Gazelle Champion Mondial (special for L'Eroica)

Gastheerg

Old School Hero
In 2008 I did my first L'Eroica. I did the 205k on an old steel Bianchi. Nice bike and nice jersey.

Here the Bianchi in 2008 in Gaiole where L'Eroica has it's start and finish
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And put on some nice jersey
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The bike and I get to the finish but it became 12 very hard hours.
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Next year I would be better prepared!

But also an other bike. The Bianchi is lovely but so many Italian ride on a Bianchi so for 2009 L'Eroica I choice for a Dutch bike: a Gazelle!

I became one for free but it was a horrible bike. Dust and rust and every tube was with damage.
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So I had to look further.................
 
A few months later I found this bike. I don't like the saddle and the bartape but 140 Euro was a bargain.
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The stem was to short so I put on a 12cm stem.
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I put on some leather bar tape to give more retro look to the bike
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Then I did this "trick" with the chainwheels: 52 and 36 together! L'Eroica has a lot of steep climbs and you love the 36!!!
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A brown saddle makes it all complete
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The bike was now ready for the next L'Eroica job. But was I ready?
 
I did four times L'Eroica with this bike

2009: a puncture in Lucignano d’Asso. What a great place to have a puncture!
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2010: on the steep part to Montalcino. This part of the strade bianche was also in the Giro that year.
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2011: At the start. Yes is dark but the atmosphere is great!
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2012: Somewhere down the track
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This year no l'Eroica. For me it's grown to big. It's become more and more a monster of the God of money. 5000 riders!!!!

So this year I did La Mitica. Small retro event on the homeground of Fausto Coppi.

I became this great start number
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The Gazelle at Casa Coppi
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It was also it's last trip. Tonight a friend pick up the Gazelle for some new adventures. I have had some great pleasure with this bike.
The bike cost me 140 Euro's, bar tape become for free from and old bike from a friend.
Saddle 50 Euro, 36t chainwheel 25 Euro and two Micheline Dynamics 28mm for 30 Euro's.

5 times L'Eroica, 3 times Retro Tour of Flandres and La Mitica with this bike. It shows that you can have a lot of retro bike fun for just a few Euro's (Dollars, Ponds etc).
 
Very nice Champy

It could very well be I spotted you in Italy in 2012. I were there too. With my white Vittorio.
 
matthew71":2twex18m said:
Tell us more about le mitica? Sounds interesting

La Mitica is a small retro bike ride around Castellania. The birthplace of Fausto Coppi.

You can choose for 3 distances: 45, 75 100

There is some climbing and some strade bianche but in general it's not a crazy challenge like the 205 of L'Eroica.

The ride is on sunday and the whole weekend there is a small market. Jerseys, bike, old parts etc.
The start is at the grave of Fausto an Serse Coppi and the finish and the house where they where born and lived.
At the graveyard there is a display with bikes, jerseys etc. The family house now is a museum. With bikes, jerseys trophies and is called Casa Coppi.
The complete village of Castellania is pimped with big photo's of Fausto Coppi.
One climb tot the village contains a text with al great victory of Coppi.

There is no better place to organize a retro tour then an these famous grounds.
Just a about 2-300 riders :cool:

Casa Coppi
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Bike market
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Palmares on the climb of passo Coppi
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Passo Coppi
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Via Coppi
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Grave of Fausto Coppi
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Display near the grave
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Start
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Meet some new friends
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And old friends
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Arrivo
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Just a short ride from Castellania there is the grave of Giardengo and the museum of the campions.

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More? See my photoalbum La Mitica
 
That looks good. Thx for sharing :)

Btw have you done rides in Holland or the Retro Ronde v Vlaanderen for example?
 
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