Prestigio 2008: Full calendar released

The 2008 Italian Prestigio Series will again include 10 of the most prestigious Granfondos of the season. As previously announced, the new entry will be the GF Carnia Classic-Zoncolan on 13 July, and in September the GF Colnago replaces the GF Cinque Terre as the former has outranked the latter for the past three years in terms of participants.

The Prestigio calendar:

6 April:
GF Selle Italia
Cervia
www.sportur.com

1 May:
Dieci Colli Bolognesi
Bologna
www.diecicolli.it

11 May:
GF Felice Gimondi
Bergamo
www.felicegimondi.com

18 May:
Le Nove Colli
Cesenatico
www.novecolli.it

15 June:
GF Campagnolo
Feltre
www.granfondocampagnolo.it

29 June:
Maratona Dles Dolomites
Corvara in Badia
www.maratona.it

13 July:
GF Carnia Classic - Zoncolan
Tolmezzo
www.carniabike.it

20 July:
GF Pinarello
Treviso
www.granfondopinarello.com

31 August:
Ötztaler Radmarathon
Sölden
www.oetztaler-radmarathon.com

7 September:
GF Colnago
Piacenza
www.granfondocolnago.com

A traditional Ronde in 2008

BRUGGE - The route of the 2008 edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) was revealed earlier this week. It will be a traditional race of 260km including 18 hellingen. The legendary Koppenberg is not in, and replaced by the Kortekeer, but this may still change if the organisation is happy enough with the roadworks that are currently in progress on the Koppenberg (the cobblestones have again deteriorated so much that they have to be redone).

The cyclosportive edition on Saturday, 5 April also sees no major changes. There is the full distance from Brugge to Meerbeke-Ninove, and there is the 140km route with start and finish in Ninove and with all the climbs in it. For those not so familiar with the Ronde, the first 120km are flat and is more a battle against the wind. All climbs are concentrated in the final 100km.

The Frankfurt International Cycling Club will go to Flanders for the weekend from Friday to Sunday. Currently we are five riders, two of them keen on the 260km, and we will be staying in the town of Oudenaarde. That's the heart of the Flemish Ardennes, location of the Oude Kwaremont and the Koppenberg, and also host of the museum of the Tour of Flanders. During the cyclo, we will pass Oudenaarde on three seperate occasions (the last time after the Boigneberg), so it is perfectly possible to quit if anyone's legs are suddenly left with no juice:-)

Anyone keen on joing us, please just write an email to the Frankfurt International Cycling Club. Please note that we would prefer people to make their own accomodation arrangements, so there is no fuss for anyone. The idea is simply to ride together with people.

Register for the Ronde

Prestigio 2008: Enter Monte Zoncolan !

The 2008 Prestigio series will include the Carnia Classic in Arta Terme (Udine) on 13 July. This event has entered the minds of mountain goats last season because of Monte Zoncolan, the horribly steep mountain pass included in the 2007 Giro d' Italia (stage won by Gilberto Simoni). The Prestigio series traditionally supports one 'new' or 'promising' event per year. In 2007 the honour went to the GF Pantani in Aprica.

An important change is the final event of the series in September. The GF Colnago in Piacenza has managed to beat the GF Cinque Terre in number of finishers the past three years, and thus becomes part of the Prestigio.

The full calendar will be revealed soon.