The appointment is September 18th at the Natural Village Resort in Porto Potenza Picena, on the Adriatic coast of the province of Macerata. In front is the Conero, behind the Chienti Valley which rises up to the outposts of the Sibillini Mountains. It is here that Giovanni Visconti and Paolo Alberati have made an appointment with their friends and with those who want to become friends for the first time. Natural Bike Experience, in the weekend that announces the 5 brands.
Their base will be the Natural Village Resort, but the activities will take place on the streets that have seen hundreds of challenges between great champions. On the famous walls of the Marche. And the climbs where the Eagle of Filottrano first flapped its wings: Michele Scarponi. We pedal and talk, just like in team retreats, where they train in the morning and spend the afternoon together.
«Races often pass through these parts – recalls Visconti – I'm thinking of the Tirreno-Adriatico, but also the Giro. The Montelupone wall is about ten kilometers away. I remember a Tirreno-Adriatico where I was caught by Scarponi a few hundred meters from the finish.. Or I'm reminded of a stage start of the Giro from the foot of the Conero. We immediately set off uphill and at full speed."
On the roads of the Tyrrhenian Sea
The first day, breakfast together and then off we go pedal (together and for a long time) on the route of the granfondo organized by Andrea TontiOn Saturday, a more leisurely outing to the wonders of Monte Conero. On Sunday, anyone who wants can participate in the Gran Fondo, paying less, along with Alberati. Visconti will instead accompany the others to the foot of the Sassotetto climb.
"Roads I remember well," admits the three-time Italian champion, "also because I was always a key figure in those stages. I'd break away or take a chance in the finale. I remember the 2008 Tirreno-Adriatico, the finish in Castelfidardo which is about twenty kilometres awayFreire won over Pozzato, then Di Luca and I finished fourth. As I remember the arrival in Macerata in 2011, victory for Evans and me second, but it was Nibali who brought us back to the top, otherwise who can say... While we pedal, I tell stories. We talk, we laugh, and even there, anecdotes emerge, retracing the roads I've passed. I'll tell you about a moment from the race, this one is also beautiful. Then there's someone who likes to be a little more competitive, so maybe he'll keep going and we'll see him again at the hotel. But most of them just stop to listen and... take the pedal stroke as it should be taken, as we would like it to be taken».
In step with Scarponi's laughter
There's always been a certain amount of friction between Visconti and Nibali, fueling a fun and entertaining rivalry for years. Visconti recognized the greatness of Nibali, and the Messina native was always ready to repel his attacks. But over there, During the afternoons of anecdotes and stories, we will also talk about Michele ScarponiFilottrano is about forty kilometers away.
«If we want to make a comparison – Visconti smiles – the streets we will find are joyful and with a thousand changes of mood like Michele, who in reality always had a smile even when he was downThose walls were the stage for Michele's shots, his laughter and his jokes. Let's talk about this and the My experiences as a rider regarding training and nutrition. And I am amazed to hear how a professional, just a few years ago, could do things that were actually wrong compared to what is done now."
Bites of a more human cycling
Cycling has changed and it will be fun, in the small debates that Alberati and Visconti will be held in the afternoon, realize how the world of sport has changed. And how much more advanced amateurs today are than those who were professionals even a few years ago.
«We were living life – admits Visconti – but quite the opposite for integration, aerodynamics and everything related to the profession, including trainingParticipants really enjoy hearing about these experiences, which make it even more clear how suddenly everything has changed."
Three modular packages
The appointment is for the evening of September 18th, which is ThursdayAn initial briefing, and then the next day we'll start pedaling and sharing our stories. Meanwhile, a 10 percent discount on the prices indicated on the site is announced, starting from 100 euros for the day experience, 395 euros for two nights and three days, 470 euros for the complete period, with three nights.
The period is particular, many have returned to work and for this very reason the possibility of splitting the stay is foreseenBut the streets are worth it, and Visconti and Alberati's storytelling skills will add that touch of originality that will make your stay a treasure trove of emotions.
