Coming up to the last corner Viganò seemed in the perfect position to take the win in RHC BCN No.5. “I made a mistake in that last corner. I took it to wide. Van Eerd took the inside and beat me.” In London Davide was beaten by Filippo Fortin. In Barcelona he made sure that would not happen again. “Fortin always rides on my wheel. He is really fast in the sprint so he follows me around all the time. So this time I returned the favor making him close the gap on Van Eerd. I jumped out of his wheel just before the last corner”, Davide explains his tactics.

Viganò had some help from his teammate Ivan Ravioli in the beginning, but was isolated in the end. “Yes, I think it’s really important. Look at the tactics Aldo and Colin used last year. It’s useful. If you have four strong riders like Rocket Espresso-Specialized and play it smart, you can do what you want.”

According to Viganò the race course in Barcelona was slow. “Two hairpins and one long straight where we had headwind.” Davide said he liked the course but prefers a faster one. “I think the course in Milan suits me better. It’s really fast and has no hairpins. If you check the super pole on the technical courses, I’m always in the back. The others are really fast in the corners, they ride their bikes like Valentino Rossi.”

“With the last race in my home town Milan, I’m looking to put the cherry on top of the cake.”

To some people the win of David van Eerd came as a surprise, but not to Viganò. “He is always up there, I think he had some trouble with the wet conditions in London, but in Brooklyn and Barcelona he was really strong, so I knew he could win.”

Having just retired from pro-cycling and working in the Cinelli factory creative department, Davide aims to continue his fixed gear career next year. “This is my new hobby, I’m really happy at Cinelli and everything goes well together.”

80 fixed gear riders made their way to the circuit to compete divided over the men’s and women’s categories. The main race turned into a battle between the local squad “Moskovstyle” and Ukrainian Kiev based team “Yatagarasu.bikes”. As a result the podium was split between them.

In women’s category for the second time the 1st place was taken by Oksana Antonova. However, this year it was decided by a photo-finish. The 2nd and the 3rd places were taken by girls from Moscow and Kiev correspondingly.

Men’s race:
1. Eduard Lavrov – Russia / Moskovstyle
2. Maxim Reznichenko – Ukraine / Yatagarasu
3. Vladislav Yushko – Ukraine / Yatagarasu

Women’s race:
1. Oksana Antonova – Russia / Kazan
2. Victoria Vasilyeva – Russia / Moscow
3. Maria Kachalova – Ukraine / Yatagarasu

Who or what made you try fixed gear crits? And what was your first race?
My first was Red Hook Crit Milan in 2015. Luca Oscar (Bike Channel Team) literally threw me in it after insisting for the entire season, trying to convince me to race it when I was always resisting. I was actually about to stop racing entirely when I decided to give it a try.

Do you prefer technical courses where speed isn’t the main concern, or the opposite?
I prefer technical courses by far, those where you need to drive at stay focused. Anyone can race on a straight line. I believe races only get more spectacular when the technical level is increased.

Apart from the race what is the aspect you love the most about fixed gear criterium?
That there are not too any restrictions. And that you get to meet people from all over the world building friendships even if we get together only 4 times a year.

What is the most important component in a breakless fixed gear bike, in your opinion? Wheels, frame or what?
The head and the legs of who rides it.

Do you have any particular good luck ritual before a race?
Way too many, but I’ll tell you at the end of the season…bad luck if I tell you now! :))

Dead Cyclists Society
Copywriter & Videomaker
vimeo: michele colucci
instagram: mikelone77

#ScattoFissoCrew took the decision to have 2  qualification heats to better manage the race event and let the riders adjust to the  narrow turns. The qualifications had 15 laps and the first six riders to cross the finish line would advance to the main race.

Meanwhile in the final race, the format was absolutely new, the race was divided in two parts, solid 20 lap race with the first ten as a normal Criterium and the last ten as a typical elimination race like in a velodrome. This was absolutely fun to see and to ride because no one ever set up a final heat like this. Some riders had no experience with track races, this final was very tricky indeed, but not for Beppe Ravasio, who is a former World Champion (World Master Track in Manchester ’13) and did a great job in the finals aswell.

Men’s Podium
1. Alessandro Mariani
2. Daniele Rota
3. Luca Sacchetti

Paolo Bravini
Q: From the technical perspective, can you explain us how was the circuit and what difficulties you encountered, if you had any?
A: Yeah, sure. So, the circuit was composed by a big C, very fast in the first part, with successions of very tight turns who ended with a straight, just before the finish line there was the very tight hairpin. The biggest challenge was facing all those tortuos turns at high speed without getting off the track (which happened to some of us) although the asphalt had a good grip and there wasn’t any type of roadholding issues.

Q: What do you think about this new format?
A: I found this format very interesting, it allows everyone to have fun and it’s exciting for who races and even for the public. I really enjoyed seeing track disciplines and rules moved to the Criterium races, it’s a signal who, I hope, other organizers could catch because it’s thrilling and entertaining.

Giacomo Scottini:
Q: What were your expectations before racing this circuit?
A: As I saw on the photos, my first impression was very good and I seen it as a fast track.

Q: We heard that you had a problem.
Yeah, seeing the track in the photos I chose a big ratio, well, it was too big for this course because in the qualification races I had to stop and change my gears. With the tight turns I suffered a lot in decelerating and attacking, and that, in the final race caused me some ugly cramps. So, yeah… The race didn’t go as planned but I had a lot of fun.

Alessandro Mariani
Q: So, you won the race, can you explain your experience in a few words?
A: Fast and technical as others said. The circuit is 1.3kms long, the first part it’s relatively easy, with a long straight where you could reach high speeds then the track was getting narrower and there started the tight 90 degree turn series. Here, the ratio choosing was fundamental, I opted for an 47×14, the race was different from usual, 20 laps of qualifications before heading to the final, once in the final, with 10 laps left, it started the lap elimination method, every lap, the last rider would be disqualified, so everyone was fighting to stay in elimination method, every lap, the last rider would be disqualified, so everyone was fighting to stay in front so they could sprint with the last 2 riders for the podium.

Q: How were your last laps and obviously the finish line?
A: The last laps were very tense for me, because we were in three left. At that point we begun to check and keep eyes on others, to prepare for the best position until the last sprint. At the last 300-400 meters I started getting in front, at the hairpin my opponent tried to overtake me, but he pushed too much and ended off the track, a few meters left and I was on the finish line, alone, winning the race.

Riccardo Volpe
Q: Hi Riky! Have you got some words for us?
A: Hi, of course! I started my race in the first heat, who was absolutely fast since the first pedal stroke. The peloton then split in two major parts, which the first was composed of exactly six athletes who ride as fast as safe until the last lap’s bell played, as always, by the great director Antonio Vetrello. I have to mention that the course was absolutely amazing, it has a perfect balance of technics and fast straights, with a narrow but safe gripping lane asphalt, riding on this course gives the riders a way to increase their skills on the turns and at the hairpin, all this stuff with a total sense of safety. This spot is located in Rho, in the West side of Milan, so, this could become a nice alternative of the legendary Lambro park, in order to have a great calendar of fixedgear events for the next season.

“I know the Red Hook races for quite some time now. I used to do track racing when I was about 15 years old, and Stefan Vis (former Dutch sprint selection track and winner of RHC Barcelona No.1, ed.) was racing there as well. I always kept track on how he was doing,” Ten Dam explains on how he got to know the sport. “Eamon Lucas is a friend of mine. We used to train together when I was in California. I had no race this weekend, so me and my wife came to support him.”

Asked how he would do: “They go even faster than I imagined (…) I think climbers like George Bennet and I wouldn’t be in the front if we participated (…) the constant accelerating out of the corners would be too much. Look at Eamon: he’s a beast.”

Ten Dam sometimes talks about fixed gear racing with his teammates, but they don’t seem to get it. “Ramon Sinkeldam and I will soon do a race together. It’s a three-hour car ride, so I promised to explain it to him then; about the qualifications and the super pole.”

Does the Giant Sunweb rider see fixed gear crit racing as a true part of the cycling sport? “Yes, definitely. And this format is perfect. A pro-criterium lasts for two hours. That’s way too long. This is exciting from start to finish and after 40 minutes it’s done. I really like it.”

Is Ten Dam ever going to race a Red Hook Crit? “I have a Giant track bike, so I might try a NL Crit Series in the near future and see how it goes. Unfortunately the next one, 17 September, comes too quick.”

Podium Super Final
1. Tim Ceresa – 8bar team
2. Olivier Leroy – Aventon Factory Team
3. David Van Eerd – 8bar team

Italian Simone Toso (CEO) and American Wyatt Wees (Digital Marketing WingedStore SRL) founded Wingedstore.com together in October 2013. Up to today they both run the company. On the question why they picked Cinelli products Wyatt replies “Simone Toso began producing official merchandise for Cinelli and Columbus in 2009. In 2013, Simone brought me in to do some copywriting work. With an extensive background in Information Technology I saw an opportunity to create an innovate web platform that could make Cinelli products available to people from all over the world. Along with Simone’s knowledge of the brand and strong marketing background the team had all the components necessary for success.”

Today, Wingedstore is a company owned by Cinelli President Antonio Colombo. However, up until 2016 they were independent from Cinelli. “Since the beginning the growth has been strong, there really wasn’t anything quite like Wingedstore at the time of it’s debut and and people that are passionate about Cinelli immediately embraced the concept. Cinelli is truly unique in the cycling world with it’s history of innovation and design oriented products therefore a single point of reference to showcase the full range of bicycles, components, and merchandise was an immediate success. After several years of growth Cinelli President Antonio Colombo began to take notice of the savvy upstart company that was selling truckloads of Cinelli caps, shirts, and components on the internet. In 2016 Colombo acquired a majority stake in the company and turned Wingedstore into the Official Cinelli online store.”

Wyatt on the aims of Wingedstore, “In the 80s and 90s Cinelli owned and operated a series of cycling stores under the name ‘Gran Ciclismo’ based in Milan. These stores, originally conceived by Antonio Colombo, were revolutionary and a forerunner in what would eventually become high-end sports retail. The cutting edge ‘Concept Store’ format dedicated almost entirely to a single brand was unheard of at the time. Wingedstore is the evolution of this idea, a single point of reference in a truly expressive environment available for the world to experience. Wingedstore was initially dedicated to the Merchandise range but over the years but has progessed to encomass the entire Cinelli line including a brief time as the official store of the Red Hook Crit (2014/2015). Wingedstore.com is now the Official Cinelli Online Store that sells the entire product range including frames, components, merchandise, and even spare parts.”

On the future goals Wyatt is clear “To make Cinelli and Columbus available to the widest possibile audience. These are truly global brands and Wingedstore aims to make them available to any rider, anywhere on the planet.”

On bike caps “All of the caps are designed along side the Cinelli design team and produced locally in Italy. One of the first projects that we did as wingedstore.com was the Rider Collection series. The Rider Collection allowed riders to create their Cinelli cap design interpretation. Some of the highlights include: 1984 Track Gold medalist Nelson Vails, Lucas Brunelle, Chas Christiansen, and Alfred Bobè Jr. My personal top 3 cap designs that we had are Chas Christiansen, Red Hook Milano 2013, and Ana Benaroya Eye of the Storm.”

Our FGC cap design, by Sue van Gageldonk, is currently completely sold out but should become available in limited numbers soon on the Wingedstore shop and will also become available in our own webshop to be opened as of 2018!