The race to win the pink jersey starts and the Italians are increasingly a nation of cyclists
Life is like riding a bicycle - to keep your balance you have to move. Albert Einstein said. It's nice to remember him these days, on the eve of the Giro D'Italia.
The Giro d'Italia is one of the most important television rituals
Il Tour of Italy will start on May 5th. In this 2017 it celebrates the historic edition number one hundred. Yes, we are a people of saints, poets, navigators and ... cyclists. The passion for two wheels in our country seems unstoppable. Over 1.6 million were sold last year bike (data from ANCMA, Association of bicycle and motorcycle manufacturers).
Bmx, folding, mountain and electric bikes they are highly sought after and unfortunately also the problem of theft confirms this. Suffice it to say that 60 a day are stolen in Florence alone! For this reason, many cities prefer to rely on bike-sharing, the rental service offered by municipalities to encourage sustainable mobility. A sector that every year in the European Union brings economic benefits equal to 513 billion euros, according to the latest EU Cycling Economy report.
But cycling is above all a romantic adventure. In the saddle, more or less trained, we feel like champions. Uphill it is difficult, of course, but that's where the fun begins.
How to follow the 21 stages of the Giro d'Italia?
Il Tour of Italy or better the Centennial tour it will have over 500 spectators on the street and will be broadcast in 194 countries.
We will start the 5 May from Alghero, in Sardinia and we will arrive on May 28 in Milan after 3.752.2 km and many climbs. The highest point? On the legendary Stelvio Pass at 2.758 meters.
Who will win the Giro d'Italia? We support the Sicilian Vincenzo Nibali, who won last year. But watch out for the Colombian champion Fernando Gaviria.
It will be possible to follow stage by stage of the Giro d'Italia from Friday 5 May on Rai three at 14 pm.
Three record-breaking bicycle models
The most exclusive bicycle is signed Bugatti. Made of 95% reinforced carbon fiber, it weighs less than 5 kg and is the dream of the most sporty.
The most ecological is an Italian idea. It has just been inaugurated in Savona Carrus Cycles, the first shop in Italy that creates and sells bicycles with bamboo frames. They are unique pieces made by hand and made to measure.
La electric bicycle it is the one that is most fashionable. The Italians like the "assisted pedaling". Over 2016 e-bikes were sold in 100. And to make less effort you spend more.
There is the sea involved, a book by Matteo Scarabelli, an Italian who tells his pedal adventure
“Did you want the bicycle? Have fun!". With this spirit I report the advice of Matteo Scarabelli, the Italian author of the book entitled “The sea is involved", Ediciclo Editore. A story of his 13.000 km long cycling adventure across 3 continents and 20 countries.
- The helmet is not mandatory but advisable. The highway code is strange. No fines for those who do not protect their heads. But you risk being fined if you ride your bike on the sidewalk or cross the pedestrian crossing.
- The anti-theft device must be chosen based on the bicycle model. The more expensive the bike, the more you have to invest in the lock. If you have a € 1.000 model and leave it on the street, you need a high-security alarm to deter thieves. Neither the chain nor the articulated one but a rigid headband.
- For the first outing with children, 20 km in the plains are enough. If the little ones and the parents are not trained, they can be done easily in two and a half hours. But the most important thing is to alternate playful pauses with the march. And after three quarters of an hour, enjoy a snack or a treasure hunt by the river.
