by Luca Negri © 2018 Bike It! Bellagio There are several beautiful cycling destinations around the world. Every place has its own unique scenery, its specialties, its challenges, and its must-see’s. If someone were to ask me what Lake Como is like—declared the most beautiful lake in the world in 2014 by the Huffington Post—the first words that come to my mind are elegance, legend, and sacred. Elegance, because for centuries Lake Como has been a destination for “elegant tourism,” in the past referred to as elite tourism. Famous poets, musicians, authors, politicians … so many have come and continue to come to relax and admire the extraordinary, natural scenery on Lake Como, ever since the time of the ancient Romans, to more recent times by Leonardo da Vinci, Franz Liszt, Stendhal, John F. Kennedy, and, of course, George Clooney. The elegance of Lake Como is reflected by its historic villas, whose presence can be felt as you ride your bike along the lake. One villa after another, amongst small towns perched upon the lake’s limestone and granite mountains, with their simple, yet antique style, seemingly untouched by the passing of time. They are still perfectly harmonious with their surrounding nature. A tour of Lake Como's western branch Legend, because the legends and stories that you can breathe around the lake are still strong. The stories of Lake Como include those of defense, conquerors, hard life, mythical anecdotes about the contrabands of the past, and stories of unforgettable cycling. For example, when taking on the Ghisallo climb in the Giro di Lombardia in 1919, it was considered pure insanity, and 50 years later, taking on the Muro di Sormano was also then considered pure insanity. Today, these challenging climbs are taken on by cyclists from around the world. However, the people from this area weren’t afraid of or discouraged from challenging themselves; they prayed to the Virgin Mary and went on. Italian cyclists’ faith continues to be an inspiration and means of support to them, and the Lake Como area is considered sacred. It’s not surprising that the only Virgin Mary for the protection of cyclists can be found here, on top of the renowned climb of Ghisallo: the sanctuary of La Madonna del Ghisallo. In 1949, the Pope acknowledged this sanctuary with a torchlight procession of inauguration from Rome, which both Italian cyclists Coppi and Bartali took part in. The sanctuary is quite small, yet full of historic memorabilia that tell the story of cycling. After 50 years, the chapel was unable to hold all of the legendary stories of the sport, so in 1999 Fiorenzo Magni founded the Ghisallo Cycling Museum, and it was built in 2000, next to the chapel, to hold antique bicycles and memorabilia with undeterminable value. Come and experience the elegance and legend of the sacred Lake Como by bike! The Lake Como area is one of those destinations best explored on two wheels, so you can discover the local stops and enjoy the incredible, panoramic views. Each side of the Lake is different. The West is very pristine, the streets lined with villas and beautiful architecture, giving you a taste of Switzerland … the border is very close! The North is where the PreAlps begin to fade away as the Alps tower above you … the roads are quiet and more open. The valleys on the East side have a wild feel to them. The South, the Larian Triangle, home to the Madonna del Ghisallo and Muro di Sormano, contains the famous roads of the Giro di Lombardia. Going beyond the Larian Triangle into the Brianza region, the roads of il Lombardia continue with Tuscan-like landscapes and several rolling hills. The variety of cycling routes to choose from, all with their own unique beauty, is why so many cyclists return to this area—several times—as there is always something new to try! And the road conditions along and above the lake are great! A presto! For those who have cycled in the Lake Como area, please share what you have liked best about the region. A ride on Lake Como's "wild" side!Riding through the hills of Brianza, south of Lake Como
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by Casey Thompson © 2017 Bike It! Bellagio Benvenuto a Bike It! Bellagio! Luca and I are excited to open our new bike shop in Bellagio this March. One photo that has always inspired both of us is the famous image of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, two Italian cycling rivals, where one is passing a water bottle to the other along the Col du Galibier during the 1952 Tour de France. The legend is that still today no one knows who is passing the water bottle to whom. This represents the values of the sport of cycling: integrity beyond the competition, friendship, sharing, and brotherhood through the efforts. As the motto of the Giro di Lombardia 2012 reminds us: Il cielo e' in cima a una salita or “Heaven is on top of a climb.” Reaching the top of the climb takes teamwork, even if you’re not necessarily on the same team. Coppi and Bartali were always rivals in the postwar years; they were only on the same team in 1940, Cicli Legnano. After the war, Coppi raced for Bianchi for more than 10 years! The tifosi (fans) of the two champions were quite divided, each party completely dedicated to their champion; however, together the fans found positivity and glory in the sport of cycling during these years. Cycling was an opportunity for success and well-being, taking advantage of one’s potential and training hard through the heat, the cold, and risk of falling along the dusty and muddy postwar streets. Cycling also served as a symbol of the Italian effort to readapt the country to normal lifestyles and to open doors for a patriotic future through sport. This unification of Italians through their love of cycling brought together the divided Bartali-Coppi fans because, in the end, everyone was just rooting for Italy. We also believe in the unification that the many cyclists and cycling communities share around the world. We all ride for the love of our sport, and we love to share the sport with others. Thus, the Bartali-Coppi photo was the perfect image to use as the basis for our logo. |
AddressVia Valassina 103 Bellagio, Italy 22021
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info@bikeitbellagio.com
Phone+39 334 975 1604
Tax ID/P..Iva 03707810135
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Shop shuttleDaily from Bellagio's town center, in front of Banca Intesa at 9:05 a.m., 9:20 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. *on reservation*.
Free parking at the shop |
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