January 16, 2008

Saunier Duval - SCOTT Camp '08

www.pezcyclingnews.com

The Scottish winter was a wee bit too much for our man Ed Hood, so he hopped a plane and headed directly for the sunny environs of Spain. Of course, it was no random hop. Ed is on the scene for PEZ in Granada to get us anything and everything newsworthy on the Saunier Duval training camp.

You know you’re in Spain when . . . . you see the bull; jet black, proud, dominating the skyline. There used to be around 100 of these giant beauties dotted-around Spain, there’s a lot less than that now, but the numbers shouldn’t slip much more, they were given ‘protected status’ by the Spanish Government and can’t be pulled down. Originally they carried the word ‘Veterano’ – the name of a famous and fiery brandy still made by Osbornes, but the outline become so synonymous with the product that eventually they stopped painting the name on them.

And why the English name for Spanish brandy? Back in the Napoleonic War, when the English helped the Spanish evict the ‘Little Corporal’, many of the English officer classes stayed in Spain after the war and married-into wealthy Spanish wine-making families, hence Osborne, Cockburn and Hardy.



The bulls are supposed to have magical qualities too, if a childless couple make love under the bull’s mighty cojones, then the lady will conceive - so the legend goes.

Spanish history lesson completed, we’ll move-on, we’re in Spain at the invitation of Pro Tour squad Saunier Duval.


There's a helluva lot of work to be done for the team mechanics this time of year.

Some Changes In 2008
David Millar has gone, so has ‘Gibo’ Simoni, sprinter Francisco Ventoso, and who knows what'll become of Iban Mayo, but the team is still a strong one with the likes of climbing super-star Leonardo Piepoli and emerging Italian ‘capo’ Riccardo Ricco still advertising the central heating boiler company’s wares.



We left a wet, cold and windy Scotland behind, flew to Malaga, picked up our hired Peugeot, said ‘hello’ to the bull as we headed north and arrived here in the five star Hotel M. A. Nazaries in Granada.


It might be possible to see this truck from space. Thankfully Ed saw it and didn't get lost.

The hotel was easy to find, the Saunier Duval armada is hard to miss, still bright canary yellow for 2008 – but that’s what this game is all about, catching the eye, attracting interest and publicity.


Who is that man slight of build a wee bit off in the distance?

Supastar Sighting
We had just parked the car when we spotted our first ‘star’ – Riccardo Ricco, relaxed in jeans, ‘relaxed’ was the last word you would use to describe him in the finales of Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Lombardy, both of which he animated; only a back-to-form Cunego could keep him off the top of the podium at Como.


Riccardo Ricco of course!

We’ll be talking to Riccardo about those finales and also his goals for 2008, before the camp finishes on Sunday.


That is one fine piece of velocipedery.

The Saunier Duval Steed
The colours are the same and so are the bikes – Scotts, but this year they have a new paint job and integrated seat posts, we’ll be talking to Scott to get the low-down on the team’s handsome new steeds.


Those are many nice pieces of beautiful bikery.


Red is the new cool kid in school.

Saunier also stay loyal to SRAM; this season it’s the striking-looking ‘Red’ groupset, again we’ll be chewing the ears of SRAM’s tech guys.




As per the norm, not all of the bikes are outfitted to a 'T' with the top-end gruppo. Force still plays a hearty role on the team, as do the TIME RXS pedals.

While talking equipment, the next guy to get Pezzed, was spanner man, Roberto - we rode shotgun with him in the team car last year on a four hour training run; he still carries the Pez pics we took of him back then, setting positions.



We’ll be talking to team boss Mauro Gianetti about the highs and lows of 2007 and his ambitions for 2008, what’s it like to have to let a rider like Millar go?

Time will be spent on the road too, as we follow the team into the mountains which ring this old and beautiful city.





    "Frio!" shouts Matxin, the Saunier DS - that's "cold!" in English and "snel!" in Fife, Scotland. We're off: it's 09.35 and it's not just "frio" it's very misty too, but they're only going six hours today. The traffic in Granada isn't too bad, but I wish assistant DS, Sabino, would look at the road instead of at Matxin in the passenger seat; Matxin could talk for Spain and Sabino isn't far behind him...

We have to communicate in a mixture of French and English; "Montagne aujourd'hui?" I enquire - "ah, oui!"


Getting ready for a long day at the office.

Half Hour In
It's 10.00, we've caught up with the boys and the sun is out; my Scottish eyes aren't used to it and I've left my shades in the room, damn! We're going on ahead of the group, Sabino gets us lost, Matxin isn't happy - he stops talking, but not for long. We're blasting along those long, straight, rolling roads you'll know so well if you watch the Vuelta on TV.


The first route debate begins in earnest with Iker Camano's arrival.

Iker Camaño comes alongside at 10.35 and there's a debate about the route, he can talk almost as fast as Matxin. Ahead, the snow capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada rear into the clouds.



1.5 Hours In: The Climbing Begins
It's 10.55 and we're climbing a wide, well-surfaced road, but there are shoulders rocking back there and hats are being shed; they're still chatting though. Gears are low and revs high as we head ever upwards.


It was fun till we started climbing...

The SatNav screen displays just a single line as we chug towards the skyline, past skeletal olive trees. Juggernauts whine past, but there's no drama or horn blasts - maybe the truckers are Ricco fans?



Neo pro, Hector Gonzalez decides to head back, just on the two hours, one of the Saunier amateur squad decides to join him; up ahead the revs are higher and there's no chat, Spain sure is hilly.


Portable gas station for bikers: food, drinks, warmth.

2 Hours And Some Change: Time For A Coke
"Coca Cola por favor!" Shouts Riccardo Ricco, with his diamond-studded ear ring sparkling in the bright sunshine, as we have a pit stop, high in the quiet hills at 11.37. As usual, it's Leonardo Piepoli making the most noise, demanding energy bars, waving his skinny arms and ribbing everyone, they're all used to him by now and just laugh. We don't stop for long though, we're soon back on the grey tarmac rolling through the scrub and pines; a couple of stragglers get motor-paced back to the group.


Ricco dons the proper descending attire and coasts most of his whole team off his wheel save for Piepoli and a few others.

2.5 Hours: Get Warm
We soon stop again though, 11.55 and there's a long, long descent coming up; Matxin wants the boys to be warm: hats, capes and gloves go back on. As it should be, it's the top men who are ready first; Piepoli and Ricco lead the plunge. There are switchbacks though and the rises are sticky, there are three groups on the road now, as Matxin decides to pace the second group up to the front group, where Piepoli and Ricco are in charge. You can't just say that you are a 'capo' - you have to demonstrate it. But the descent is tricky and there's no heroics, no one wants to end their season before it even starts.


Matxin doing a good impression of pissed at Piepoli.

Matxin ain't happy, it's 12.20 and Piepoli and Ricco have dropped everyone on the descent. "Halto!" and there are 'words', the jist of which would seem to be that; "we're on a team ride, not a death ride!" Leonardo appears to be saying; "it's not our fault that they can't descend, boss!"



3 Hours: We've Got An Off-Road Explorer
Off we go, back up the hill we just descended, the tempo is steady, but not killing; 12.38 and Manuele Mori takes a trip into the gorse bushes, going uphill! But we get him up and away again with just his pride hurt.


Manuele Mori tried a taste of gorse for a moment...yum.

Eight have survived the climb and the watch says 12.50 as Piepolo bounces away at the front. Pretty soon it's six and even Ricco isn't looking so cocky as he sits at the back; it's Gomez Marchante doing the damage now, with Piepoli tucked in behind. But Marchante cracks, slipping-back past the car with a wry smile. Five now, as Josep Jufré strings them out; "piano, piano" shouts Matxin as we reach the top, he wants the others to catch up. We stop the car, under a grey sky and one by one, the stragglers ride past, we continue on our way and Litu (Angel Gomez) tucks in behind us and gets an 'easy' ride back to the pain squad, who are taking it easy - for the moment; 13.05.




The cars prove invaluable trying to keep the extraordinary range of talent and fitness together.

More motor-pacing as we drag another four victims back up to join the group. There's no 'just riding home steady' here - the work must be done.


Coke: the fueling choice of champions.

4 Hours: Refueling
Second pit stop, 13.25 and it's cold, the sun has gone into hiding; cold or not, the guys glug down tins of ice tea, whilst Ricco guzzles more Coke. The energy bars rapidly disappear from the rear of the car as capes go on to beat the chill. The mood is a bit more subdued, except for Piepoli who is as loud as ever, he seems in great shape, just under four hours of knocking lumps out of everyone doesn't seem to have left him up nor down.


I'm hungry.

Ten minutes later, the first puncture of the day, Sabino changes the wheel and we motor pace José Alberto Benitez back up to the group, rolling through what seems like the home of every olive tree in the world.


No worries, Mr. Benitez! We've got a new wheel, a push, and a motorpace to get you going again.

The pace is steady now, quiet, flat roads; 13.45 and they're chatting again.

Almost 5 Hours: A Rare Village Sighting
It's rolling at 14.05 as we battle with the speed bumps in the litttle village of Agron; despite being out four four-and-a-half hours, we've hardly passed through a village and seen very few vehicles.

It's still all together as the sun struggles with fluffy clouds, peasants burnt black with the sun, tend the precious olive trees, hoping to coax a good harvest from them come the summer.

5 And Change: Turning The Screws
Matxin pulls alongside the group and Sabino signals to Piepoli to change - he's been pumping that big gear into the wind for too long now and they want someone else to get the workout, it's 14.40 now, nearly five hours in.

The group has split in the wind, they're riding 'through and off' at racing tempo now, with Rubens Bertogliati's face never far from the front.


There was much map consulting by riders, management, and police on this particular ride.

Despite maps and SatNav, it seems as if we're lost, we 'ask a policeman', the two groups merge due to the delay and we're touring the industrial estates of Santa Fe as the watch says 15.00.

Once back on to proper tarmac it's 'through and off' again on gently rolling grey roads past the inevitable olive groves.

Now I know how Dave Duffield feels when he starts talking about the 1874 Milan to Stockholm; flat roads, long sweeping bends and the string changing smoothly behind us, what to say?


Leonardo Piepoli is not only a mini rocket ship with a neverending fuel supply, but a character and a half as well.

Six Hours Since Departure
It's 15.25 and no sign of Granada, it'll be six hours, alright!

Six hours clicks-up and I could use a shower and a coffee - all I've done is sit in the back of this car, never mind trying to cope with Piepoli.


As the riders finish up, the mechanics begin.

I make it around six-and-a-quarter hours when we arrive back at the the Hotel Nazaries; just another day at the office. And has Piepoli finally been worn-out ?

No chance, he's still talking!


Sabino and Matxin - our entertainment for the day, thanks guys!