Confetti Time For Bettini & Llanaeras At Milano 6-Day
(Photo Roberto Bettini)
Once again, Road Bike Action serves up some tasty morsels from the 66th
edition of the EICMA show, otherwise known as the Milano Bike (and
Motorcycle show). After our antipasti, we’re ready to plate il primo
piatto, the pasta course which of course in Italia must have something
to do with bicycle racing.
Pozatto (L) and Roberts (R), strong runners-up at Milano 6-Day
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
For the second year, the Milano bike show featured a 6 day race
on a steeply banked 200m. indoor track. Road Bike Action got inside the
oval for this close look at the “sei-giorni”, which featured a narrow
“win” by the team of Paolo Bettini and Juan Llaneras over Filippo
Pozzato & Luke Roberts. It was the last race of Bettini’s career
and despite a crash on his face on Day 1, the tough little Tuscan came
back to win in Milano.
Dernys are go! at Milano 6-Day
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
A truly cool aspect of being at the authentic 6 day was watching the
derny paced races, an event that is only included in the sixes. A Derny
is a special motorized bike designed and built for motor-paced track
cycling events (e.g. motor-paced races in six-day and Keirin racing)
with a 98 cc Zurcher two-stroke engine and is also being pedalled
through a fixed gear (70X11).
Dare to Derny?
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
Modern Dernys are now made by a small company in Neerpelt, Belgium, and
the dernys used on the track now are either new or have the original
frames with new engines.
(Photo Roberto Bettini)
The Milano 6-Day was quite crowded for the last two weekend sessions
and these three teriffic track tifosi were cheering hard for their
dreamboat biker Pippo Pozzato.
The house that Ernesto built
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
Colnago:
The iconic Colnago temple served as a centerpiece for the Milano
show, with new colors on the all-new EPS model in luxury gold as well
as a rare appearance of the Colnago Ibex MTB model.
Colnago's new EPS in deluxe golden trim
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
Passoni:
Passoni, an Italian ultra-high end cult brand had some new models on
display for EICMA Milano. Passoni only builds custom, made-to-measure
bicycles
Passoni's new LightSteel model
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
The LightSteel model is built with new Columbus steel tubing, a
Columbus carbon fork, SRAM Red gruppo and weighs a claimed 6.74kg.
Passoni's Top Evolution, a new model for 2009
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
Another model from Passoni is the Top Evolution model, made in Ti with a Columbus Muscle fork and weighs a claimed 6.71kg.
Passoni's Mirror, a carbon / steel combo is new for 2009
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
New for 2009 from Passoni is the Mirror, which combines carbon and steel with unique mirror-finish inserts.
Milani:
Up and coming Italian brand Milani had a good reception at the EICMA
Milano show. Famous Italian bicycle artisan Natale Milani's son,
Celeste has recently revived the Milani name; many top Italian bike builders learned from Milani pere, like Dario Pegoretti who worked for Milani thirty years ago.
Milani's new for 2009 N107E with integrated seatmast
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
New for 2009 is the Milani N107E, a tube-to-tube frame in 3K high-modulus carbon fiber and an integrated seatmast.
Milani's Seigiorni Track Iron
(Photo Tim Maloney-RBA)
Fittingly named Seigiorni, Milani new track bike has beefy aluminium tubes shaped for extra rigidity.
Another new model from Milani for 2009 is the 'Cross cyclo-cross bike.
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