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Posted by on Sep 3, 2013 in bikes, gear and gadgets, training | 0 comments

Tacx Real life video Sicily – trailer 1: Erice

Tacx Real life video Sicily – trailer 1: Erice

The RLV Sicily – Erice is now available! Buy it here. On June 10 I posted a teaser for the upcoming RLV training videos. Jaap Wagenvoort and I have been filming for several days in Sicily for three RLV’s that can be used on a Tacx trainer: • Bike ride to the medieval town of Erice • The Bosco di Alcamo climb • Riding with Don Bici Today I proudly present you the first trailer: Erice. A ride from the town of Alcamo to the temple of Segesta, the Garibaldi monument at Pianto Roman and the Medieval town of Erice, 750 meters above sea level on Monte Erice. Join us in Sicily for the Giro dello Scorpione 2014 for several bike rides in this lovely part of Sicily!...

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Posted by on Aug 19, 2013 in training | 0 comments

Working with a coach

Working with a coach

A few years ago I bought my first road bike and I was hooked from the start! For me cycling is an excellent stress reliever and it allows me to really enjoy this lovely island. I’m sure I’ll never get enough of the hilly landscape with olive groves and vineyards, the spectacular sea views and rocky mountains that surround the golf area. I used to just go out and ride my bike for as many kilometers as my work schedule would allow, so in a short time I rode thousands of kilometers in the area between Palermo and Trapani. While riding many kilometers initially made me a stronger cyclist, I noticed that after a while I didn’t see much improvement  anymore. That’s when I started to think about actually training instead of just cycling. A lot of coaches and cycling websites offer cycling plans to help you train, but I prefer being able to contact someone and to get feedback on the training data so I started looking for...

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Posted by on Aug 1, 2013 in cycling guide | 4 comments

Houston, we have a problem – Stories from a cycling guide

Houston, we have a problem – Stories from a cycling guide

A few weeks ago I was contacted by an English tourist called Dominic, who wanted to rent a road bike for him and his 13 year old son, Eddie. They also wanted to do a ride with a guide, so I arranged the bike rental and we made an appointment for the bike ride. Dominic wanted to do around 50 km and maximum 500 meters ascent and he told me his son had no problems climbing 7% grades. Last Sunday I met up with Aronne, the 14 year old son of Giuseppe from the bike shop and we rode to the train station in Castellammare del Golfo where Dominic and Eddie were waiting for us. I had planned a ride towards the temple of Segesta, which would be almost exactly what Dominic wanted: a 50 km ride with just a little over 500 m ascent and one steeper climb with maximum 7% grades. It was sunny and around 37°C when we left for Segesta. We followed the hilly road...

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Posted by on Jul 1, 2013 in cycling and bike pics | 0 comments

Sunday ride to Ponte di Sagana and Torretta

Sunday ride to Ponte di Sagana and Torretta

After all the rides I already blogged about, there are still some areas in sunny Sicily I haven’t shown you guys. Yesterday I went for a 95 km bike ride starting in the town of Balestrate. I rode to Partinico and climbed to (Ponte di) Sagana. From there I followed the mountain road to Montelepre and Piana dell’occhio, from which “frazione” I descended to the town of Torretta. From this town I cycled back home passing the towns of Carini, Villagrazia di Carini, Cinisi, Terrasini and Trappeto. This is the view I had when I arrived at the top of the climb in Sagana: A few hundred meters away there’s a spot where years ago the locals went to pray. You can still see some crosses and a statue of Jesus: There’s a nice climb in this area, which starts here (lots of 8% stretches and some 12-14% gradients near the end of the climb). I took the following picture at the end of that climb: On the other...

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Posted by on Jun 22, 2013 in cycling and bike pics | 0 comments

Exploring the Cinisi climb

Exploring the Cinisi climb

Even though I’ve ridden thousands of kilometers in this part of Sicily, every now and then I stumble across a road where I’ve never been, or a climb I’ve never done before. This was the case with a climb I found by using Strava. I had clicked on “Segment Search” and saw a few segments near the town of Cinisi. I’ve passed through Cinisi hundreds of times on my bike, but I didn’t know there was a climb starting near the town center and ending in a small “frazione” of Cinisi. So a few weeks ago I decided to cycle to Cinisi and explore this climb. I rode from Balestrate through the coastal town of Trappeto in the direction of Cinisi. It was a bit of a cloudy day, but with temperatures of around 29°C it felt like summer! I passed Terrasini, turned right and entered the town of Cinisi. The main street, the “Corso Umberto” leads to a few beautiful buildings, the town hall and the library: I...

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