Nostalgic Season Begin on the Ligurian Coast

Journey Laigueglia: The Trofeo Laigueglia (say Lay-ee-Gway-lia) sits quietly a number of weeks forward of Milan-SanRemo on the Italian race calendar, however is a vital season opener for Italian & French riders to check out early season legs within the hills alongside the Ligurian Coast. Swiss author Alain Rumpf spent the weekend in ’23, and soaked up some rain, the race, after which a prime experience – an effective way to shake off winter.

As I write these phrases, the hearth is crackling within the range and snow is piling up round our chalet. We’re within the depths of winter, and it’s time to mirror on the highlights of the previous season.

How did it begin? For my buddy Luca and me, it was a visit to Laigueglia that received us again within the saddle. A visit that we each skilled as a return to our roots, however for causes which might be distinctive to every of us.

The 2024 race route takes in a few of the coastal roads rides will see in a while their method to San Remo.

Luca grew up in Turin, and that’s the place he raced in his youthful years. In winter, he would escape the fog of the Po valley to coach on the close by Ligurian coast. “The area enjoys a micro-climate: even in January and February, you’ll be able to experience within the heat of a slender strip alongside the ocean. As quickly as you go a number of kilometers additional, it’s winter,” he explains as we get pleasure from our first Italian espresso in an Autogrill, someplace within the Aosta Valley. We’re already on the opposite facet of the Alps, and there’s much less snow than again residence in Switzerland: a great signal.

As for me, Liguria jogs my memory of Milano-Sanremo and the most effective years I spent on the UCI, in one other life. I used to go to the race yearly: the primary main occasion of the season, the Classicissima marked the reunion of the microcosm {of professional} biking.

Riders, workforce managers, journalists, workforce bosses, executives of every kind: we’d all meet firstly, within the gloom of central Milan. As soon as the peloton and the race caravan have been on their manner, we headed for the autostrada to Sanremo and awaited the end within the Mediterranean sunshine.

Nostalgic for the nice previous days, I used to be trying ahead to an analogous expertise, as we have been invited by the Trofeo Laigueglia group. Celebrating its sixtieth version, this race historically marks the beginning of the season in Italy. It has lengthy attracted the celebrities of the worldwide peloton.

Well-known names similar to Merckx, De Vlaeminck, Saronni and, a little bit nearer to now, Museeuw have all gained the race. Right now, the celebrities of the peloton begin their seasons in Australia, Argentina or the Center East. However the Trofeo Laigueglia retains a barely old style attraction that I used to be trying ahead to having fun with.

As quickly as we arrive at Resort Mediterraneo, we’re in for a deal with: the Professional Continental Eolo-Kometa workforce can be staying there. In useless, we search for Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso, the workforce bosses. The riders look so younger – or perhaps we’re getting previous. The foyer is a busy place, with employees making last preparations. Everybody is keen to get began.

The subsequent morning, on race day, there may be much less enthusiasm because the skies are gray and heavy rain is forecast. We’ll look ahead to the spring ambiance… and to eat our fritto misto outdoors.

Regardless of this, we’re going to experience. In actual fact, we’ve been invited by the organizers to participate within the “pedalata ecologica” on the race’s last circuit. We think about a experience reserved for VIPs, and that’s kind of what it’s. Besides that amongst these VIPs are Pippo Pozzato, Davide Cassani, Marco Saligari and Mirko Celestino.

The mixed palmares of those illustrious professionals, retired for kind of a very long time, embody a Milano-Sanremo, a Giro di Lombardia, levels of the Tour, Giro and Vuelta, a Tour de Suisse, an Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a GP E3, 4 Giro dell’Emilia, three Milano-Torino and an U23 World Championship. To not point out 4 Trofeo Laigueglia.

A bunch of bundled up VIPs, some with extra watts of their legs than others

All are joyful to be again collectively and the group is chatting away. Even when Luca and I are climbing a hill at over 300 watts… we attempt to preserve a smile on our faces, which quickly turns right into a grimace earlier than we let go. Thankfully, everybody’s ready for us on the prime, however the descent as soon as once more places us in our place: the professionals, even lengthy after retirement, have an astounding sense of trajectory, and in three switchbacks we’re far behind once more.

After 12 kilometers, which really feel like triple, we’re again firstly space. The rain is coming down more durable and more durable, and the riders are trying glum as they signal on. There are a number of acquainted faces: Biniam Girmay, Alberto Bettiol, Thibaut Pinot… however the bulk of the sector is made up of Italian Professional Continental and Continental groups. With their signature outfits, coated with the logos of their many sponsors.

“So Biniam, how are you having fun with the Ligurian micro-climate?”

A fast apart: it’s modern to make enjoyable of those groups for being “adorned like a Christmas tree”, however I’ve all the time admired them. They play an important function of their nation: they’re those who allow nearly all of riders to climb the ladder to the World Tour. What number of riders have Gianni Savio and Reverberi (father and son) given a job to over the past 30 years?

And what number of tens of tens of millions of euros have they injected into the game due to the multitude of small and huge sponsors who’ve adorned their jerseys, 12 months after 12 months? There was Eurocar, Kross, ZG Mobili, Androni Giocattoli, Diquigiovanni, Sidermec, Italbonifica, Scrigno, Panaria, Navigare, Bardiani, CSF… and so many others.

Depend the sponsors

Sure, they gave me a tough time after I labored on the UCI, with their shaky budgets and their guarantees that every thing was so as. However on the identical time, they’re those I most get pleasure from assembly after I go to the races. They’re the final representatives of an endangered species, squeezed out by the “devo groups”. For higher or for worse? That’s one other story.

However again to the rain in Laigueglia. The beginning is given and we head again to the resort to vary earlier than bravely heading for the restaurant that serves because the VIP space. At espresso time, after 150km between the seaside and the hills of the hinterland, the peloton (or what’s left of it) faces the ultimate a part of the race: 4 laps of the circuit we coated within the morning.

The battle is raging between the frozen warriors who stay within the race. At this sport, it’s Frenchman Nans Peters who proves to be the strongest and wins solo. At the beginning, he was one of many few who appeared relaxed: the race was already half gained for him.

“Brown goes so nicely together with your complexion, Nans”

Regardless of the deluge now beating down on the Ligurian coast, the gang swarms to attend the official ceremony. Shivering, the bundled-up riders take to the rostrum to obtain their prizes. Then it’s off to residence, the following race or a coaching camp. The season has solely simply begun, and Laigueglia returns to the torpor of a late winter at a seaside resort.

The tip of an extended day for everybody

The subsequent morning, Luca’s well-known Ligurian micro-climate is again and the solar is shining. We set off to find Laigueglia with the race organizers, an organization referred to as Extragiro. Their motto: “Biking is on the service of the territory, not the opposite manner round”. What does this imply? Historically, biking expects (calls for?) a service from the territories it crosses: closed roads, infrastructure firstly and end, inns, money for the largest races. These days, nonetheless, this mannequin is working out of steam. The organizers of most races are discovering it more and more troublesome to achieve the assist of native authorities.

To handle this downside, Extragiro goals to show the paradigm on its head: a motorcycle race is a platform for showcasing a area. It ought to assist to advertise every thing that makes it particular: the fantastic thing about its landscapes, its tradition, its gastronomy… The goal just isn’t solely to draw spectators through the occasion, but additionally to generate visibility that may entice future guests.

So we spend the morning wandering across the previous pedestrian city of Laigueglia within the firm of an area information. He tells us all in regards to the historical past of this fishing village turned seaside resort, full of vacationers in summer time.

An impressive church in a city of 1800 inhabitants. Welcome to Italy

Thankfully, that is the low season. Hoteliers, shopkeepers and winegrowers welcome us with open arms to assist us uncover the treasures of their area. Luca and I attempt to not overindulge within the glorious wine we’re given to style, as we need to get out and experience.

After a glass (or two) too many, we lastly set off. We’re nonetheless sporting lengthy sleeves, however it’s our first experience of the 12 months with out our winter hats and thick gloves. Freedom!

After a number of hundred meters, we’re already on the Capo Mele, one of many humps of the Milano-Sanremo finale. At this level, the professionals have 240 kilometers below their belts and are most likely nonetheless twice as quick as us.

Arriving in Andora (with one “r”, to not be confused with the Pyrenean micro-state the place half the WorldTour peloton lives), we depart the coast and climb to the village of Testico, perched at simply over 400 metres above sea stage. The slope, imperceptible at first alongside a river, turns into steeper as we climb by way of olive groves. However nothing too troublesome for the beginning of the season: 7% at most.

Climbing amongst olive bushes

After 10 kilometers on the crest, we descend again to the ocean and the city of Alassio, earlier than returning to Laigueglia alongside the coast. All in all: 46km, a great warm-up for what lies forward.

Certainly, we plan to comply with the route of the Gran Fondo Laigueglia for our first massive experience of the 12 months. The occasion, which opens the newbie season in Italy, passed off the earlier weekend with nearly 1,000 members.

It’s Luca’s concept: “typically, Gran Fondos happen on good roads away from visitors, and the route visits the important thing locations within the area”, he tells me as we set off alongside the By way of Aurelia, the street that runs alongside the coast.

All through the day, his premise is confirmed. We take three climbs: Costa Bacelaga, Castellaro and Testico (in the other way to the day gone by). The slopes are regular and we don’t climb increased than 500 meters, which retains us out of the chilly. Sure, the micro-climate is a actuality!

Yay, micro-climate

And it’s not simply the roads which might be nice: we’re driving by way of magnificent Mediterranean landscapes, between olive groves and typical villages. At first, nonetheless, I discover it arduous to seize our expertise with my digital camera. I’m used to the sharp peaks of the Alps and the mineral landscapes of the excessive mountains. Right here, we do a whole lot of driving by way of woods and bushes. The light hills don’t catch my eye, and I wrestle to construction my pictures.

Thankfully, I regularly discover my toes and frustration provides method to jubilation. I handle to play with the contorted shapes of the olive bushes and reap the benefits of the uncommon openings within the vegetation to seize the wooded hills that stretch so far as the attention can see in direction of the mountains.

It’s not the Alps, however they’ll do

All this places Luca to the take a look at, and we cease counting the variety of occasions he has to trip to refine our pictures. “Slightly to the appropriate”… “don’t have a look at the digital camera this time”… “as soon as once more, however out of the saddle”… He is aware of the music and executes the choreography to perfection.

Because the day progresses, our energy declines. By the point we attain Testico, I’ve received my blood sugar down in my socks (as we are saying in French) and we stumble right into a bar. The espresso is great and I scarf down a brioche, a sort of croissant with a filling, typical in Italy, that has saved me many a time.

As soon as I’ve regained all my senses, I discover two males at a desk. They converse to us within the native dialect, of which I don’t perceive a phrase. Luca, alternatively, manages to make dialog, because the idiom of his native Piedmont just isn’t to this point off. I take the chance to snap a number of photographs, and we depart with a sense: life right here flows peacefully, and it doesn’t take a lot to be joyful.

A lesson we’ve loads of time to ponder as we painstakingly climb Capo Mele simply earlier than reaching Laigueglia. We’re fully exhausted, these 125km with our early-season legs having offered us with an important problem.

Months later, I’m trying again on all the nice occasions of that journey and I hope I’ll have the ability to return to Liguria. The area is just a few hours from Switzerland and lends itself admirably to a (lengthy) weekend to rack up the miles on the finish of winter.

Due to Extragiro for inviting us and organizing our keep. We stayed on the Resort Mediterraneo, outfitted with a motorcycle room and positioned only a few dozen meters from the historic middle of Laigueglia.

Right here is the komoot assortment with our rides:

Alain.

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