Castelli Blog

Simon Richardson (CyclingWeekly) at the Castelli 24 hour crit race.
I’m at the Castelli 24 hour criterium in Feltre, northern Italy, and can’t remember the last time I had this much fun on two wheels.

Between 10pm and 1.30am last night I was racing around a 1.8km circuit in front of huge crowds against the likes of Marzio Bruseghin, Andrea Noe, Michele Bartoli, Francisco Ballerini and various amateur riders, Italian industry insiders and local weekend warriors.

And I do mean racing. It’s flat out, people are attacking, others are getting dropped and as I write this we’re only just about to hit the halfway mark.

The peloton is made up of 100 teams, each team has 12 riders, only one of which is out on the course at any one time.

Each team member typically rides for 20-30 minutes before swinging off and letting their team mate jump in to the race - like a Madison but with not hand slings.

It actually takes a fair bit of concentration to get the change over right. When waiting in the numbered pits before going out, you have to watch out for your team mate coming by. Most teams use the system of holding fingers up to signal how many more laps they intend to do.

The real skill is riding out of the pits and jumping in to the group your team mate was just in. I got this wrong last night and chased the group all the way up the climb, only to blow and have to sit up and wait for the next one.

Castelli 24h Race, June 12-13th.
The course itself is great fun with a deceptively hard climb up through the start finish area, a, fast twisty descent and a long, fast flat section round the back of the circuit that finishes on a wide, sweeping cobbled left hander that brings you back to the start finish.

Get yourself in a good group and you’re lapping in just under three minutes.

Things I learnt last night:
1) Zipp 404 wheels are very, very fast.
2) Franco Ballerini’s legs are huge. Seriously, they’re huge.
3) Not to make eye contact with beautiful female commentators - they’ll interview you and make you look stupid in front of lots of people!

The Castelli crit gets underway. Bright orange Lamborghini pace car was opening the race!

More images from the crit race: http://tinyurl.com/ntz4r5

CyclingWeekly, click here!

The Castelli 24 hour race is packed with action, competition, passion, friendship and non-stop excitement. With 100 teams consisting of 12 riders, the Castelli24H is being staged in the old town of Feltre in the north-east part of Italy.

It takes place on June 12-13th, kicking off with fashion show and team presentation before the main endurance event begins at 10pm, with the goal being to complete as many laps as possible within 24 hours.

Its a classic style criterium race that has it all; the course is approximately 2 kilometers (1.3 miles) beginning with a steady climb on 400m before descending through some technical corners followed by a 500m stretch of flat road going into the old town of Feltre and the famous cobblestone section.

The event has been organized by Pedale Feltrino Tbh in partnership with Castelli as main sponsor of the 24-hour race till 2013.

Whether you are trained or amateur cyclists, colleagues or friends, be part of a real-life adventure and live the magical experience of a race around the clock. It will be the opportunity to reach a personal goal or to take on a team challenge in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

For more information, visit www.24orefeltre.it