About Hard Rock (versione in Italiano)

The Hard Rock sports association was founded in Piacenza in 1988 by a group of friends whose enthusiasm for Mountain Biking increased dramatically after a trip to America. They began by cyclo-touring in the province of Piacenza and established their venue in a bar. At that time the members were just little more than ten. The yearly membership fee amounted to ten thousand lire and gave rights to some discounts in the only shop of the town which was specialised in mountain bikes. Some years later the association counted many more members and some of them ventured on competitive events. The subsequent affiliation to Federciclismo led to the first election of a board of directors and, afterwards, of a president. For a long time, both excursions and competitions inspired interesting initiatives and cemented the enthusiasm for cycling and, also thanks to these events, Hard Rock became well-known as a mountain bike club all over the province.

In 1997, Hard Rock became a competitive team and was named HARD ROCK RACE TEAM. Cyclo-tourism was put aside and the organization of races was now the main target. The new team was especially formed of amateurs divided into categories according to their age and used to take part in regional and national competitions.

In 1998, Hard Rock Race Team became the third national mountain bike club. That very year they began to distribute membership cards to youths and in the following years there were so many members that it was possible to form different racing groups ( beginners, under 18, men junior and women junior ). The results were really rousing and, above all, we mention the victory of the Italian championship by Giorgia Bronzini and her successful performances as a member of the national mountain bike team. On the spur of that exciting year 2000, all the present members of the board of directors are most willing to encourage initiatives for young riders in the province of Piacenza, such as sporting events for children who may be regarded as potential future riders, without neglecting the preparation of competitive teams.

The year of Hard Rock Marin 2002 shall be always evoked as the most extraordinary period of its short history. Among the most significant pictures, we highlight this one of Marco Aurelio, "the Emperor of Malé", while crossing the finishing line as the winner of the "Italian Juniors Championship". There is also this one in which Pippo is standing on the higher step of the podium on the occasion of Lugagnano Liquigas Cup 2002 and ..last but not least, the staff's recollection of the great pride they felt when another one of their young riders was numbered among the competitors for a world cup. Unfortunately, the year 2002 also brought a few disappointments and many difficulties to overcome but, weighing the pros and cons, the stimulus which sprang from its positive events was strong enough to invest in a brilliant future for the club. In 2002, we also celebrated the first birthday of this website which we all cherish a lot. In our photo archives you will also find the "Miss Bike". We want to greet one of them in particular .. Aline ... "Un petit baiser".

2003 left us with many good memories, such as the admission of Silvia Marzatico in the team at the last minute. Fuelled by a desire for redemption after disappointing road racing seasons, she obtained very good results in cyclo-cross. It was a pity for the unlucky race of Bassano del Grappa. Pippo Lamastra repeated the performance of the Italian Winter Triathlon Championship and, in the national jersey, received the silver medal as a junior at the World Championship. During the introduction of MTB season, in Aosta, Hard Rock showed itself to be a united team. Daniele Guglielmetti stood out among the best racers and reached the third step of the podium at Winter Grand Prix. The Piacenza Mini Bike Trophy was organised for the fifth year in succession and throughout the year, there were just two or three cyclo-touring events as usual (Obesos' saying is "pochi ma buoni" - literally translated as "few but good"). Worth mentioning is the performance of Damiano Stefano, the second son of Fontana family. In fact, his contribution secured the efforts of the under 18 team at Polsa, on the occasion of the Italian Championship. At Malé, there was the final of the European Cup and all the Hard Rock boys took part in it. The very young ones went in for the promotional race whereas the rest of the team competed for the Team Relay with the aim of enjoying themselves as much as they could. Pippo Lamastra, instead, was the one to take it seriously: he attained an impressive eighth position among the Under 23 (second place among the Italian ones). This result encouraged us to go further in the project involving all the Under 23 (him included). At the end of the MTB season, we renewed the agreement with Brusi and took the name of Hard Rock FRW. Anyway that was not the only change of the year end, in fact we affiliated with the "Comitato Provinciale di Milano" with the aim of finding new activities for young riders and organization regarding off-road racing.

The 2004 season began under the best auspices. In fact the cyclo-cross team boys got very good results throughout the season, at Verbania in particular, on the occasion of the Italian Championship. Elisabetta Borgia from Cesano Maderno, not yet 17 years old, a stunning young girl, hit the big target: 2003-3004 Italian Women Junior cyclo-cross champion. In the afternoon of that very day, Marco Aurelio Fontana stepped up onto the podium as an "Under 23", together with the world champion Enrico Franzoi. To cap it all .. the official engagement between Elisabetta and Marco. The CX 2004 season began with two new entries: Luca Damiani (Under 23) from the province of Sondrio, who, more than once, had worn the national uniform as a cyclo-cross racer, and Simone Marcacci from Lissone, second year as an Under 18. At the Winter Triathlon World Cup of Wildhaus, Pippo Lamastra won an important bronze medal whereas the highest step of the podium was attained by another Italian representative. At the first trial of Coppa Italia in Ragusa, the "Comitato Lombardia" rejoiced at the first place and we were extremely glad for the victory of Damiano Fontana as a "Junior". In May we had a very pleasant weekend in an ideal place for those who are keen on mountain biking: Sarentino. Actually we took advantage of a "Top Class" to hand on a bit of history to our youngsters. Unfortunately, in the same month, we reluctantly had to say goodbye to Alessandro Cucchi who, in spite of his commitment to this sport, decided to abandon competitive riding due to unsatisfactory results. At Laveno (Varese), Luca Damiani was overall third, but he also became Under 23 Lombardy regional champion. 2004 La Stoppa Bike represented a return to organizing activities, a "Top Class Lombardia" for categories of young riders, a new event which, in our opinion, is to be considered as a very positive experience. It's worth pointing out the important victory of the Under 18 Italian Cup by "Comitato Lombardia", to which also our young riders contributed. Among them, we name Damiano Fontana, first year Junior, who won the final victory as a Junior. He was also awarded by "Red Bull" as the best rider from a technical point of view, since he was the only one who stayed on the saddle even in the toughest stretches of the track! Well done, Damy! Elisabetta Borgia's third place is unforgettable. The performances of our "beginners" and Under 18 were absolutely brilliant at this event. Besides being a new important experience for them, it was also a chance to show a constant improvement which gave good hopes for their future as riders. Our Under 18 and Beginners took part in the Youth Italian Championship at St. Lorenz (Bolzano). According to our expectation, it was a nice competition in the Alto Adige style. The results were the outcome of a demanding season and encouraged us to continue on this path studded with satisfactions, trying to reach higher targets! Then it was the turn of 2004 CX Italian Championship of Busalla (Genova). Our riders didn't get brilliant results, but it was another new fruitful experience for their career. At the end of June, Claudio Brolli, one of our managers moved to Singapore and Malaysia for business. His absence was felt especially among the most animated supporters. At Superga (Torino), on the occasion of the final race of "Campionato Regionale Piemonte", Giuseppe Lamastra was obliged to yield his lead due to a mechanical failure. He won the third place, but obtained the U23 Regional Champion jersey. Our yellow van breathed the scent of Côte d'Azur in St. Raphael. On that occasion, our Beginners, together with Angelo, their trainer, and Marco, the team manager, greatly enjoyed taking part in one of the several races in the programme at Roc d'Azur. Besides the pleasant evening with Aline, the wonderful weekend was crowned with "Trofeo Lombardia ES - AL - JU 2004". Hard Rock FRW got the second place among the clubs and what's more, Damiano won among the Juniors and the other young riders got good placings. All this filled us with pride and satisfaction!! One of our most representative riders, Marco Aurelio Fontana, moved to "Guerciotti Selle Italia" for the cyclo-cross season. We were very proud of it! The cyclo-cross season began with a nice picture of Betty wearing a shining Italian Champion leotard. For the first time, also some of our youngest riders ventured on cyclo-cross. They enjoyed it and gave a good impression on the occasion of "Trofeo Lombardia". A "demanding" year of our history passed away and we could do nothing but roll up our sleeves to begin a new season with additional incentives and our usual untamed enthusiasm.

In 2005, in the wake of the previous year, we found it difficult to raise funds for the competitive activities of the team. In spite of all this, we are proud to confirm that we didn't lack either team spirit or resolution and, thanks to this, we could succeed against all odds. In cyclo-cross racing, our national women's champion prevailed over women's juniors and was called up in the national team to take part in a World Cup trial. Unfortunately, during the Italian championship at Rovato (Brescia), something went wrong and "the Betta" lost the most important race of the year without an apparent reason. In those days, I wrote: "11.01.05 - I came back from Rovato in a deeply upset mood. I was left speechless for some days. The truth is that I'm so sorry for Elisabetta. This evening I was seeking new ideas for our website updating when, looking through our photos, I found this one ... Sometimes we lose something we cherish deeply and, in such cases, the best thing to do is to value the things we have. I'm sure Betty did it. This Italian Championship could have meant a good beginning of the year and made up for a tough 2004. I don't like to play the victim and prefer to view the glass as half full: at Rovato I also saw a proud and talented Damy who was the surprising protagonist of a beautiful race and whose performance is bound to lift our spirits for the future. Then, we witnessed another unforgettable performance of a champion whose excellent abilities encourage us to carry on our efforts with the young riders. Moreover we must mention David in particular, a member of Angelo's team. He's an example of how fast our little beginners are growing up. I already imagine them overcoming the obstacles of an international cyclo-cross race with fighting spirit." Continuation of 2005 history: 19.01.05 "Bike Team Lombardia" was officially constituted and its constitutional document mentioned one representative of "Comitato Lombardo FCI" and some of the main Lombard associations (we were among them) which had been dealing in off-road cycling for several years. The objective of this new association is to improve competitive skills of their Lombard riders, both Juniors and Under 23, through training periods and participation in international races which may enrich their experience. The riders who follow the programmes of Bike Team Lombardia retain the membership of their first clubs, but they are requested to use the equipment and to wear the items of clothing belonging to BTL on the occasion of some prearranged international events. As to the racing uniform, they have chosen the white and green colours with the logo "Lombardia". The 2005 programme included BTL début at the trial of Perrefitte Suisse Cup on May 15 th , participation in several Suisse Cup races, in the Houffalize world trials (Belgium) and in Rock d'Azur (France). We can do nothing but praise the author of this programme, S.. S.. For further information, visit the official website: biketeamlombardia@virgilio.it . 03.03.05 Roberto Ferracuti passed away. He had been a good friend to most of us and an extraordinary rider whose victories had honoured our club and given us a good deal of emotions. 05.03.05 No matter how hard it was to feel something of a joy at Roberto Ferracuti's funeral, we were proud of Elisabetta Borgia's wonderful victory among women's junior on the occasion of the first international race of "Liquigas Cup 2005" mountain bike XC season in Brescia. This result was made even more important by the presence of the strongest Italian women's opponents and some of the foreign ones as well. We wanted to dedicate this victory to our late friend, who will always be an example for our young riders. 06.03.05 Successful race at Appiano (Trento) for Angelo's boys. The first "Top Class Trentino" was also their first race of the season. The victory of Ekrem Toknic among the beginners was just the icing on the cake (made by the whole team! Well done, boys!). 19.03.05 Seminò - Ziano. The unexpected participation of Domenico Salvani among the beginners livened up the race. He had just won the cyclo-cross Italian Championship and was a member of "Grotte di Castro" team. Angelo's boys were ready to make up for the heavy defeat at Fidenza. 28.03.05 Fidenza: a big number of racers, a bright sun and lots of fun. Things went on as usual: Walter's rides on his motorcycle trial, enthusiast supporters during prize-giving, Brolli's imitations, etc. We also remember Damiano's return to competition. On the whole, the results were good enough to encourage our team to improve their performances and aim at ambitious goals. 1-2.04.05 The race of Nalles was really great fun. Congratulations to the Sunshine Racers boys for their ability to organize this event. Our results weren't that brilliant, but we were pleased all the same. Betty was not at her best and Marco was a bit unlucky, but they both proved higher maturity by respectively acknowledging her mistakes and fighting strenuously up to the tenth place, which is quite something, at this level. Also our "beginners" and "under 18" gave a good performance. 9.04.05 On the occasion of the third "Liquigas Cup" race at Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (Lucca), Elisabetta got the fifth place, at a few seconds behind Sider, the leader of women's junior. On the other hand, Marco, in spite of his good performance, had to abandon the race because of a broken chain. 10.04.05 The misfortunes of the Italian Winter Championship didn't hinder positive performances. Betta was holding the third place when she had to give up due to a mechanical accident. Marco was very likely to reach the podium, but a problem with the derailleur obliged him to be content with a fifth place. 16.04.05 On the occasion of "2005 Liquigas Cup" last race at Chies d'Alpago, Marco Fontana performed well among the Under 23 and Elisabetta Borgia managed to cross the finishing line in spite of all the difficulties. 17.04.05 Tirano - "Trofeo Lombardia" first trial - Ours showed to be a winning team and our boys' performances were very good. A wonderful day to be celebrated with a lunch in good company. 24.04.05 Ragusa - Italian Relay Championship for regional selected teams. Lombardy got the second place and Ekrem's team did a brilliant performance. 10'40" was a very good time if we consider that it was the third best time of the race. 25.04.05 Ekrem was seventh among the best beginners in Italy. We cannot help saying "Well done!" because he was able to manage himself although the Championship of Ragusa was the first real experience for him. We would count on him for the rest of the season. 01.05.05 The race of Cividate was even better organized than the one of the previous year and it's always a pleasure for us to take part in such thoroughly organized races. We were really proud of our young riders: we were still at the top of "Trofeo Lombardia" for teams. The only unsatisfactory performance was that of Marco Aurelio, but we were sure that he would make it good. 08.05.05 Povo di Trento - we did found a course to our liking! Our boys enjoyed it a lot and had the opportunity to compete with riders of the same age from Alto Adige, who are an example for off-road young riders. Therefore their results were to be considered very valid. The icing on the cake was the award we got as the club with the most competitive young riders. 15.05.05 We dedicated the whole weekend to the promotion of mountain biking at "Istituto Agrario" of Piacenza, on the occasion of "Festa dell'Agricoltura". We managed to involve more than 60 students from primary and secondary schools by different sorts of entertainment. 22.05.05 Gorizia - Ekrem Tokmic (beginners) and Francesco Niccoli (Under 18) gave good performances at the second trial of "Coppa Italia Allievi Mapei". Francesco started from an unfavourable position, but his determination enabled him to move up to the 15 th place. Unfortunately a physical breakdown pushed him back to the 27 th place of the final classification. That was undoubtedly an important and necessary experience for his career. Ekrem, who had been busy with school tests, had had little time to train properly for this race, but he managed to keep his place among the ten best riders of his category. 22.05.05 Sestola - Marco Aurelio Fontana had his second experience of down hill cycling and mixed with the Italian cyclist who excel in descents without making a poor impression. 30.05.05 Domingo and our young riders took part in the World Cup?! That was wonderful indeed! The participation of MTB TEAM LOMBARDIA in Hoffalize competitions was a source of satisfaction for us all. On the one hand we were really happy for Elisabetta's performance who, after an uncertain start, showed all his determination and concreteness, on the other hand we felt sorry for Marco who couldn't touch the finishing line in spite of his good performance and opportunity to show his merit. What a pity! Anyway we were ready to do anything but give up. 30.05.05 The national team manager trainer, Alfonso Morelli, summoned Elisabetta for the Swiss Cup (we thank him again for trusting in the work we are doing with our young riders). Our next task was to infuse tranquillity and self-confidence into Betta. 06.06.05 At Chiesa Val Malenco we were heavily defeated. At that stage, we couldn't avoid self-criticism, but we also considered a number of extenuating circumstances such as Francesco's good performance and Betta's fighting spirit, even if it was the cause of her fall during the descent. Above all we missed Ekrem's brilliant result among the beginners. We thought that his low performance was mainly due to the distractions of the end of the school year. 11.06.05 Elisabetta gave a positive impression with the National Team during a Swiss Cup trial at Savignin. She was constantly improving from race to race. 12.06.05 Triuggio - Regional Championship - We suffered from the absence of some of our most representative riders (a part of them had been summoned in the National Team) and from a slightly lower level in quality. Eventually we got the positive performance of Martino, who got it over among the Under 18. 18-19.06.05 We divided ourselves between two events which couldn't be missed: at Malé, two Under 18's, Betta and Marco were getting close to the Livigno World Cup; the rest of the group were racing and having great fun at Vicobarone (Piacenza). Italian Marathon Championship isn't our speciality at all, but that year Marco Fontana took part in it supported by Lupini Fan Club. Lugagnano is Lugagnano!!! At Robbiate (Lecco) five of our riders participated in the Italian Young Riders Championship without any foolish ambition and without the Croatian Ekrem, our best beginner, but they got good results all the same. The Italian Absolute Championship of Sarentino (Bolzano) was up to our expectations. Anyway we are so fond of that enchanting valley that being there was enough for us. Marco's brilliant performance encouraged us to support our team strenuously and gave us the opportunity to add another beautiful photo to our on-line collection. As a happy conclusion of that season, Marco Fontana and Elisabetta Borgia were appointed to Livigno World Cup. This most important goal had been achieved at last: from that moment on we began to take it seriously. 05.09.05 We had just come back from Livigno and couldn't believe reading our names on the "World Cup Page"! 06.09.05 After recovering from the excitement for the World Cup experience, we felt it right to officially thank our riders and their trainer for giving us great emotions once again. 15.09.05 We were really sorry about Marco Bui's accident. We all supported him!!! 03.10.05 Saturday afternoon we went to Passo dei Carpinelli and rode about on some of the MTB trails under a beautiful sun. Then we finished the celebration of MTB year end at Viareggio shores. 04.10.05 Marco Fontana and Elisabetta Borgia moved to Guerciotti for the cyclo-cross season. We were very proud of them. Marco had a brilliant start, both in the World Cup and in the European races. But it was just the beginning. 15.10.05 The Ferrari couple got married and the bridegroom rode to the church on his mountain bike. A very well-organized ceremony. Congratulations!! 22.10.05 After an exhausting negotiation, our club obtained the prestigious sponsorship of "Olio Sapori Lucani". Its owner, Mr Barani, had sponsored the national team during Livigno World Cup, and now he was ready to bestow such honour upon us. We would soon publish an interview with Mr Barani advertising his product. 30.10.05 at Molteno there was a brilliant début for our young riders. David reached the podium thank to his constant care when training. Well done!!! Also the second place as a club was the evidence of our team's good work. 19.11.05 Marco Fontana in Guerciotti jersey gave a good performance at Selle Italia. He did make me feel like buying a flight ticket to Rotorua (New Zealand). 20.11.05 Our little riders (Marco Aurelio's heirs) but David who had got a flu, came back from Torre dell'Isola (Pavia) with their tails between their legs. The circuit was a difficult one, but they still had a lot to learn. 06.11.05 At Costamasnaga we got really wet. David was again among the absolute protagonists of the Under 18 category and was worth wearing the jersey as a leader of his category in Trofeo Lombardia. His fellow-riders, led by Martino, were improving from race to race and would soon be ready to move ahead to support him. Francesco from Juniors had great difficulties in the mud, but finally he was determined enough to move up by two places. The only inconvenience was Betta's fall during the first lap. 04.12.05 In Switzerland we reached our first well-deserved podium of the World Cup. Marco was most determined not to stop there ... 27.11.05 Corsico (Milano) Our young riders experienced a snowy race and, even if the circuit hardly fitted our little riders, Martino and David gave their best and, in particular, our team showed to be well organized. 07.01.06 2005 - 2006- Italian Cyclo-cross Championship taking place in Lecce was numbered among the happiest memories of our team. Even in their "Guerciotti Selle Italia" jerseys our young champions infused us with great pride. Betta was so quiet that it didn't seem she was there to compete for her country. Marco was considered the rising star, but instead of being nervous because of this special attention on his performance, he pushed ahead. I thought they did deserve our hearty congratulations and special thanks were addressed to Domy, the true magic ingredient of our team "Hard Rock FRW". On that occasion, Godo's good performance set a seal on our promising future, although he was probably only noticed by just a few people. 15.01.06 Solbiate - Betty's victory and our boy's good results contributed to the wonderful day. Trofeo Lombardia came to an end and we were more than satisfied with our third place as a team and other good places in the different categories. We were especially proud of our team spirit, but we were conscious that we still had a lot of work to do. 29.01.06 At Zeddam (Holland) Betty and Marco came up to our expectations by getting brilliant results and showing their high competitiveness to everybody. That was the right end of a season in which both of them were constantly and deeply involved in their improvement. It goes without saying that we were full of hope for their future. 2006 season began at Mathis restaurant of Fiorenzuola (Piacenza).

Hard Rock FRW management introduced the 2006 TEAM, who was made up of 11 riders and, as usual, would be led by Domingo Copelli. Marco Aurelio Fontana was beginning his last year in the Under 23 category. After his extraordinary cyclo-cross season, he would aim at international competitions without overdoing things so as to be most fit for the Italian Championship races at the beginning of summer. Anyway his main target would certainly be the European Championship of Alpago (Italy) and the World Championship of Rotorua (New Zealand). Elisabetta Borgia was at her first year in the Women's Under. She had been through a satisfactory cyclo-cross season as well. She would take part in important events, taking advantage of her fitness and self-confidence, but she would have to face a change in category and the school leaving examination. The new entries were two: Elisabetta Eydallin (women's Junior) from KTM International Team and Marco Manini (first year as Junior). Eydallin lives at Sauxe d'Ulx and during the winter season she does competitive skiing. She would soon begin mountain bike training. She would make her debut late in the autumn as soon as she was ready to compete with the best women's riders. She was full of enthusiasm anyway. Marco Manini grew up in Lugagnano Off Road. He would make a pair with Francesco Niccoli , the other Junior who had been a member of Hard Rock FRW for several years. Both of them were highly motivated and willing to train constantly in order to attain the same results as their predecessors. There were 6 beginners and, to be precise: Martino Di Pierdomenico , Harsana Ratnajake from Sri Lanka, Ekrem Tokmic from Bosnia, Simone Bellotti , David Guzzardi and Aureliano Tacchini . Angelo Ferrari, our sports manager, was sure people would hear of them in a near future. During the introduction, the new president, Riva Pietro, thanked all the sponsors who confirmed their sponsorship and expressed his satisfaction with the qualified contribution of the official suppliers. One of them, Claudio Busi from Freewheeling, wished our young riders all the best. Among the guests, there were also Davide Alto, vice-president of "Federciclismo", Paolo and Alessandro Guerciotti and Mr Ottaviani from Ethic Sport. 25.02.06 Sardinia - The first race of the season was satisfactory on the whole, even if we were bitterly disappointed. It was an important race away from home for Elisabetta Borgia and Marco Fontana, who were eager to be confronted with the best rider of XC. Betty's improvement was unexpected, considering that she had dedicated more time to school leaving exams. Moreover the podium contributed to lift her spirits, which could be very useful in the following months. Marco Aurelio hadn't practised properly either, but he had been keeping fit even after cyclocrossing. During the first rounds, he could ride among the best. It was a pity that a bad derailment made him waste a little more than a minute to disentangle the chain when he was third UN23. However the final result was encouraging and he was still in the right mood to go on fighting for important targets. We also appreciated the pleasant atmosphere we had breathed within "Team Bike Lombardia" which was fruitfully cooperating with us for the second year. 05.03.06 During the second descent of Montello, I was literally overwhelmed with excitement on seeing Marco Fontana moving up to the top of the group. The race had been a success for us since that morning. Betty had been really brilliant: she attained the second step of the podium as a result of an unexpected, but very welcome, improvement. Marco's race met our expectations and affirmed our determination to focus on few, but important, objectives. A wise man said "Seize the moment", which means "I don't have to postpone my holidays in Curaçao". 18.03.06 At Maser, there was the second trial of 2006 Liquigas Cup, a true international race. Marco Fontana showed a high performance and confirmed the same level of competitiveness as the previous races. Betty had some difficulties in facing some technical stretches of the trail. At the end of the race, some falls caused her to excessively increase her delay. Anyway she attained the third place among Women's Under. 19.03.06 Avio (Trento) - The trail was different from what we had expected. Our young riders prefer Trentino's races because of its technical trails, rather than our ups and downs among the local vineyards. Eventually we were happy all the same and this experience away from home was fruitful for our little riders. For some of them it was a brilliant start; the other ones would soon have better chances. It wasn't an April fool's trick. We were really in Curaçao! Besides our photos, the classification of the first World Cup is a clear evidence. 08.04.06 Brescia - I missed the first 2006 Marco Aurelio's victory. I cheered up at the thought that it wouldn't be the last one. 9.04.06 On the occasion of our "local race" at Lugagnano, The Mathys staff organized a very amusing party. Thanks Davide!!! Very good performance of all our riders. On the other hand we weren't as good because we forgot to report Mario Alberto as an Under 23. One last thing: remind me that I have to speak to the designer of the jerseys proposed by FCI to the Challenge Junior lap leaders (I think he also designed the jerseys for the Italian cup and similar events): he should already be retired! 22.04.06 A busy day at Cà dell'Orso. In the morning Marco Aurelio, Betty and two Juniors were put through some tests under the supervision of Dott. Posabella, who found the results very encouraging. In the afternoon, the very young riders had their first lesson of the season in their Hard Rock FRW jerseys and enthusiastically tested themselves along the new well-trodden trails. 30.04.06 We came back from Nalles with our tails between our legs. This race, like all the ones taking place in Alto Adige, had always thrilled us and we appreciated locals' friendliness very much. That weekend was very pleasant for us and our young riders .. but, once again, an inexplicable bad luck pursued us. Anyway, one positive aspect was Betty's determination to cross the finishing line, which was awarded with a jersey as Challenge Junior leader. On the occasion of the fourth Challenge Junior trial at Zelan di Mel (Belluno), Martino reached the Under 18 podium and Betty, in spite of the vast amount of work for her forthcoming school leaving examination, wanted to take part in the race and keep the Under leader jersey. Godo's performance was good even if he seemed attracted by off-race paths. 17.05.06 We show some photos of the recent World Cup trial in Madrid. 21.05.06 During the third World Cup trial at Spa, Marco Aurelio gave his best performance of the first part of that season. We were proud of his improvement and it was easy for us to encourage him. 27.05.06 In Scotland, Marco Aurelio's performance was great. That was due to a concomitance of different facts: his fitness (which was the same as last winter), his special feeling for that trail and his putting his experience into practice. Now he could face the following races with more confidence and serenity. 28.05.06 At Villa di Serio (Bergamo), we witnessed the welcome victories of Francesco and Ekrem, which gave new hopes for the forthcoming Regional Championship. In May and in June, the youngest riders of Hard Rock FRW spent wonderful days at Cà dell'Orso riding on its trails as well as on the ones nearby, which would be a part of the forthcoming Emilia Romagna Regional Championship trails. Our youngest riders began to look like little racers and their parents were getting used to seeing them tumble down repeatedly. 03.06.06 Happy end of 2006 Liquigas Cup for us at Sarre. The podium was attained both by Marco Aurelio and Elisabetta. Ekrem's forth place among the Under 18 was a pleasant surprise! 11.06.06 Cavriana (Mantova). Excellent organization of Lombardia Regional Championship and good results for Hard Rock FRW boys. Two champion jerseys were hanging in our showcase. 13.06.06 About ten children, the mayor of Ponte dell'Olio and Huby, the manager trainer, were invited to the presentation of the new off-road school located at Cà dell'Orso (Piacenza province) to the local press. 18.06.06 At Cascinotta, we witnessed Team Moia's excellent organization on the occasion of Emilia Romagna Regional Championship. Marco Aurelio's performance increased the value of the event and amused the spectators. Good results from our young riders. 18.06.06 We were sorry for having missed the Under 18 Italian Cup and Challenge Junior at Chiesa Val Malenco (Sondrio), but we were busy maintaining a profitable cooperation for the sake of our new off-road school. On the other hand, Betty, as a leader of her category, took part in it in spite of her school leaving examination. 20.06.06 Luca Bramati was satisfied with our commitment to the National team during the training period for Beginners and Under 18. He congratulated us on our good initiative at Cà dell'Orso and told us that, in his opinion, our approach to young riders was an example on a national scale. Thank you!!! 25.06.06 From Sellero (Brescia) we heard very good news. Due to a lack of opponents, Betty won the 2006 Challenge Junior at the second from last race. Francesco, a Junior, jeopardized his brilliant performance by an improper use of his gear, but he would make up for it at the Italian Championship. Good performance of the Under 18 Martino, who proved to have overcome his health problems of the previous month, whereas Ekrem dropped behind at half way through the race after a week spent with his school books. 01.07.06 Martino was satisfied with his race in Ragusa and received a lot of compliments from the Comitato Lombardia. His fifth place among the second year Under 18 was a very good reference in order to be included in the Junior programmes of 2007 Hard Rock FRW. Well done!!! 02.07.06 At Samedan, on the occasion of the Swiss Cup, the new generation of riders, i.e. the Junior Francesco Niccoli and the Under 18 Ekrem Tokmic, ventured on a high level race which enabled them to show their fine fettle. On the occasion of the open race, Marco Aurelio's performance didn't satisfy either him or Domingo, his trainer. In this period, it's absolutely unadvisable to lose one's concentration. 15.07.06 First of all we wanted to congratulate the organizers on the Absolute Italian Championship. At Viganó we took part in a high-level event and our riders were up to it! Worth mentioning are our young Juniors and our stoical Betty, who crossed the finishing line in spite of some unexpected inconveniences. Marco Aurelio, in particular, was among the leaders of the Under category and proudly attained the second step of the podium. We still considered Pippo as one of us and were particularly happy to support him and to realize that he was in the very place where his talent could be appreciated. 26.08.06 Rotorua World Championship: a trip full of emotions, an event which somehow made me remember the dawning of MTB. I don't know whether the pictures are sufficient to convey what I mean. Our National team got very good results and Hubi could count on a renewed team spirit which led to an optimistic vision of the future. On the other hand, Marco was not fully satisfied with his performance. After all we couldn't deny that we had had justified reasons to rely on better results. Eventually we were perfectly conscious that we had nothing to be blamed for. His legs were not the same as at Fort Williams and it wasn't easy at all for him to manage such a long season. In any case I'm absolutely sure that his performance was on a par with the best racers. During the first lap he had to realize that his physical form didn't enable him to give his best, but this didn't prevent him from fighting to the end and managed to cross the finishing line just behind the tenth racer. 11.09.06 At Schladming, on the occasion of the World Cup final race, Marco Aurelio Fontana competed in his last race of the 2006 XC season. We saw him flash past at the 19 th place, i.e. ahead of Liam and Tony and keep his high speed for four laps. Then, together with the other young champions, he ran out of energy, but he succeeded in crossing the finishing line at the 57 th place, with a smile on his face. In fact, like all of us, he was conscious that he had just taken part in a race which would act as a launching pad of his promising career as a rider. His very high level of performance kept constant for the whole season had placed him among the best emerging racers in the world, although he hadn't attained any particularly brilliant results in the course of that year. 18.09.06 We paid honour to "Gran Fondo Tidon Valley" organized by Gigi (the World Cup mechanic) and his friends and appreciated the local products which were given as prizes every time there was a race in that wine area. Martino proved to be very fit, unlike in his previous performance (but Lombardy had managed to win the Italian Cup Trophy all the same). In spite of his great improvement, from a technical and organizational point of view, Godo didn't get satisfactory results, perhaps due to his natural tendency to mess around during a race. Never mind. We trust in his skills and he will soon be able to get the results he deserved if he kept on following our advice. 23.09.06 We were very proud of the two-year contract drawn up between Marco Aurelio Fontana and Hard Rock FRW. Marco had been lent to Guerciotti in order to face an important cyclocross season, but his plans for the future were totally supported by Hard Rock FRW's staff. For two years more he would compete in our jersey! 14.10.06 We celebrated Pippo Lamastra's return! He didn't come back to share the pleasures of the table with us, as you may think. We believed that his next XC season wouldn't go unnoticed. The following year he would take part in the most important World Cross Country races and we were sure he would be able to show his great talent. 18.10.06 We were highly satisfied with the agreement reached between Freewheeling and Hard Rock FRW for 2007 season. In fact, in the previous days Mr Claudio Brolli had confirmed his technical sponsorship for the seventh consecutive year. Our riders would have Lancer and FRW Axum mountain bikes equipped with Manitou R7 shock absorbers and would wear Bell Sweep helmets. 30.10.06 Diadora S.p.A . would officially become Hard Rock FRW's technical sponsor as from November 2006. Our riders would have both the honour and the responsibility to promote the Italian company's manufacture for off-road cycling on both national and international trails. 12.11.06 Bad luck at Molteno. We got home just with placings off the podium. Godo's performance, in particular, was worth of the podium, but eventually he crossed the finishing line at the 5 th place. Never mind; this unsatisfactory ending did nothing but increase our determination to find another occasion very soon. 1.11.06 Debut of Hard Rock FRW's young riders who took part in the first cyclocross race of the season. We were satisfied with the results even if the Under 18 found some difficulties due to their poor form, as expected. On the other hand the Juniors revealed themselves to be very fit. It was a pity for Francesco Niccoli who had fought hard to reach the podium, but during the final rush he was unlucky enough to miss even the forth place. 26.11.06 At Corsico (Milan) we got good results from the Juniors, who were constantly improving, but a little bit of disappointment from our two Under 18. 23.11.06 Another important agreement was signed for the following Cross Country season. In fact Park Tool would join our technical sponsors in the sponsorship of our team. 3.12.06 Giuseppe Lamastra got back to competition in our Hard Rock jersey. During a cyclocross regional race in Tuscany, Pippo felt the attraction of the team. The race was fit for the purpose and his mates took advantage of the chance to play nice tricks on him and he played along by entering the box because of a puncture and coming out with another punctured wheel. 8.12.06 At Idroscalo, on the occasion of the World Cup, the weather was awful, but the performances of our riders were brilliant. The Juniors had a bad start: as usual, they found it difficult to click, but they toughed it out and Francesco, in particular, outdid one of the opponents he had never reached in the previous races and attained the third step of the podium. In the open race (the second one), Pippo's first 100 metres were made difficult by a chain derailment, which enabled all his opponents to outdo him, but eventually his great determination made him attain third place. We liked his performance very much and were thrilled at seeing him on the podium again in front of the television cameras, with our jersey on. We considered it auspicious. Marco Aurelio's brilliant performance in the World Cup race contributed to the happy conclusion of a magic day: first Italian racer to cross the finishing line and absolute 19 th . 10.12.06 At Morbegno, Godo confirmed his improvement to Domy's great satisfaction, who also emphasized Martino and Under 18's good performances.