People's History Museum : Manchester Museums

People's History Museum : Manchester Museums

Stivali !

The Art fund prize is an award of £100,000 given to a Gallery or Museum by judges who select the winner on projects completed over the past year.

It is after all the only place in Manchester where you can see Clarion artifacts without going to Merlin's house!

Enter the Prize Draw to win an Apple iPad by clicking the Peoples History Museum for the Art Fund Prize 2011.
Voting and comments for the long list closes on 3 May 2011 at 5pm. Voting and comments for the short list will re-open on 20 May 2011 at 9am and close on 7 June 2011 at 5pm. The Art Fund Prize 2011 winner will be announced on Wednesday 15 June 2011.

The Clarion display is really good and the museum is worth a visit to see that alone. Plus the rest of the museum is fantastic anyway....and there is a bar!

The recognition and the possibility of a financial award could be instrumental in keeping this museum open in the face of current public spending cuts.

The link to vote for The People's History Museum is http://www.artfundprize.org.uk/2011/vote.

Speroni !

Philippe Gilbert at Tirreno - Adriatico

Stivali !

I was lucky enough to see Gilbert win one of his first professional road races in Belgium in 2005.

Since then we've seen him win at the Giro del Piemonte and Giro di Lombardia twice in 2009 and 2010.

Every time he goes for the win you can guarantee it is a tough finish, check this great sprint for the line in Tirreno - Adriatico 2011 stage 5

Speroni !

wow, another great stage on....

Stivali !

Tirreno - Adriatico

watch the video here for the final climb to the finish.

Some great pictures here too care of Steephill.tv

Speroni !

Bike design

Stivali !

Watching the incredibly irritating James Martin (the Saturday Kitchen chef on BBC) in Mille Miglia - 'the real Italian Job', we find ourselves reminded again how important the Italians are in design of cars, but of course it doesn't stop there:

Kitchen utensils; clothing; industrial machinery; furniture; etc. Infact many of the major design houses (based in Torino); Pininfarina; Ghia; Bertone; Italdesign; Guigiario; Alessi; Olivetti have found their product designs in most households. No suprise that Torino was the first in 2008

Check out the link above to some interesting bike designs from the BBC website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12668503

Speroni !

Cocconato ride

Stivali !

nice ride yesterday to Cocconato via Piova Massaia. Quite a steep section before Cocconato. No view of the mountains today, though.

We went for our medical check ups after at the Stadio Olimpico in Torino, very thorough, both passed with flying colours. Now to decide if we join a local cycling team.

Route details here: bikemap.net

Speroni !

 the vines ready for spring

Italian Clarion Tours

Deposits for Giro di Lombardia weekend (Fri 16th to Mon 19th Oct) needed by 6th September 2009 - see below for details

Italian Clarion Tours based in Turin offers cycling holidays through the striking Italian Piedmont countryside.

Torino, on the river Po, is on the flat plains at the foot of the Alps, hence the region's name ‘Piedmont’. With the help of your experienced English & Italian speaking guide you will enjoy the breathtaking scenery while cycling, you’ll be amazed.

What is special about Italian Clarion Tours is the unique food and accommodation experiences ensuring you have a memorable holiday. For example, one evening enjoy a feast prepared at an agriturismo with wines from a neighboring vineyard, and on another stay in a basilica with unrivalled views across Torino.

Itineraries include:

• ‘The Italian Job’ – visiting each location used in the famous film, including riding up col del Gran san Bernarde and around the test track on top of the old FIAT factory.
• ‘The Sportive’ – taking in a Gran Fondo cycle event like the ‘Tour of Lombardy’.
• ‘Track Day’ – racing on the track & seeing the Torino 6 day (held in summer).
• ‘Coppi – il campionissimo’ – seeing all things Coppi; velodromo; museum; house; famous rides.
• ‘Giro d’Italia’ – seeing a stage or 2, the Giro starts in Torino in 2011, also ride some of the famous stages.
• ……not forgetting the wine tasting, the fine foods etc

Yeah right, heard it all before. This type of thing costs you & me money to host, which the kind of cyclists I like, don't like spending.

Anyhow, I think these are the things we'd all like to do

We are doing the Giro di Lombardia again this year, why not join us, I reckon if we got a group of 8 (or further groups of 8 thereafter) we could look at a 3 night stay in or near Como including transportation for passengers & bikes to & from airport (Malpensa is best, but Bergamo not too far). 150 euros pp, food & flights on top, entry for race is about 30 euros plus 10 euros for chip timing hire or 20 euros for purchase.

Brief itinerary:

Friday 16th October 2009:

collection from airport & travel to Como, change & shower at accommodation

mix with pre race atmosphere of stars & teams in Como Friday night

Saturday 17th October 2009:

watch the closing season classic 'Giro di Lombardia' won by Damiano Cunego last year. Suss out some of the circuit (on bikes) while spectating.

see the museum / church to cycling & cyclists on madonna del ghisallo

Sunday 18th October 2009:

Ride the gran fondo 145km, last part of the pros race. The winner of last years gran fondo did it in 3hrs 47'.

Monday 19th October 2009:

Transport to airport.

http://www.gazzetta.it/challenge/2008/percorso_lombardia.shtml for details of the gran fondo event

If you like that, you'll love Milano - san remo weekend, 19th to 22nd March 2010.

http://www.gazzetta.it/granfondodelmito/mi-sa_planimetria.shtml similar itinerary to giro di lombardia weekend, but fly to & from Nice.

Interested? Let me know italianclarion@hotmail.co.uk & send deposit payment of £100 per person to my paypal account:

I will need this before September 6th 2009 with a legible copy of your BC racing license to enable registration to the gran fondo or medio fondo as you prefer. You can email me a photo of both sides of your BC licence please.

BOOTS !

Jules