Castelli 24H Criterium Race, 2014
First of all I would like to thank CDC-Sport for inviting me to this trip and enabling me to participate in that spectacular event. The “24 ore Felte” or “Castelli 24H race” is some kind of criterium and is raced by almost 100 teams (each consisting of 12 riders) around the old town of Feltre (Italy) at the bottom of the Dolomites and only a stone’s throw away from Castelli’s headquarters.
My adventure started on Thursday June 5, one day before race day. Our tour group (among others ex-professional Cata Martinez on behalf of “Ciclos Cabello” (Córdoba), Esteban from CDC-Sport in Andalusia, Juan and Miguel of “TriaWorld) departed from Malaga airport. We handed off our bikes and took our flight to Milan (2h45min).
At Milan, we loaded our rental car and waded into our three hour drive to hotel “Casagrande” in Feltre. We quickly unpacked our bikes before we left for dinner and stretched our legs by walking through the old town of Feltre – a pleasant way to finish our day of traveling.
Friday – race day:
After breakfast we decided to make use of the spectacular cycling opportunities in the Feltre area and went for a two hour spin. Via road SP-473 we conquered a 10 k climb up to passo Croce d’Aune with the famous Tullio Campagnolo monument. We were rewarded by breath-taking views even with some snowy peaks in the distance.
After a fast downhill, we took a first look at the race circuit and went for lunch at a local pizzeria. A special thanks to the owner of the restaurant “Trattoria to Capello” who even postponed siesta for us.
With a cone of delicious Italian ice cream we headed back to the hotel to get some rest and welcome the rest of our group: Jon and his wife Nerea (owner of “Demo Bike” in Bilbao) Manuel (owner of “Avibike” in Avila), Roberto (owner of “Doyoubike” in Valencia), Pepe (“Extrem Cicles” in Dénia/Valencia) and our sports director Paco from CDC-Sport who also brought a megaphone for some special support during the race.
Next we received our special race jerseys which were designed by Toni. He has chosen brilliant and outstanding graphics. A quick group photo with the whole team and we went on towards the Castelli tent for some food, which was served by Camilla.
After that it was already time to prepare for the race. Paco provided latest instructions, team tactics and explained our procedure in the pit lane.
The first shift from 10 pm to 2 am was up to Cata, Karles and Jesus. They warmed up in order to be ready for the start of the race at 10 pm. We agreed on shifts of seven laps to keep the pace high. The circuit around the old town of Feltre consists of 1,8 k including cobbles and a small hill followed by a tricky descent.
At 2 am we finished our first shift, grabbed some food at the Castelli tent and rode back to our hotel for a shower and sleep while our team members rode lap by lap. After breakfast it was already time to return to our base and prepare for our next run. Our relay was supervised by Paco who signalized every shift by loud honking.
From 2 pm to 6 pm Roberto, Manuel and Pepe took over followed by John, Miguel and Jon who had the honour of riding the final period from 6 pm till the finish at 10 pm. When not riding, Castelli employees took care of us. They served food and drinks and always had words of cheer for every rider on and off the track.
In terms of racing for 24 hours, we were extremely happy to end up at 20th place (out of 85 teams). It’s been a pleasure to spend the weekend together with so many friends and happy people.
I would particularly like to thank Castelli and all members of Pedale Feltrino for organizing this unique cycling event.