APRIL MEETING

It's April! and Monday the second is the regular club meeting at the regular time (6:30pm) at the regular place (Mangia on Mesa at Spicewood Springs Drive)

Dangerous Doug's Italy Trip - May 2007

Getting close to the registration deadline. Doug's going to Italy again. For more information, click the "continue reading" button (duh...)

The Giro D' Italia cycling extravaganza. A 12 day trip to Avezzano Italy in the beautiful region of Abruzzo smack in the middle of the Appinnini mountains to watch the Giro D' Italia, bicycle through magnificent mountain passes, to eat the most wonderful foods on the planet

and drink the best wines ever bottled.

We'll be taking trips to Cantina's (winery) learn the trade, taste the wine and have dinner with the owners. We'll have cooking classes at our hotel/restaurant taught by the premier master chef in the region. Which by the way is widely know as one of the most beautiful in all of Europe with two magnificent national parks, mountain passes that will literally and figuratively take your breath away and the most fertile agricultural plain in Italy (read: minimal traffic and quiet lonely roads).

We'll take trips to Roman ruins and medieval castles near our hotel, guided and without tourists. We'll stay in a modern comfortable hotel where our host and owner of the Hotel / Ristorante Fillippone "Franco" (to those that know and love him - Zio Franco) will pamper and charm us with

typical Abruzzo hospitality. Each cyclist gets there own room at the 3 star Fillipone Hotel   with an extraordinary staff that will take care of your every need.

We will bicycle every day and each person, each day will get a Topographical color road map highlighting the days route. You'll have a choice of routes easy to difficult. Our sag support will be provided by none other than former Olympic Gold, Silver & Bronze medal winner, Pro, World Champion, Eddy Merkx beater and bicycle manufacturer Vittorio Marcelli. He and his Brother Fernando Marcelli also many years as a pro and chief team mechanic (Chateau D' Ax, MG Mug, Cantina Tollo, Seaco, Formmagi Triestina) for the likes of Claudio Chiapuchi, Gianni Bugno, Marco Pantani and Mario Chippolini will follow along, ride with, set up our bikes, perform "fit kits" and all the fun stuff that us riders just love to do.

This year there will be an opportunity for anyone interested, to purchase one of Vittorio Marcelli's beautiful new full Carbon or Carbon/Aluminium frame and fork built with Campy Chorus and shod with Campy's top of the line wheels, MADE TO MEASURE. That's right sports fans a full Carbon or Aluminium/Carbon mix frame w/ full carbon fork your choice MADE TO MEASURE to fit your ugly proportions. To make you faster, more comfortable and able to beat the pants off your competition. If you want beauty, functionality, fit and SPEED, now's your chance. You can get all this for $thousands less than State side and not have to pay any customs or duties. Not to mention you get a custom set-up from two of the worlds best !

We must keep the trip down to 30 riders, so contact me soon. Yes it's just fine to bring your better half (you two will have to share a room) and the little kiddies if you like. Franco and staff LOVE kids ! But please keep in mind we'll have to figure out the cost with Franco. This is by far the most fun, most inexpensive cycling vacation you'll ever have ! !

My plan so far is to get really cheap flights with American Airlines out of Austin. If we all travel together it's pretty cheap and easier to get to the hotel because everyone will land at same time. All will be organized, all you have to do is "Show Up".

Proposed dates are:

Depart: Austin ABIA Saturday May 12

Arrive: Rome Italy, Fiumicino (Leonardo Da Vinci) airport Sunday morning May 13

Depart: Rome Italy Fiumicino airport Wednesday May 23

Arrive: Austin ABIA same day Wednesday May 23

Check out the report from our last trip at the Violet Crown web site {PHOTOs link at left, scroll down to the picutre of the lovely Ms. Jill Ackerman and the 7 dwarfs pictures, FEATURES link, scroll down to the Italy in May 2005 "story"}. Call or e-mail me with any questions, but we've got to get going on this right away.

Doug Burnett

(512) 296-4057

BurnettUSMC {at} msn {dot} com

2007 Clothing !!!

The new stuff has arrived and it is da bomb! 

I will be at Lago Vista on Sunday with everything from about 7am until about 11:30am (I plan to participate in the Masters race that morning...I'll be in a tan Toyota 4wd pickup with topper) and then I will be at the club meeting Monday night.  If you want to arrange a pickup at another time or location, give me call (426-7670) or send me an email (dwolfe@environmentaldefense.org).  Take note:  I am in the process of moving to a new house near McNeil and Mopac so don't come looking for me at the old 43rd Street address...

March Meeting

The regular club meeting is this Monday March 5 at Mangia on Mesa, 6:30 pm.

And there will be the new club clothing for members to collect.