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CHATTANOOGA BICYCLE CLUB
Taste of Tuscany
Cycling Training Clinics
and Cultural Exchange
Chattanooga, TN
March 26-28, 2004
Come ride with top Italian cyclists!
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The Chattanooga Bicycle Club is pleased to host three of Italy’s top riders
during the Taste of Tuscany, our cycling training camp and cultural exchange.
 The program isn’t just for racers but for all riders who want to increase their
skill, speed and overall cycling experience. The clinic will teach universal
skill sets to different levels. The only difference is the speeds at which they
are applied. Topics will include climbing, sprinting, group riding tactics and
strategies.
There’s also a group ride open to all on Sunday afternoon as well as a Tuscan
dinner on Saturday evening and Southern BBQ on Sunday.
Leading the camp is Dominick Cerisano, an American “transplant” and Top 25 Racer
based in Florence, Italy. Dom also operates tours and training camps in Tuscany
for American cyclists and teams. You’ll also ride with former World Champion and
current Champion of Italy Piero Martini. Rounding out the group is
Giuliano
Balducci who has 40 years of racing, wrenching and team management experience.
The clinics will focus on
practical demonstrations of bike handling skills and riding designed to help you
immediately help improve your overall cycling performance, experience and
enjoyment. The clinics will also give participants an insider’s view of
the Italian style of cycling tradition.
Clinics run Friday afternoon, March 26, through Sunday morning, March 28. After
lunch on Sunday, all Club members, clinic participants and friends are invited
for a group ride. The program also includes social activities each evening.
Private clinics are also available on Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning,
subject to availability.
 Clinics will start with
classroom demonstrations followed by road sessions, where participants can
immediately apply the skills discussed. After each ride, there will be the
chance for discussion and Q&A.
The Chattanooga Bicycle Club thanks Jim
Johnson and BikeToursDirect for making the contact and working to bring
Dominick, Piero and Giuliano to Chattanooga.
Clinic Fees:
$95 for
CBC members, $125 for all others. All participants will receive $50 off training
camps in Tuscany scheduled for later this year. Limited to first 40
participants.
Private Clinics: $75 per person for a two-hour clinic (maximum 3 people) on Thursday and
Friday (limited availability—please contact us)
Dinners Only: $15 per person per dinner
Out-of-Town Guests: Please contact us about reasonable rates at nearby Chattanooga hotels.
Proposed Schedule
Friday, March 26 - 4 p.m.
Session #1
Topic:
Proper form and efficient
riding skills
We start with a
demonstration of proper form and efficient riding skills as well as a discussion
of individual rider goals.
Ride Profile:
we’ll follow a 15-mile loop along flat to gentle rolling terrain to assess
fitness and form. Our plans call for three groups based on speed:
High: 20-30 miles per hour on flats
Moderate: 18-24 miles per hour on flats
Leisure: 12-18 miles per hour on flats
If you’re slower (or
faster!) than these speeds, don’t worry. We’ll adjust speeds to the groups’
abilities.
After the ride, we’ll return for comments and Q&A and further address individual rider goals. Tonight’s a
simple dinner—but with plenty of carbs for tomorrow’s climbing.
Saturday, March 27 - 9 a.m.
Session #2
Lets’ Climb!
 During today’s clinic, we’ll
focus on how to recover while climbing, on out of saddle climbing and on
descending skills.
Ride Profile: In three groups, we’ll tackle routes between 40 and 50 miles with one or two
mountain climbs.
We break for lunch and
discussion and then continue our ride.
 After our ride, we’ll relax and come back for Tuscan Night, a dinner with a menu
prepared by Dominick and featuring authentic Chianti wine, pasta, Parma cheese
and other specialties. Before dinner, Dominick will talk briefly about the
typical Italian diet and eating habits when preparing for the race season.
Sunday, March 28 - 9 a.m.
Session #3
Topic: Group Riding Skills
 During an optional warm-up
circuit before today’s open ride, we’ll look at group riding skills including
sprinting, drafting and pace-line advice. For racers, we’ll also look at
attacking and defensive strategies. We’ll start with a discussion of key issues
and skills and then move to the road.
Ride Profile: In two groups, we’ll follow about 25 miles of rolling terrain.
11 a.m.
Session #4
Topic: Open Ride
 Here’s a chance for everyone
to ride with the Champion of Italy! This group ride is open to all clinic
participants, CBC members and friends.
Ride Profile: Three groups will have a choice of 50- and 62-mile routes including one or two
mountain climbs. This is a fun ride for all levels!
Snacks will be available on
the route, and we’ll meet after the ride for a traditional Chattanooga BBQ.
After dinner, we’ll party and celebrate new friends—with maybe even some prize
raffles for Italian “imports.”
Biographies:
 Dominick was born in 1967 in Wayne, New Jersey, attended Boston
University and the University of Miami School of Law and worked on Wall Street for
Merrill Lynch. In 1999-2000, he moved to
Florence, Italy, to pursue his passion for cycling. He also started
Best Tuscan Bike and Wine Tasting Tours
to share his love of all things Italian.
He is Top 25 in his class
and a professionally sponsored cyclist. He has raced throughout Northern Italy
competing in many Grand Fondos. He also runs private cycling clinics and private
training for individuals, universities and club teams from both America and
England.
Born
in 1947, this Florentine native has over 40 years’ experience in the cycle
industry as racer, mechanic, shop owner and team manager. He is the sponsor
and team manager of Le Due Route and a master race mechanic.
 He
has a wealth of cycling knowledge having worked
with and sponsored generations
of semi-pro and professional Italian cyclists. He has worked with some of the
great names of Italian cycling.
 
Piero is the current and
five time (‘99-’03) Amateur Champion of Italy! He was the 1997 World Champion of
his class and in 1996 placed third in the Worlds held in Austria. He is the
four-time and current King of the Mountain for Italy. In addition, Piero is the
four-time winner of the Amateur Giro D’Italia stage race. He has also won the
Amateur running of the spring classic Milano-San Remo.
He is a complete racer but
really excels in the climbing department.
Piero is 58 years old,
married and a successful local businessman. Currently he is training hard to
defend his titles as the King of the Mountain and Champion of Italy in the
upcoming 2004 racing season.
About Best Tuscan Road Tours
Best
Tuscan Road Bike Tours, founded and operated by Dominick Cerisano,
designs custom private road bike tours for individuals and
groups looking for innovative and unique road bike adventures in Tuscany, one of
the world's top cycling destinations. Tours last from one day to a week and are
perfect for all levels from casual weekend riders to committed club racers. In
addition to explaining the culture and sights, guides provide training tips of
the skill sets you want to improve like climbing, sprinting and group riding
tips. For more information, visit
http://www.biketoursdirect.com/tour_Italy_Tuscany_Best.html.
About BikeToursDirect
BikeToursDirect, developed by Chattanooga Bicycle Club member Jim Johnson, works
with European bike tour operators to offer guided and self-guided programs in 20
European countries. More than 100 routes are available, and tours range from one
day to two weeks. BikeToursDirect
also offers the
Austria Mountain Bike Camp.
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