji was João’s first sports director, and then Manuel’s soigneur during his days as a pro. But well before that, he too, was Portuguese National Champion, and even now, he likes to train.

THE KID. Xico Carvalho has been with us almost since day one. His laugh is infectious. His work ethic is second-to-none. And his love of a bucket of chicken is legendary. His first job was stomping grapes in his grandma’s basement and now he wrenches on our Pinarello F10s. All of his hard earned wages are funneled into his beloved Mini Cooper … and buckets of chicken.

THE BOYSCOUT. Joaquim Sampaio is everywhere. He’s filling water bottles.

He’s putting out route markers. He’s giving massages. He’s prepping the car.

He’s working on his English. He’s just working away, out of sight, quietly taking care of business.

THE HAMMER. Katie rides. She rides hard and she rides fast. And this is how she attacks all aspects of her life. Having spent an extended period of time with our favorite charity, World Bicycle Relief, before joining inGamba, she knows a thing or two about building community and having fun with an extended family. She also knows how to climb. If you don't believe us, just ask the boss.

THE INSTIGATOR. José Sousa runs a tight ship and is responsible for the team operating like a well-oiled machine, but deep down inside he’s always look­ ing for an opportunity to cause trouble or pull a prank. He’s the brother you love, but always have to keep an eye on.

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THE GLUE. Inga knows how you like your eggs. Inga knows where you left your glasses. Inga makes the perfect macchiato. Inga is up well before you and still working long after you have knocked out. Inga is all knowing and all seeing. This is not an exaggeration. Seriously. We rely on Inga for things we don't even know we rely on her for.

THE HIP-CAT. Every family needs one, you know, an inked-up, steely-eyed hipster wandering about looking all shady. But regardless of João Simão’s stunningly good-looks and assemblage of tattoos, he can’t escape the fact he’s a big ol’ softie. So don’t let the looks fool you, he might carry a big steel wrench, but he also has a heart of gold.

COOL HAND LUKE. Bruno Pinto is the gauge by which a lot of our crazy ideas are filtered. If Bruno thinks we can pull it off, we can pull it off. And if he thinks it’s bad idea, it usually is. He’s never judgemental about any of these things, he is is just always quietly contemplating and ready to calmly weigh in on whether or not we should try to jump the boss' Fiat over the ravine or not.

THE STEADY HAND. Nuno is the ellusive family member who never shows up for family functions and he never, ever appears in pictures, but he’s the backbone of this family. He’s doing all the little things you appreciate, even if you don’t realize it. He makes sure all your swag gets sent, all our publications get printed and all your routes go down the right roads. Nuno is the best.

YOU. Yes, you. Our extended family. There are so many names on this list we don’t know where to start. We show up to rides in Arizona, New York, Los Angeles and Portland and you’re there, wearing the family kit. We need a place to stay while on the road with Eros and you open your doors.

We do this thing we do because of you. And whether it’s the roads of Tus­ cany, a brutal climb in the Dolomites, the rolling hills of Portugal or in the sheets of rain on the Coast Ride, we love the fact we get to ride with family.

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SAUSALITO

SAUSALITO

INGAMBA HQ INGAMBA HQ RIDE COAST RIDE COAST ROUTE ROUTE

MOUNT TAMALPAIS

MOUNT TAMALPAIS

SA

SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE

SAN JOSE

SALINAS MONTEREY

MONTEREY KING CITY

CALIFORNIA Because there’s no place like home. We love riding in the Old World, but we’re very proud of our Bay Area roots and we genuinely believe that the Golden State offers some of the best cycling to be found anywhere on the planet.

Whether it’s the sense of randonée adventure on the unique Coast Ride, that rollercoaster of laughs and early season energy that runs from San Francisco to Morro Bay, the quaint charm of Paso Robles and the many incredible roads that surround it, or the awe-inspiring beauty of the Redwoods, there’s a reason we like to boast about our own neck of the woods when we’re talking to friends in the European professional peloton.

In recent years, a lot of them have taken to training here in the off-season, but we get to enjoy it year round, and we don’t think we’re being overly confident when we say that we know it better than anyone. So whether you want to start your season off right with some solid, sunny miles, or you’re just looking for a destination closer to home that won’t leave you longing for the longhaul option, trust us: California is second to none.

STANISLAU NATIONAL FOREST

SACRAMENTO

NE

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST

VA

DA

FRESNO

SALINAS

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK KING CITY SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST PASO ROBLES MORRO BAY

LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST

BAKERSFIELD

SANTA BARBARA MALIBU

LOS ANGELES

FRASI FRASES PHRASES

— ITALIAN CYCLING PHRASES

ROADS AND COURSE CIMA › summit COLLINA › hill, slope CURVA › curve DISCESA › downhill GARA › race GARA A TAPPE › a stage race MONTAGNA › mountain MURO › ‘wall’: the short, hard climb into Radda PIANO › flat terrain, plains STRADA › road SALI-SCENDI OR MANGIA E BEVI › the road goes up and down all day VALICO › mountain pass

RIDING PHRASES ALLA RUOTA › on the wheel, usually about to go full gas AL GANCIO › On the hook, like meat in an abattoir. Not far from being ...

COTTO › cooked, to be completely spent during or at the end of the race FARE L’ELASTICO › ‘making the elastic’: when riders at the back are strung out and the end looks like the tail of a dog wagging GRUPPO SPACCATO › when the main group has been blown apart after a series of attacks or a hard pace by one of the super domestiques or capos IL VENTAGLIO › riders doing an echelon in the cross-winds PEDALARE A MANI BASE › riding in the drops PERDERE LE RUOTE › lose the wheel,

get dropped SUCCHIA RUOTA › ‘to suck the wheel’: to stay close behind another rider and not pull through PERDERE IL VENTAGLIO › when you can’t make the echelon and get blown out the back of it

GENERAL CADUTA › crash CICLISTA › the rider CORIDOR › cyclist in the Veneto dialect FUGGITIVI › the breakaway GREGARIO › the domestique GRUPETTO › the laughing group, the last group in the race often arriving as we say “at night” GRUPPO COMPATTO › peloton is all together IL CAPOCLASSIFICA › GC leader SQUADRA › team TESTA DELLA CORSA › race leader TIFOSI › Italian cycling fans. Known for their dedication and spirit

VERBS AGGRAPPARE › to hang on, often for dear life as the pace is high BUCARE O FORARE › to flat CAMBIO DI PASSO › change of rhythm, often done by the gregario in the service of his capo di squadra SALIRE › to climb SCIVOLARE › to slide SUPERARE › to pass

107

RIDING STYLES ATTACANTE › a rider who is always attacking. Paolo Bettini DISCESISTA › a good descender.

Paolo Salvodeli FONDISTA › a rider who has a lot of stamina and is good on long days or long stage races. Francesco Moser PASSISTA › the super domestique, who looks relaxed, like he’s going to the coffee shop for a simple cappuccino, when he’s actually hammering out watts. Eros Poli SCALATORE › the kind of climber who can make even the most daunting mountains look flat. Marco Pantani VELOCISTA › the sprinter. Mario Cipollini

— PORTUGUESE CYCLING PHRASES

ROADS AND COURSE COLINA › hill, slope CORRIDA › race CORRIDA POR ETAPAS › stage race CUME › summit CURVAR › turn or curve DESCIDA › downhill ESTRADA › road MONTANHA › mountain MURO › ‘wall’: a short, hard climb PASSAGEM DE MONTANHA › mountain pass PLANO › flat terrain, plains TERRENO ROLANTE › the road goes up and down all day

RIDING PHRASES DESCOLAR › lose the wheel, get dropped NO ELÁSTICO › ‘making the elastic’: when riders at the back are strung out and the end looks like the tail of a dog wagging PEDALAR NOS DROPS › riding in the drops PELOTÃO PARTIDO › when the main group has been blown apart after a series of attacks or a hard pace by one of the gregário REBENTADO › cooked, to be completely spent during or at the end of the race SEGUIR NA RODA › on the wheel, usually about to go full gas SUGAR A RODA › ‘to suck the wheel’: to stay close behind another rider and not pull through

GENERAL CICLISTA › the rider CORREDOR › cycling racer EQUIPA › team FUGA › the breakaway GREGÁRIO › the domestique GRUPETO › the laughing group, the last group in the race often arriving as we say “at night”; João often lived there GRUPO COMPACTO › peloton is all together HOMEM DA MARRETA › Literally, a man that comes with a hammer, to hit a rider when he least expects it.

Meaning to suddenly be overcome by tiredness LÍDER DA CORRIDA › race leader LÍDER DA GERAL › GC leader QUEDA › crash

VERBS AGRUPAR › to hang on, often for dear life as the pace is high ARRANCAR › to climb DESLIZAR › to slide FURAR › to flat MUDANÇA DE RITMO › change of rhythm, often done by the gregário in the service of his líder da equipa ULTRAPASSAR › to pass

RIDING STYLES ATACANTE › a rider who is always attacking. Raul Matias DISCESISTA › a good descender.

Manuel Cardoso

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CORREDOR DE FUNDO › a rider who has a lot of stamina and is good on long days or long stage races.

Joaquim Agostinho ATACANTE › the punchy rider who likes to change rhythm often, especially on climbs. Rui Costa SPRINTER › the sprinter. Candido Barbosa TREPADOR › the climber. Andre Cardoso

— FRENCH CYCLING PHRASES

ROADS AND COURSE COL › mountain pass COURBE › curve COURSE › race COURSE PAR ÉTAPES › a stage race DESCENTE › downhill MONTAGNE › mountain MUR › ‘wall’: the short, hard climb into Radda PETITE COLLE › hill, slope PLAT › flat terrain, plains ROUTE › road SOMMET › summit VALLONNÉ › the road goes up and down all day

RIDING PHRASES A LA ROUE › on the wheel, usually about to go full gas BORDURE › riders doing an echelon in the cross-winds CROCHER › On the hook, like meat in an abattoir. Not far from being CUITS CUITS › cooked, to be completely spent during or at the end of the race FAIRE L’ÉLASTIQUE › ‘making the elastic’: when riders at the back are strung out and the end looks like the tail of a dog wagging GROUPE CASSÉ › when the main group has been blown apart after a series of attacks or a hard pace by one of the super domestiques or capos PÉDALER MAIN BAS › riding in the drops PERDRE LA BORDURE › when you can’t make the echelon and get blown out the back of it

PERDRE LES ROUES › lose the wheel, get dropped SUCE ROUE › ‘to suck the wheel’: to stay close behind another rider and not pull through

GENERAL AUTOBUS › the laughing group, the last group in the race often arriving as we say “at night” CHUTE › crash CHEF AUTOBUS › the teambus driver ÉCHAPPÉE › the breakaway ÉQUIPE › team GROUPE COMPACT › peloton is all together LEADER DU CLASSEMENT GÉNÉRAL › GC leader LES TIFOS › the most hardcore cycling fans. Known for their dedication and spirit TÊTE DE LA COURSE › the race leader

VERBS ACCROCHER › to hang on, often for dear life as the pace is high CHANGEMENT DE PAS › change of rhythm, often done by the gregario in the service of his capo di squadra CREVER › to flat GLISSER › to slide GRIMPER › to climb PERCER › to flat SURMONTER › to pass

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RIDING STYLES ATTAQUANT › the kind of rider who attacks at every opportunity.

Thomas Voekler EN DANSEUSE › Riding out of the saddle, standing and swinging the bike back and forth. Richard Virenque DESCENDEUR › a good descender.

Laurent Jalabert DOMESTIQUE › the domestique.

Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier GRIMPEUR › the climber. Raymond Poulidor ROULEUR › the big diesel engine that can just keep going, happiest on long days. Sylvain Chavanel SPRINTEUR › the sprinter. Nacer Bouhanni

— SPANISH CYCLING PHRASES

ROADS AND COURSE CARRERA › race CARRERA POR ETAPAS › stage race CIMA › summit CUESTA › hill CURVA › corner DESCENSO › descent MONTAÑA › mountain MURO › wall PASO DE MONTAÑA › mountain pass PLANO › flat RUTA › route

GENERAL AVERÍA › mechanical failure CICLISTA › cyclist CHOQUE › crash CORREDOR › racer EL TÍO DEL MAZO › the man with the hammer, meaning “to get the hunger knock” EQUIPO › team ESCAPADA › the breakaway FRENOS › brakes NEUMÁTICO TICO PLANO › flat tire ROTO › broken

RIDING PHRASES CHUPANDO A RUEDA › sucking the wheel DESCOLGARSE › loose the wheel EL GANCHO › on the hook, the same as al gancio in italian, meaning at your physical limit or in trouble, like a fish on a hook or hanging meat at an abattoir ENGANCHADO › hooked HACIENDO EL CHICLE /ESTIRANDO EL ELASTICO › stretching the elastic, meaning to test the group by increasing the pace

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12 TIPS FOR A PERFECT WEEK Preparing for a regular vacation can be a little stressful, but when you add in the fact you are leaving on a bicycle vacation the stress can multiply. Have I trained enough? Do I need to bring extra socks? How many Euros should I bring? We at inGamba are here to put you at ease. Take a quick look at our helpful tips and remember we are here to help.

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ONE Everyone tells you to keep a photo copy or your passport with you and we couldn’t agree more. We recommend you put a copy in your suitcase, a copy in your rain bag, give a copy to your PA and save an­ other on the cloud. We can speak from experience, life becomes a lot easier if you can access your passport information.

TWO Jet lag hits everyone a lit­ tle differently. The list of solutions is endless. You can download apps which purport to help you adjust your sleep patterns to the new time zone. There are plenty of over-the-count­ er medications to help you sleep on the plane. Of course, staying hydrat­ ed is always advised. Our head of logistics wakes up at 2am the night before he flies, does a bunch of busy work, sleeps on the plane and wakes up in Germany.

Ta da. Magic. But we find the best way to combat jet lag is get to your desti­ nation, pull on your kit, get fitted to your new F10 and get out the door on a beautiful bicycle ride.

THREE

FIVE

SEVEN

TEN

Arrive early. Depart late.

Add a splash of some Lisbon, Porto, Florence, Venice, Rome or Nice to any of your inGamba trips and you will not regret the decision. If you need help with making this idea a reality, just reach out.

We would be glad to help.

Bring comfortable shoes.

We cannot stress how much better life is when you have happy feet. And if you’ve got some extra cash weighing you down – give our man Alessandro Stella a call and get your­ self some truly special kicks.

If you need anything while traveling with us, just ask.

Truly. If you have a need, we will do everything in our power to meet it.

Need to call home? Get an international data plan, ask us to help you buy a sim card at a local cafe or bar or you can just wait until the next time you hit a wifi connection.

FOUR

SIX

Searching for an authentic souvenir can be a daunt­ ing task when traveling, as a lot of shops are filled with the same stuff you can buy in any major tourist destination in the world. Many a person has settled on taking home sausage and truffle oil from the airport as a gift.

This never really works out so great. We recom­ mend you make sure to have the sizing and color palette preference for your significant other in hand, so you are prepared. And if you are about to purchase something, remember it should hurt just a little bit.

If you need help finding the perfect gift, make sure you ask for our help. After all, we here at inGamba, are in-the-know.

Chamois cream is a thing of the past. Giordana has designed the Cirro Omni­ Form Chamois in our FR-C bibs to keep your privates comfortable all day long without the need to add extra lotion. They actually suggest the use of cham­ ois cream makes their kit perform poorly, block­ ing up the chamois. The uppermost layer of the FR-C bibs utilizes a special nylon microfiber which includes some Aloe Vera.

The Aloe is permanently infused into the threads of the microfiber, pro­ tecting and even healing your personal bits while also helping out in the “under-carriage” cooling process. So no underth­ ings between you and your chamois and leave the ointments at home.

EIGHT Power and the internet.

Most of the places we will visit have internet access, but be warned. The two things you will notice is, unlike what we are used to in the States, they like to use really long, long pass­ words and high speed is not really a thing. The key is to be entertained and remember the golden age of dial-up. As far as power is concerned you will see two, three, and even four prong outlets depending on where you go. Prepare yourself with options and, as will everything else, if you are need of help … just ask.

NINE The travel cheque is dead.

Bring your money card, credit card and a little Euro. The need for a chip is not nearly as pervasive as the travel websites and magazines would have you believe, but as mom used to say, better safe than sorry.

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ELEVEN Turn off cellular data on your phone, especially if you did not buy that in­ ternational plan. Nothing worse than a surprisingly huge bill waiting for you when you get home.

TWELVE Just like the pros, we rec­ ommend you travel with your shoes, pedals and saddle in your carry-on bag. We can take care of everything else in a pinch, but you want to to take extra care of your feet and your backside.

WHY I LOVE LECCHI

Words by Jim Merithew

What makes a place magic? It's a question I often ponder while laying in my bed at Borgolecchi, staring out at the Tuscan vineyards, as the sun slowly rises to light the day, in a way that never seems to be the same two mornings in a row.

Like everything here, those sunrises are dichotomic, both constant and ever-changing, and it's with great wonder I ponder how Tuscany can be so varied, while life there never seems to change.

Inga is busy in the Borgolecchi kitchen, baking, care­ fully preparing my coffee, and some eggs, just the way I like. All I have to do is ponder how my legs feel ahead of today’s ride. After breakfast, I pull on my kit and wan­ der down through town to the service course. All of the locals say “Buongiorno” as I pass, and it dawns on me: I'm fully decked in my inGamba attire, head-to-toe in figure-hugging kit, and no one is looking at me funny, as if I am an alien from another planet. Here, cycling is part of the culture, and cyclists a part of the community.

I wander into Paolo’s coffee shop, across the street from inGamba HQ, where Paolo himself, donning a Grinta t-shirt, pulls me an espresso shot while smiling at me and talking non-stop in Italian. Paolo and I have known each other long enough for him to realize full well I don’t understand but maybe five words of Italian, but this

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"I KNEW IT WAS SPECIAL RIGHT AWAY. THAT AREA WAS THE FIRST PLACE WHERE I TRULY FELT AT HOME." — JOÃO CORREIA doesn’t stop him from carrying on as if we're old friends, engaging in a deep, philosophical conversation about Fausto Coppi and the golden age of Italian cycling.

I could stand here, at the bar, all day, watching as the cars pull up outside, the locals making their way in for one more espresso before heading to work.

I don't need to know where they come from, or where they're going. To me, this is a scene from the greatest foreign movie ever made and subtitles would only ruin the film, remove some of the beauty and, almost cer­ tainly, all of the magic.

Likewise, the day’s route is of little consequence. There are only two ways out of Lecchi, one is up and the other is down. Both are good. Are we off to Dudda or Panzano or Siena or Castellina? The route choices are almost endless around here, and not a single one of them disappoints. And at the end of the ride, while we're handing off our bikes to the ever-attentive mechanics, Paolo tends to magically appear with a tray of beers and a pitcher of lemonade. You couldn't ask for a better finish-line.

After the short walk back up the street and a long, hot shower, all I have to do is hang my laundry on the door­ knob for it to miraculously reappear in the morning clean and folded. The afternoon begins with us back at Paolo’s, eating niçoise salad – or nizzarda to our Italian friends –

and big bowls of delectable pasta, before rounding it all off with an affogato, that wonderful fusion of coffee and ice-cream that I can never seem to say no to.

With a full stomach, it's not long before I find myself laying on Raul’s massage table, getting all the ugliness rubbed out of my calves and quads, in preparation for what tomorrow will bring. A short nap later, and I get the call to dinner. Morgaro has prepared enough food for an army and seeing as I am ready to chew my own arm off, this is perfect.

The wine flows and the conversation is animated and I have begun to love my new friends, and as the night flies by, I try to grasp just a little piece that I can hold onto for­ ever. These are halcyon days and I'm right in the middle of them. I know it, everyone does, and we try not to speak of it for fear that the feeling will pass. There'll be another day like this, but the unchanging magic of Lecchi is that there'll be countless others, unique, but just as special.

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inGamba is the collaboration of a few people who wanted to share their passions for riding a bicycle, eating great food and drinking fantastic wine. We strive to live each “perfect week” fully while introducing our guests to a world they may not know existed. inGamba was born from a simple tweet: “Thinking of doing a ride, eat, drink EOY bash here in chianti October 12 – 18th” , said @joaoisme.

“Share my favorite things about this place. Who’s interested?”

Four brave souls – Gary Smith, Kevin Irvine, Jason Probert and Robin Kelly – answered. There were no security deposits, no liability waivers, just as Kevin put it “a huge amount of trust”.

The adventure writer Bill Gifford added words to the narrative; Jason Gould provided images while Joe Staples, Andrew Reed, Michael Scher and Tony Little created the canvas. The original team consisted of Raul Matias, Jorge Queirós, João Correia and the kind people of Lecchi in Chianti whose world we share with a few lucky travelers each year.

From these humble beginnings sprouted this thing we call inGamba.