Thursday, December 18, 2008

pink wool: got yours?

A limited supply of Rapha's '80s cool wool pink jersey is still available.

Andy earned his maglia rosa the cold, hard way, you can get yours with cold, hard earned cash - then ride the heck out of it.

Rapha is a Scotland-based riding apparel company that works with wool and ultimate comfort. Their design team joined forces with the powers at Hampco Inc. to produce a limited edition of the '88 leaders jersey worn by Andy.

Inspired and inspiring Wow! factors include a plush wool blend, a #172 dossard with safety pins, and a sewn on applique with Andy's name in the 7-Eleven font. (Andy's 8-day defense at the Giro was carried out in a pink wool jersey with a musette bag cutout sewn onto it).

6 sizes, from xs to xxl. $215 and heck, we'll ship it too. The small sizes frame best, and Andy is happy to sign yours if you like. Colorado residents add 17.54 for tax.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Suine respect

Jim, our main swine from Down Under living in North Carolina, is looking out for us with this fine example of why we love pigs.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Winston Churchill

"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."

Thursday, November 13, 2008

COOKING WITH CHICCA: THE RECIPES!


We have posted the Cooking and Cycling 2008 cooking class recipes.

Thanks to Chicca and Arnaud you can download your favorite, or all, recipes off of our gallery page.

Buon Appetito!

(font shows best in slideshow mode on gallery page)
 

2008 PHOTO GALLERY


Here are some photos highlighting the good times of 2008... Enjoy!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Greg Brown's Dolomiti diary

I think Greg had a pretty good time in the mountains.
Read more here.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Tuscany's best road


Our man from Cham. Arnaud, videos it like it is on the road from Sassetta to Suvereto.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Share your shots

Welcome home, all our fall trip travelers!

As we continue to update our website, we will be adding a gallery where your picture links can be posted.

Meanwhile, send the links to me at julia@cinghiale.com and I will post them here for everyone to enjoy.


Elba, photo by Arnaud Bachelard

posted by Julia

Andy's favorite


Andy loves his Strada Bianca, recently featured in Cycling News.

Click here to read the article

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Bill & Cam's Italian Adventure

Bill Ale and John Horton are intrepidly blogging their Dolomiti adventure. Check in HERE for a story in progress. Thanks for sharing, guys!

























A page from Andy's "race bible".

Monday, August 18, 2008

our favorite French guide

relives the Barolo trip...aaahhhhhh.

He adds in his note, "Raining today. They cancelled the "Fete des Guides". Too bad!" Makes that all that green, rolling country look even lovelier.

Click here to see Arnaud Bachelard's pictures.













photo: Arnaud Bachelard

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Board meeting



Here we are in mid-July. Cinghiale Inc. has two great spring trips under our belt and the late August Dolomite Epic trip will be on us soon. Nothing to do but call a board meeting in Crested Butte, Co. with some of our trusty guides.

This rare photo shows Andy and Scot Nicol strategizing at 11,600 feet at a company HQ.

Happy July to you all!

Andy

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

From Enrico to our Barolo riders!

Hello Friends,

My legs took a rest; Barolo, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera are in my soul after a 8 intensive days in my body. The Langhe Tour teach us to riding well, especially to drink better! Anyway, thank you to everyone, Campioni di Barolo. I wish you a nice breakfast with special cappuccino and brioches.

Enrico

Enrico Carracciolo is our good friend, guide and pro photographer. See his photograph in the previous post.

- Julia

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

A rough day in the Barolo region

























Here is Enrico's surprise on our "Cheese Ride". We stopped an hour into the ride for a cappucino. It turns out we were served a still warm fresh cheese that was barely liquid and had shaved truffles on them, the croissants were also still warm with artichokes inside them. yum....

- Andy

This old thing

Check it out! Taliah Lampert's paintings of Andy's Landshark.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Marmolada and the Pordoi

For all you Dolomiti Summit Fest folks, especially, here's a great account of riding a couple of mountain passes in the Dolomites. I don't know about you, but for me reading this this makes the experience a bit more immediate and real. . .ouch.

Pez Cycling News article here


Posted by Julia

Gavia interview

Here's part one of the story of Andy's Gavia ride, retold by John Wilcockson. Part 2 is to follow in VeloNews later this week.

Click here for VeloNews article.

And, the Landshark he rode in on.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Cycling News

Click here for pictures of Andy's favorite ride. Nice interview, too, especially the part about the relationship between sweaty palms and even-numbered gears.

posted by Julia

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Gianonne reports from the Giro


Gianonne, Cinghiale guide now working his massage magic for the Slipstream/Chipotle bike racing team, has sent this photo of the team warming up with ice vests on in Palermo. Minutes later they went on the win the 23k team time trial. 

20 years after Andy sports the pink leaders jersey Christian Vandevelde takes it with his Boulder based team. Way to go boys!!!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Hands down, Andy's best hair day.

OK, I just won the climbing tt at the '88 Giro and doubled my lead. But the hair is all 80s, and was the peak of fashion, baby.
 Giro de Italia 88 -  Andy Hampsten 20º Aniversario

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Rapha made, '80s cool, wool pink jersey available now.

Andy earned his maglia rosa the cold hard way, you can get yours with hard earned cold cash. 
Rapha is a Scotland based riding/hipster apparel company that works with wool and ultimate comfort, their design team joined forces with the powers at Hampco Inc. to produce a limited edition of the '88 leaders jersey worn by Andy. 
Wow factors include a plush wool blend, a #172 dossard with safety pins, and highlights a sewn on applique that has Andy's name splashed in the 7-Eleven font. Why? Andy's 8 day defense  at the Giro was carried out in the same jersey with a musette bag cut out sewn on his jersey. 

6 sizes from xs to xxl. $215 and heck we'll ship it too. The small sizes frame best, and is happy to sign it if you like. Colorado residents add 17.54 for tax. Cinghiale Blog

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Dolomite stage in the '08 Giro d'Italia

Here is the mega hard stage that the big boys will be riding in this months Giro. It has two of the hardest climbs in Italy on one entree: The Gavia then the Mortirolo.
One could note that during last year's Cinghiale tour in the Dolomites guest and master frame builder Bill Holland threw down the all time Cinghiale ride: Bormio-Gavia- Mortirolo with everyone else. Then at the base of the Mortirolo turns around and rides the COMPLETE EAST FACE of the Mortirolo. The vertical alone is amazing, the fact he did it on impulse with no food or money and crawled home (in style) at dusk earns him the Cinghiale Most Piggish Ride award. Rispetto!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Brunello blues

Cinghiale wine aces, Ken Whiteside and Rob Coppolillo, found this article on the alleged doctoring of Brunello wines interesting.

Coppolillo displays his cycnicism by telling us "You don't even need to read the article to know what it says." That's why we hire him as a guide.


Andy

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

a reminder


. . .Of the good times con noi!

Race book, 71st Giro d'Italia

This artifact emerged from Andy's attic on my recent visit to Boulder. It's his personal copy of the 1988 Giro "race bible". I found it interesting and thought you might, too. Gotta love the Sprite ad. . .
-Julia






Gavia 1988, live action

Click here for some very rare footage.

poster boy

























The recent article in Bicycling magazine mentioned we have Andy-on-the-Gavia posters for sale. In reality there are only a handful left. As noted by Steve in the the Hampsten Cycles/Fermaguaina blog version of this post, "Pal Jerry at www.bicycleposters.com has a few left, just shoot him a note." So you may still be able to catch one of the last of the current edition.

The real news is that we have a brand new version of the poster in the works, based on the original slide by Sergio Penazzo and designed by Michael Matisse. Arrival and purchasing info will be posted right here as soon as they roll off the press, so stay tuned.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

somebody has to taste this stuff



Andy in one of his favorite locations: a wine cellar.










Not just any cellar, but the Ca' Brusca wine cellar in deepest Barolo territory.


Andy says:

"You won't find Ca' Brusca in your local wine shoppe. You will find it on the upcoming Giro Celebration trip this May. '04 Ca' Brusca is rated an "Awesome" by none other than Master Sommelier Nate Ready. Respect.

Have we mentioned how friendly Barolo area wine makers are? One of the best wines on the planet, almost all are family run and small, and they love wine-lovers. What's not to like?"

Sounds like the Giro Celebration guests are in for a treat. . .

business meeting



Andy and Julia at El Dorado Springs last week in Boulder.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

"Sharks attack!"

Nice spot on the Belgian Knee Warmers blog about Andy's Landshark, built for him by John Slawta for the 1988 Giro d'Italia. If that bike could talk. . .Read about it here

Also see the post below that one for an interview with Andy about the day he rode over the Gavia.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Giro Celebration in the Barolo

Balances are now due!

Thanks, folks. Andy had a great visit last month and can't wait to show you the sights. . .








photo: Enrico Caracciolo

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Dolomites opening

Attention shoppers: we have space for ONE lucky (strong, fun!), FEMALE cyclist on our full-to-the-brim Dolomiti Epic tour.

Sorry, fellas. There's always next year.

peloton musique

For all you cycling-and-techno fans out there, here is a project from Seattle artists, Aron Schoppert, Shane Silkey, and Eli Huntington.

Click on the music player in the right hand column of the link to hear music based around air pump blasts, spoke plucks, brake compresses, and sprocket click-clacks.

Grooviness!

wa hoo!

Snowboy takes to the hills

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Extra Virgin Oil: new harvest

Out of "the good stuff"? Can you hang in there till March? That's when we are expecting the 2007 harvest to be delivered and we can't wait, either. Our source has gone organic, so the price has risen a bit: $150 for 5 liters + $15 shipping.

Email Elaine to reserve your supply:
info@extravirginoilco.com






















(Website coming, eventually).

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Andy is "working" in Italy this week

Hampstar is currently in the old country, checking on some tours and the Extra Virgin Oil Company pipeline, and most importantly, watching Gerado's big race in Donoratico. Now that's a sight I would like to see.













Andy and Gerardo holding down the bench in Colle Val d'Elsa.





(If you haven't met Gerardo yet, he is our support van driver, mechanic, bike rental tzar, comic relief, and a born communicator. You don't need Italian to get his jokes).

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

"fully supported"

Chianti Tour opens to all

Saturday, June 14- Saturday, June 21, 2008
Joel Kobert's trip is now open to EVERYONE.
















Six nights, seven days in the incomparable Chianti region of Tuscany - what's not to like? All speeds of rider are welcome, from those who want to pack in the miles to those who prefer not to get sweaty on the bike for hours. 

Joel Kobert says grab your spot NOW and join our gang, we look forward to meeting you!

don't wait too long...





















(Aaahhh. I could use some of this about now, how about you?)


Still pondering which tour to take for your Tuscan vacation? Don't ponder too long, there has been a flurry of booking forms lately.

The Dolomiti Epic  - FULL 
Giro Celebration Tour -FULL
Chianti Tour - Filling fast
Cooking & Cycling in Castagneto - Filling fast

A few spaces on two non-private trips remain. 

Operators are standing by.

Friday, January 25, 2008

We love the Ostermans!















Our friends, Mike and Michelle Osterman, sure know some fun people, and they are smart, too! Eleven couples have signed up so far for the sublime Elba & Tuscany Tour, and they are in for a treat. 















The riding on Elba is hilly, which makes the views of the Mediterranean that much more...did I say "sublime" already?