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Shot by photographer Jered Gruber for the Castelli Summer 2012 catalog. If the poster looks familiar it’s because the organisers of the Giro d’Italia have unveiled the poster for next year’s race with the same majestic picture.

The picture commemorates two cyclists who will forever be linked with the race. Those riders are four-time winner, Fausto Coppi, and Wouter Weylandt, who died following a crash on a descent on Stage 3 of this year’s race.

The Giro recall the legendary Fausto Coppi each year through designating the highest point of each year’s race as the ‘Cima Coppi’ summit.

This year it fell to the Passo di Giau near Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites, where the stunning picture was taken with Peter Stetina (Garmin-Cervélo) in the picture. Read the rest of this entry »

The Gabba WS Rain Jersey is either the most specialized cycling top on the market, or the most versatile. After several weeks of testing, I’m leaning toward versatile. It’s not a jacket, with half-length sleeves. But it’s not quite a jersey, either, with four-way stretch Windstopper X-Lite Plus fabric that’s burlier than any jersey.

It’s windproof and, says Castelli, waterproof. Windstopper’s maker, W.L. Gore, shies away from calling anything waterproof that can’t pass stringent rain chamber and water column tests. But Castelli is serious about the water thing, even building grommeted drain holes into the three rear pockets.

You’ll find nothing like it for riding and racing in wet, cold conditions. It’s far more breathable than any hardshell top, and lacks the bulk of laminate-sandwich softshells. It fits snug and won’t flap in the wind. A full-zip front offers great temperature regulation, and the extended back panel protects your chamois from tire spray. Read the rest of this entry »

When Johan Van Summeren and Fabian Cancellara staged their famous pursuit match in the final kilometers of Paris-Roubaix on a hot, dusty, dry April day in Hell, the Belgian had something special on his side against the Swiss powerhouse - a critical piece of kit that might have been the difference between sweet cobble kissing victory and a late catch by the dominant force on the pave this spring - the Castelli Sanremo Speedsuit.

It’s a heady claim, but Castelli’s ingeniously designed short/jersey combo slash skinsuit is claimed to save a rider significant time: 10-15 watts at 40 km/h. With a rapidly emptying rear tire, following a huge effort in the break, Van Summeren was certainly not hindered by his choice of clothing on the day.

Read the rest of this entry »

Comfort in cold weather can be difficult to dial-in. The Viva Thermo Headband is the perfect answer to chilly autumn rides. The stretchy and lightly fleeced Thermoflex fabric on the inside will trap warm air against your head, protecting the sensitive skin on your ears from the cold.

Garmin-Cervelo’s favorite glove for cool conditions. The Super Nano Glove is lightweight and flexible with Pittards leather palm for better grip and shifting. The back of the glove employ windproof fabric to keep the hands warm. The elastic wrist closure keeps air out while making it easy to stretch for pulling the gloves on or off. Read the rest of this entry »

Fall is coming, and it’s time to begin planning your off season training. Transitioning from a summer cycling routine to a less intense winter program will not only maintain a good foundation or base for the ramp up that will come with your early spring rides, but also minimize the risk of catching a cold. Always, make sure to awear proper clothing to protect yourself against the elements, learn from other riders, then you’ll always be one step closer to achieve your next goal.

Have patience is easy to say, but not always easy follow. My 22 years of cycling, including 12 years of racing taught me many lessons. Here are some of the little things which helped me to achieve my personal goals.

HAVE PATIENCE
Every January and February for years, my cycling mates won the sprints on training rides, or could stay up front leading the pack for a longer time even in higher wind resistance while I just hung on. When May came, I left most of them in the dust and took all the hill-sprints.

REMEMBER TO RECOVER
It’s great to want to improve and push your limits. But many riders work too hard without allowing the body time to recover. Building aerobic power takes years of consistent training. To become a better cyclist, you must manage your energy levels. Read the rest of this entry »

After two consecutive 2nd place finishes in the Red Hook Crit, Neil Bezdek absolutely dominated the 2011 RHC Milano taking first overall, fastest lap and both race primes. The podium was completed by last year’s RHCM winner Jon Ander Ortuondo in second and Al Barouh in third place.

In fourth place, Italy’s Francesco Martucci, as best placed Italian he was awarded a plane ticket to New York to contest the next edition of the race where he can try to make an impact on the race’s viciously selective home course.

Red Hook Crit Highlights, Milano, Oct 15th. 2011.

Castelli is dedicated to making the fastest clothing in the world. We know that race results come through relentless attention to the smallest of details. So we approach every garment questioning
how we can make it faster.

We do the basic research, then we test the concepts internally, then we test them with Team Garmin-Cervélo and in the wind tunnel. Only then are they available in Castelli’s Servizio Corse program.

And you can have the exact same pieces as Team Garmin-Cervélo. Not less expensive replicas, but the exact same pieces made using the same fabrics, components, fit and finish, by the same people who produce the pieces you see on the pros on TV.

If you’re serious about your cycling, and serious enough to want to turn those many thousands of kilometers of training into race results, here’s your clothing : WWW.SERVIZIOCORSE.COM

Castelli is stoked to be a supporting sponsor on the second Milano edition of the Red Hook Criterium.

The Red Hook Criterium is an unsanctioned race featuring fixed gear bicycles competing over multiple laps of a fast twisty route within the desolate streets in the Bovisa area of Milan.

The field consists of elite-level road, track, cyclocross, and mountain bike racers, bike messengers and urban cyclists. The RHC has developed a unique style of cycling event that combines the underground art of street racing with the intensity of high-level competition in a spectator-friendly atmosphere.

Great looking jerseys. Blue: the winner's jersey. Red: Official RHC jersey.

The competition include the best street riders from the United States battling against a mixture of Italian street racers and elite level Gran Fondo riders. Read the rest of this entry »