It’s fast, it’s furious and it goes on for 24 hours
For one special weekend in June the racing and cycling community of Italy descend upon the small town of Feltre based in the hills of the Italian Dolomites. The town has seen Giro action many times but this is not what people come for, they arrive in their local team or club kits ready to take on one the best amateur events I’ve been privileged to do.
Castelli along with local club Pedale Feltrino organise and run the Castelli 24hr, as the name would suggest its a race that runs for the one solid day, from 10pm on the 5th June till the 10pm the next night. Hordes of teams race against each other around a 3km circuit that surrounds the old part of the historic town. Crowds line the street cheering and encouraging the participants at all hours of the day and night, music blares from speakers surrounding the circuit
jeeping the atmosphere pumped up.
Teams of between 11 or 12 riders split the work load of this 24 hours between each of them. This may sound easy, after all it works out at about just two hours each of racing, this is not so, usually each rider tackles between 4-6 laps at full pelt before the next team member takes over. Keeping the speed and pace high throughout the duration of the race.
It’s a tag team affair of mini time trial efforts that see the race leaders usually averaging somewhere in the regain of 45kmph for the full 24hrs.
Other teams may not take it quite as serious, with guys wearing fancy dress and drinking the odd carbonated carbohydrate drink, or beer as it’d known to most people. These guys can make you chuckle a fair bit while you may be taking it serious and trying to cover as many laps as possible.
The whole atmosphere is one that sees everybody from the riders to the locals joining in, in a huge party, even the odd italian pro from a world tour or a pro continual team will show up to join in the festivities.
Castelli have several teams, guys from Spain, Germany, Austria, the UK and many other nationalities joining forces to try and bring home a good result for the famed scorpion. Limited edition kit is produced by Castelli’s designers for these and several of the other teams competing.
Some of the stand out kits from this year were for the Spanish squads, a stylised bull stood out on the bright orange and red kit, the other memorable jersey and shorts combo was for Filippo Pozzato and his band of guys, some were even ex-pro. They had a kit that would suit a crack squad of military assassins on a night out, the grey street camo jersey and shorts had many heads turning to check out the slightly crazy design.
For guys who weren’t competing for overall success on the course there was surly a fair few trying to compete at several of the pop up bars along the course. You could see late on saturday evening that there had been challenges between riders and helpers with regards to see who could devour the most race food or down the most Sprits- a local and tasty alcoholic drink.
The whole weekend is focused on the race but it’s the whole feel to the event that makes it so special, the organisers really put on a great show. Pedale Feltrino have a crack team of helpers that put barriers, makeshift bridges and grandstands out, they secure the race and make sure its safe for both riders and spectators.
I’ve not been to a race before where the lead cars are always fancy high end sports cars. The announcer on the start/finish line lets the crowd know who’s digging deep and points out what famous face is on the course at any given time. His enthusiasm throughout the 24hrs never wains, he must survive on little micro sleeps and tons of red bull.
Results are constantly up to date and its even possible to track individual riders efforts on a live internet feed.
All this makes for an event that will defiantly make me want to return for more action next June, where I’m sure many familiar face will be seen. Its an addictive and unique event, an event that I’m sure would be hard to replicate anywhere else in the world.