Italia Bici 2003: Tante Belle Cose Per Voi!
By Cyclingnews Staff in Loria, Italy
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For the third consecutive year, Cyclingnews presents Italia Bici, a unique inside look at some of the best cycling brands and products from la bella Italia. We visit the "100 Anni Di Corsa" exhibition where you can see classic bikes such as Fausto Coppi's Bianchi. Then it's off to the De Rosa factory to check out their beautifully crafted frames before heading off to ITM for a look at the technology behind their products. Next we go to Selle Italia, for a look at what work goes into the construction of a saddle. Scroll down the page for an overview of each feature, or click on the link to go straight to the section.
Perhaps no other country better epitomizes man's (and woman's) love affair with the two wheel mode of transportation called the bicycle. Italy is a nation where the passion for sport and technical innovation have captured the imagination of cycling aficionados worldwide.
The heroic pre-WW2 exploits of Binda, Bottechia and Guerra, the great battles between Coppi and Bartali in the '40s, the class of Baldini and power of Magni in the '50s. Then came the magic of Gimondi in the '60s and beyond inspired the passion of sports fans worldwide for the sport of cycling.
It was Moser vs. Sarroni that divided a nation of tifosi in the '70s and '80s. Then, the sheer talent of the enigmatic Bugno kept Italians and others on the edge of their seats in the in the 1990s, while Marco Pantani thrilled the tifosi with his explosive climbing and charismatic Giro & Tour wins.
This great tradition of Italian cycling lives on today with World Champion, the Magnificent Mario Cipollini, explosive World Cup champ Paolo Bettini and emerging young stars like Pippo Pozzato. The story of all of these great athletes is inextricably linked to the century old tradition of Italian artisan bicycle making. Please join Cyclingnews once again in our omaggio to il ciclismo a l'Italiano with Italia Bici 2003.
One hundred years and counting
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Inspired by Giovanni Torriani, son of the late Giro d'Italia boss, Monza native Fiorenzo Magni and sponsored by Ernesto Colnago, the "100 Anni Di Corsa" celebrates a century of cycling through the bicycles, images and memorabilia of the great champions of cycling since 1903 at the Palasport of Monza.
Almost 100 bicycles were on show, and Cyclingnews was there to share with you bikes from the olden days of Binda and Guerra, classic bikes from Coppi and Bartali, as well as championship steeds of Gimondi, Merckx and Moser. Modern day riders will be well represented via bikes from Indurain, Ullrich and Pantani among others.
Special feature from the "100 Anni Di Corsa" exhibition
De Rosa: The Art of The Artisan
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Certain firms in Italy still excel at maintaining the highest standard of production quality and artful expression while creating industrial products. De Rosa Ugo & Figli/Biciclette Speciali is an epitome of this dying art. Behind an unassuming shopfront on a backstreet of the Milano suburb of Cusano Milanino are the doors to De Rosa. Behind these doors, Ugo De Rosa has been building some of the finest bicycles in the world for half a century. Like many Italian family firms, the De Rosa's work side by side, day in and day out to maintain their family's artisan tradition.
Join Cyclingnews.com in our special Italia Bici 2003 feature for an in-depth, behind the scenes visit to De Rosa to see why this small, family firm is one of the icons of the bicycle world today.
Italmanubri: Made in Italy
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Manubrio means handlebars and Ital signifies Italia; thus Italmanubri, the Italian bicycle products firm with over three decades of experience in designing and manufacturing bicycle components. Also known as ITM, the Loria based firm produces world-class components in 4 primary categories: "I Sets"; handlebar & stem product pairings, "Pieghe" or Handlebars, "Attacchi" or Stems, and "Reggiselle", Seatposts.
Flavio Tizian, their managing director told Cyclingnews about ITM's philosophy. "At ITM, we've invested a lot of time and effort to develop the technology to create a sophisticated, high-quality range of bicycle components. Unlike some of our competitors, every product branded Italmanubri is 'Made in Italy'; developed and manufactured in our plant here in Loria."
Cyclingnews takes you on a tour of Italmanubri, the home of ITM.
Italmanubri: High-tech bike accessories in the Italian artisan tradition
A saddle is born: Selle Italia SLK
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Selle Italia is known for product innovations and design, and the quality and style of the "Made In Italy" designs are synonymous with the Rossano Veneto saddle maker. Steven Merlini explains Selle Italia's innovation strategy: "Even if we have four or five models that are selling well, we always feel that every year we have to bring something new to the market. Not because we want to replace a good-selling product, like our Flite, but because we need to have something new and a product that is one step more evolved than the previous model.
A Cyclingnews Virtual Visit: Selle Italia
Previous Italia Bici features
Colnago 2002 - Inside Ernesto Colnago's
personal bike museum
Bontrager
- Bontrager wheels at the 2001 Tour de France
DMT
Shoes - Polishing the diamond
Limar
Helmets - Technology for your head
Colnago
- An interview with Ernesto Colnago
