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Friday, February 25th, 2011
Stage 15 runs along SS251, right next to the landslide area.
One of the things I love about cycling, as opposed to stadium sports, is that it brings the competition into the lives of the tifosi. Stage 15 of this year’s Giro d’Italia, running north from our neighbors in Conegliano to the Gardeccia climb, recognizes the survivors of, and the nearly 2,500 lives lost to, the Vajont (pronounced VAY-ont) Dam Disaster.
Vajont Dam before the landslide
Conceived during the 1920s, but not constructed until after WWII, the Vajont Dam is one of the tallest in the world. Rather than being recognized as a marvel of engineering, it is remembered now as a warning sign to engineers, geologists, and politicians who choose to ignore the Earth’s warning signs. Despite many small landslides and earthquakes during construction and filling, SADE (the builders) and ENEL (government-run energy company) continued with their plan. Shortly after filling the dam’s lake to it’s highest level, another landslide forced them to begin lowering the lake’s level. But it was too late.
Late in the evening of 9 October, 1963, a 260 million cubic foot landslide triggered a 250m (820ft.!!!)-high wave that washed over the dam, wiping out the towns of Casso, Longarone, Pirago, Rivalta, Villanova, and Faè. In a strange coincidence, the dam itself survived intact.
Vajont Dam after the landslide
Today, life has continued. The towns have been rebuilt, businesses opened, and the landslide area (since then, stable) itself is open to the public. Stage 15, after climbing the Piancavallo above the Aviano airbase, descends past Lago di Vajont and the Vajont dam, remembering this terrible disaster, and reminding us that even though someone will be victorious at the summit of the Gardeccia, at the end of the day, the mountain always wins.
Interested in learning more? The Wikipedia article on Vajont Dam and it’s linked source material are a good jumping off point. Particularly interesting is the entry on Dave’s Landslide Blog.
Want to see Vajont, among the many other captivating sites, views, and people that make Italy so interesting? Join us this summer! Learn more about our Italian cycling camps or reserve your place now!
Marshall “Major” Taylor
Monday, January 17th, 2011
Photo by Cliff1066 at Flickr.
Gone are the days when cycling was one of the, if not the, most popular sports in America. But in the late 1890s and early 1900s, cycling, and 6-day racing in particular, was the hot ticket in the US. In fact, the first Madison Square Garden, opened in 1879, was built primarily for track cycling and the event called the “Madison” takes its name from the arena. Though he was discriminated against by fans, competitors, and officials alike, Major Taylor went on to become one of the most successful and wealthiest athletes of his time.
In 1899, Major Taylor became the second black world champion (after Canadian boxer George Dixon) and the first African-American world champion in any sport. Given his nickname during his first job because of the uniform he wore performing tricks outside a bike shop, Taylor began winning bike races when he was 13 years old. As his success grew in his native Indiana, officials began to enforce rules that prohibited black cyclists from entering amateur races, so Taylor moved to the only state that didn’t have that rule, Massachusetts.
Taylor’s first professional race was in 1896, at Madison Square Garden, a half-mile race in which he lapped the entire field! His quick success earned him a contract with the E.C. Stearns Company, which built him a chainless bicycle weighing only 20lbs! Such was his success, and the popularity of cycling at the time, that at the peak of his professional career, Taylor was earning $15,000-$20,000 per year. This was at a time when Ty Cobb was earning only $5,000!
For more on Marshall “Major” Taylor, read Andrew Ritchie’s Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer.
Remembering Fausto Coppi
Sunday, January 2nd, 2011
The Brakmos at the Summit of Passo Pordoi, just a few days after Sella Ronda Bike Day.
Today marks the 51st anniversary of Fausto Coppi’s untimely death and the opening of a new museum room in his hometown of Castellania (just off the A7 between Milan and Genoa). There is also a museum at his birth home as well as a museum nearby in Novi Ligure with a new exhibition on the monuments placed on passes around Italy in honor of Fausto Coppi, including one near the summit of the Passo Pordoi, which Alex Brakmo & Alex Brakmo Jr. have conquered, just after Sella Ronda Bike Day.
December 13 Pic of the Day
Monday, December 13th, 2010
The Tullio Campagnolo Memorial at the Croce d'Aune
“It was during one of Tullio’s races as an amateur that he confronted a problem which often faced cyclists of those days — removing a wheel. On November 11th, 1927, with snow covering the roads of the Italian Dolomite mountains, Tullio was riding over the Croce D’Aune Pass in the Gran Premio della Vittoria race and needed to remove his rear wheel to change gears. Because the large wingnuts that held his wheel on had frozen and his hands were too cold to budge them, he was unable to remove his wheel to change gears, and lost his chance at victory that day.
“As he struggled to free his wheel, he muttered five words to himself that changed the history of cycling:
“Bisogno cambiá qualcossa de drio!”"
Continue reading Campagnolo’s history at CampyOnly.com
2011 Giro, Stage 15
Sunday, November 7th, 2010
Though the start of stage 15 is just around the corner from us in Conegliano, it quickly winds its way into the Dolomites for some serious climbing action. Though the middle stretches of the Piancavallo, which climbs from near the American Air Base at Aviano, have grades of 13+%, it is early and easy enough not to cause too much trouble. Similarly, the Forcella Cibiana shouldn’t cause the gruppo too much trouble.
Looking down to Cortina from Passo Giau
Summit of the Passo Giau
But next rears up the Cima Coppi of this year’s race, the Passo Giau. I’ve climbed and descended this mountain, and can tell you that there is no place to hide. Though it never kicks up to ridiculous gradients, there is not really much of a place to recover either. At an average of more than 8%, this is not an easy climb.
The Marmolada (Fedaia) from Caprile
That switchback ahead that looks super-steep? It's actually nearly flat, just an optical illusion from these 15% slopes!
Following immediately on from the descent of the Giau is the Marmolada (Passo Fedaia). This climb is a beast! With sustained stretches of 10+% and repeated sections of 15%, any tired riders from the morning break will definitely come back to the bunch here. The demoralizing part of this climb, unlike many Dolomiti passes, is that the middle stretch of 12% simply goes straight up the side of the mountain. It’s only when you see the hairpins that you can relax to ~8%. Then it kicks up again to 15%+ for the last kms.
Not long, but steep and on gravel the last kms
The descent into Canazei is relatively straightforward and non-technical, and the road in fact continues down until it hits the town of Pera di Fassa. It’s there that we turn right to head up to the rifugio of Gardeccia. Though not much is known about this climb in cycling, the Torri del Vajolet (Vajolet Towers) above are well-known in the climbing world. The road to the rifugio is not long, but neither is it easy. While much is made of the gravel on the Colle delle Finestre, this strade bianche finishing climb might be more difficult! With maximum slopes of 15% and an average of more than 9% at the end of a huge 230km day, whoever the winner is, he will be deserving.
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