To lovers of fine wine, or anyone who’s been to inGamba’s casa dolce casa in Tuscany, Castello di Ama will be a familiar name. Nestled in the hills of Chianti not far from our base in Lecchi, the winery was founded in the 1970s by a group of families from Rome who, having fallen in love with the landscape and the crumbling stonework of the eponymous little hamlet, set about restoring a once property to its former glory, while at the same time transforming the way the world thought about the unloved local tipple. Read More
Laurens ten Dam and João Correia were friends long before inGamba. As professional bike racers, they met at the 2010 Tour de Suisse, but not like you’d expect, chatting at the start-line, or in a quiet moment, mid stage, while the peloton casually rolled en masse through the Swiss countryside. No, that would be too boring. The pair’s first encounter came when João went careering, at high speed, into the back of an ambulance, only to find the Dutchman already inside, on the stretcher, getting treatment. Never let it be said that the boss doesn’t know how to make an entrance.
Nice, Boulder, Melbourne, Lucca. All iconic cycling towns, all magnets for the sport’s top athletes. But did you know that more professional cyclists call Catalonia home than anywhere in the world?
Alentejo is a world apart. It covers a third of Portugal’s landmass, but is home to just five percent of its population. Mention its name to most people and it will conjure up images of gently rolling countryside and panoramic horizons, but the border with Spain is characterized by distinctive granite hills and its long, mostly uninhabited coastline boasts some of the most stunning stretches of pristine beaches in Europe, complete with around 275 days of sunshine annually.
Hidden away in a quiet corner of Lisbon, every inch of Francisco Araújo’s home speaks of a life dedicated to cycling. A talented mechanic, the lively octogenarian once worked for several national squads and in the pro peloton with top teams, and enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the legendary directeur sportif Jean de Gribaldy. This is a house that bike racing built, and it has since become a monument to a lifetime spent in the service of some of the 20th century’s most famous riders.
It was the final day of our first Tenac Training Week in Chianti. Bags were being packed, goodbyes being said. But for one of the riders, there was still some unfinished business, the small matter of securing the fastest time on the ascent up to Lecchi, a short climb, but a storied one among the inGamba crew, because it’s the end of most of our rides and it finishes right outside our service course.
Looking pro ain’t easy. You can have all the awesome gear in the world, but if you’ve spent the off-season scoffing pizza and beer on the couch, nothing is going to hide those bulges. There’s no substitute for regular riding and a sensible diet if you really want to look your best on the bike. Trust us, we’ve tried everything. But, assuming you’re in shape, there are levels of cool when it comes to cycling fashion.
