Portugal 2016 – inGamba Mangia. Beve. Bici

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MANGIA. eat BEVE. drink BICI. ride

PORTUGAL

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THE FEAST

Miguel Andrade 7

WELCOME João Correia

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SUPPORTING ACTS

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GIORDANA

Miguel Andrade

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PINARELLO

BUREL FACTORY

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STAFF

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RAUL

THE GASTRONOMIC GOLD STANDARD Jim Merithew

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BICI

LANDSCAPE COLLECTOR

Jim Merithew 25

THE GREAT REWARD

Heidi Swift

Colin O’Brien 29

POUSADAS

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NORTH VS SOUTH Miguel Andrade

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PORT

Colin O’Brien 39

ALENTEJO Colin O’Brien

CHANGING LIVES João Correia

Jim Merithew 31

Colin O’Brien

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RIDE, REST, REPEAT Ted King

Cycling with inGamba is not just about the landscape and the skyscape and the scenery: its about camaraderie and friendships and memories.

HEIDI SWIFT, PELOTON MAGAZINE

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THE FEAST MIGUEL ANDRADE

Portugal is the oldest country in Europe – it has had the same defined borders since 1139 – and it has an impressive and diverse splendor. Within the country are historic cities such as Porto and Coimbra, the rich cultural center that is Lisbon, a dramatic coastline and the yellow and green fields of Alentejo, medieval villages like Óbidos or Estremoz, the forest and the waterfalls of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, and the

perfect collaboration of man and nature in the magic fantasy of Sintra and verdant Douro Valley.

The two main cities, Lisbon and Porto, are buzzing with history, art and music.

It would be difficult to match the scenic beauty with their grand riverside settings.

Lisbon has ancient medieval village – like neighborhoods that mix with monuments of a golden age and with contemporary architecture. Porto is an historic hillside city with its maze of steep and narrow cobbled streets home to beautiful plazas, churches and houses with colorfully tiled facades.

Inland, Portugal has mystical hills and valleys, creating a serene atmosphere that inspires and seduces. In the South-Centre, there is Alentejo. To the north, the pastures of the marshlands; in the vast interior, unending flatness, and fields of wheat waving in the wind; at the coast, wild, beautiful beaches waiting to be discovered.

The mountain ranges – Serra dos Candeeiros or Serra da Estrela – have astonishingly beautiful landscapes, bizarrely shaped crags and gorges, mountain streams and lakes, beautiful forests and magnificent views. And the Douro Valley is stunning: vertiginous

granite slopes, each one divided into rows of narrow terraces topped by vines and supported by dry-stoned walls, sweep up from the wide Douro river as it meanders toward Porto.

And what would Portugal be without food?

The Portuguese cuisine varies from region to region. In the coastline, the country is known for its fresh fish and seafood like the sardines, mackerel, crab, shrimp and lobster. In the mainland and in the North and South, the ingredients come from the land or the river so it is easy to find the pork or the young goat, pork sausages, a variety of stews, lamprey or the delicious cheese made with sheep or goat’s milk.

Desserts vary from each region as its outstanding pastries – called convent sweets – created by nuns in the 18th century, which they sold as a means of supplementing their incomes. The nun’s creations have interesting names like “barriga de freira” (nun’s belly), “papos de anjo” (angel’s chests), and “toucinho do céu” (bacon from heaven).

Is your mouth watering yet?

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WELCOME JOÃO CORREIA It was an idea born on a ride in the fall of 2010, during my last season as a pro with the Cervélo Test Team. After spending the year living in Chianti, watching what I ate and focusing on my training, I realized I was unable to fully enjoy the bounties of this region I love so much. One day after riding I sat with a glass of wine and sketched on a placemat my idea of a “perfect week”. I wanted to live that perfect week, but I also wanted more. I wanted to share it.

Six years on, Chianti remains the heart of what we do, but I’m also passionate about introducing my home country to others, so it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Portugal. This experience always brings back fond memories. My favourites mostly stem from a trip I did by bus and train throughout Portugal at the end of my junior year, when I had just returned from the World Championships. It was the first time since my parents emigrated to the

United States that I’d been able explore the country where I was born. I was struck by the natural beauty of the landscape, the diverse architecture that characterizes the cities and towns – and the unique hotels filled with incredible hospitality. And I quickly realized that for the Portuguese, everything revolves around food and wine.

The goal of an inGamba trip is to spend a week cycling on incredible roads so that we can enjoy spectacular food and wine, guilt-free. You will be fully supported by our soigneurs and our mechanics who will take care of your body and bike, and make you feel part of a family. Our insider’s perspective will allow you to revel in unique cultural outings to secret locales.

There is something mystical and special about Portugal, and you are about to see that magic translated first-hand in every interaction you have here. Thank you for taking this journey with us.

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01.

MANGIA. eat

THE GASTRONOMIC GOLD STANDARD JIM MERITHEW We’ve all been to the family dinner party where the one relative has cooked something to die for. The type of food that makes you want to ignore all the other distractions and just fill your plate with this one amazing dish. You just want to eat it all. Share it with no one. Maybe, just maybe, whisper quietly to your favorite person at the table, so they know to fill their plate with it, too.

giant tiger shrimp, delicious clams and even the goose barnacles are prepared to perfection. The rock crab and spider crab arrive to their own glorious symphony for the tastebuds. And not to be left out the lobster is a stunningly simple preparation making you wonder where this little restaurant has been your entire life. If you are still in need of more you can always suck on some succulent crayfish.

This is exactly what it is like to eat at Lisbon’s Cervejaria Ramiro, except it is not one single dish you feel this way about, but every single plate that lands on the table.

The final culinary miracle is desert, which just happens to be the most delicious steak sandwich you have ever wrapped your lips around. It is hard to believe it is only your first night in Portugal, but the tone has been set. The gauntlet has been thrown down.

The culinary hammer has been dropped.

For us lucky few traveling with inGamba, you can skip the long queue of wide-eyed patrons lining the street outside and get ushered to your table like a group of celebrities. And then almost immediately the feast begins. The smell of butter, garlic and seafood filling the room in an almost magical attack on your nostrils. The grilled

And with the gastronomic gold standard defined, for the rest of your trip neither inGamba nor Portugal will let it slip for a second.

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Once the ride is over, the real adventure begins...

A meal with inGamba dives straight into the heart of local cuisine.

NEAL ROGERS, VELONEWS

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THE LANDSCAPE COLLECTOR MIGUEL ANDRADE

Frederic Coustols is not a man to stay contented in one place for long. His passion may take him to the streets of Lisbon today, then find him in France, Russia or China tomorrow. His desire to revive old houses and palaces – to restore their soul and learn the traditions of a place – drive him to introduce their surroundings to those who live there. “I am passionate about vernacular architecture (related to a terroir),” explains Frederic.

He was born in Gascogne, South West of France, where his parents had taken refuge during World War II. For years, he spent his vacations there and – moved by the peacefulness of the region – dove into his first real estate adventure when he bought an entire village in ruins called Castelnau des Fieumarcon. Today, the village is reminiscent of an old villa and is used for artistic and economic events.

“I first began to make projects around old buildings to preserve their history and make places live. But over the time, I started to realize that owning is nothing; what matters is to preserve and show landscapes. They belong to everyone, no one owns it,” says Frederic.

At age 35, Frederic had already bought Chestnut Street in Boston, and later he fell in love with a field in Matto Grosso, Brazil, but which proved too difficult to make valuable. In the 1990s, he ventured to China where he spent three years rebuilding a village before rehabilitating an old factory in Rostov, Russia, at the request of a Russian oligarch. “In all my projects, it’s the same thing. I am absorbed by a place, architecture and atmosphere. My pleasure are the meetings,” he says.

One of his most-beautiful and longest projects, however, is the Palacio Belmonte, which he was unable to resist on a visit to Lisbon. During his trip, Frederic was impressed by the location of the 3,700-square-meter Palacio Belmonte, which is meters from the Saint George Castle and has a breathtaking view overlooking the Tagus River. The history of the Palacio Belmonte is the story of Portugal itself. The palace was built in 1449 atop ancient Roman and Moorish walls and was the residence of the Marques d’Atalia, Alvares Cabral and the Earls of Belmonte for more than 500 years. It is the oldest building of its kind in the city.

In 1503, one of Portugal’s most famous adventurers, Pedro Alvares Cabral, who owned the palace, added more space to the existing house so he could host some well-known historic figures, including Vasco de Gama, who was welcomed in the palace after returning from his triumphant voyage to India. In 1640, the building was expanded to include stunning terraces overlooking the ocean; and between 1720 and 1730, two great masters of Portuguese tiles were commissioned by the Belmonte family to create a unique collection of 59 panels with more than 3,000 tiles that portray the daily life of the MANGIA 15

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Portuguese royal court. The tremendous earthquake of 1775 that destroyed most of Lisbon’s major constructions, didn’t hit the palace.

In 1994, Frederic bought Palacio Belmonte and – keeping the rich history of the palace in mind – began a six-year restoration project to convert the beautiful space into 10 luxurious suites, each different from the other.

When we stay at Belmonte today, we feel like we are at a family house enlightened by the smile of Frederic’s wife, Maria. This jovial and relaxed outlook on life from Frederic and Maria creates a unique quality, style and inviting atmosphere to the place. Frederic’s books are in every corner in the palace, Maria’s paintings decorate some of the walls, and the warmth of personality and creativity blends well with everything in the space. “It was he who chose me,” jokes Frederic.

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BUREL FACTORY JIM MERITHEW

Riding into Manteigas is like riding into an old photograph. The small Portuguese town sits on the mountainside of Serra da Estrela National park and is filled with whitewashed homes capped with quintessential terracotta roofs. It’s probably looked exactly the same for generations.

Nestled on the edge of town is the Burel fabric factory. White, like everything else, and nondescript, it is only upon entering and taking the factory tour that you realize this is a hidden Portuguese gem.

It was only a decade ago that Isabel Dias da Costa and João Tomas, owners of the Casa das Penhas Douradas, decided to leave their jobs in the city, settle in Penhas Douradas and reopen the town’s wool factory. The couple came up with the idea to preserve this tradition of working with wool and bring it into the modern age by

dyeing the fabric in bold colors and adding a heavy dose of innovative design. Voilà, the Burel Factory was reborn.

From the moment you enter, your senses are assaulted with the clacking and whirring and pushing and pulling of old machinery that was brought back to life in 2010 when the factory reopened. As the noise from the machines fades into the back of your mind, the colors come rushing forward. Large spools of colorful wool are everywhere, in a vibrant spectrum of 24 colors, from lilac and bordeaux to pumpkin and hot ash.

Burel is made from a unique process of washing and spinning the wool and then weaving it into fabric before being it’s pounded and scalded with very hot water.

The result is a thick, compact and resilient material. Watching the workers hustle about, machines tugging fibers and colors

blending together, one can’t help but want to touch. To feel the burel. To know what the fuss is about.

They are making handbags, wall coverings, pet mats, jackets, pillows and toys for the children. The material is not as soft to the touch as one would think, but it has the certain feeling of quality. Of craftsmanship.

Of Portugal. This factory is not filled with factory workers. It is filled with artisans.

Artisans breathing new life into an almost

lost local craft. And watching them work, you can’t but wonder if you too should give up city life and take a job making burel in this most beautiful of villages, in the center of an amazing country.

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THE GREAT REWARD COLIN O’BRIEN

Hemingway said that hunger was good discipline. Feasting, then, is a great reward.

Anyone who doesn’t get a kick out of being served up a great meal either has a heart of stone or an eating disorder.

For the diner, there are few more sincerely appreciated gifts because food is both a necessity and a luxury. Normally mutually exclusive, that combination of requisite and intemperate impulses makes eating one of life’s great pleasures – probably because you can rationalise even the most lavish indulgence in gourmandise.

One has to eat, after all, so it might as well be done well. Any cyclist who’s ever spent a day in the saddle surviving on energy gels and electrolyte drinks will have a special understanding and appreciation for that particular maxim.

For the cook, feeding yourself and those you love takes on a life affirming context – especially if you know that they’ve been suffering on the bike for hours on end.

There’s no gravy or condiment that can improve a meal quite like that deep hunger that comes from mile after mile of exertion.

Once you’ve got that, all you need for the perfect meal are some simple ingredients: Time, a little know-how and some love. With those, you can cook up something that’s more than a meal. It becomes an invitation, a greeting, the body’s sustenance and the final chapter to the day’s story – all in one.

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POUSADAS JIM MERITHEW

After a day of hammering 150km along the Portuguese countryside, with a little over 2000 meters of vertical, you could be forgiven for not caring about where you lay your head for the evening.

But when traveling with inGamba, this nonchalance would be a mistake, because as much as the roads, the rides, the routes are spectacular, the Pousadas we choose for you to recharge your battery within are just as memorable.

The opening act, the Palacio Belmonte sets the tone from the very start of your trip.

It’s been named on the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List for 2015 – and for good reason.

Located in the heart of old Lisbon, it is a part historical landmark and part luxury accommodation.

Every afternoon, as you finish your day’s two-wheeled adventure, you begin another unforgettable experience. You might find yourself standing in the historic and aweinspiring courtyard of the Santa Maria do Bouro, a former Cistercian monastery dating to the XII century which is now a luxury hotel, or standing poolside in the Walled Village of Marialva enjoying some nosh. Perhaps you’ll pass some time stomping some grapes for your dinner at the Wine House Hotel. We can assure you: where we rest has been given as much thought, love and attention as where we ride. Because only the best will do.

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NORTH VS SOUTH MIGUEL ANDRADE

Portugal is defined by its contrasts. Some come from culture and history, and some from Mother Nature. Some differences are new, others ancient. The coast versus the interior, Lisbon versus Porto, North versus South.

Attitudes change with the latitude. People from Porto refer to Lisbon and the south as “Mourolândia” – the land of the Moors.

Locals in Lisbon reply, calling Porto and the north “tripeiros” – a slight on their fondness for tripe, the edible offal from the stomach of farm animals. And everyone, more or less, makes fun of those from Alentejo. They’re the slow ones, so the joke goes, because the warm, sunny weather leaves them with little option but to take lengthy mid-day naps, after a large meal, of course.

The architecture of Portugal is marked by stark differences too, for one very

good reason. In 1755 most of Algarve and a good part of Lisbon was destroyed in an earthquake, so very little of the region’s antiquity remains.

Farther north, they were hardly touched by the tremors, and so there endures the most superb examples of 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th century castles, dwellings and other points of interest.

Even the houses are different – the farther north of Lisbon you go, the more spread out they become (sometimes miles between one dwelling and another) and there are very different types of house, from the tiled covered houses over in the east to the Serras (mountain ranges) very Alpine style, which all have outdoor staircases and red rooftops. In Alentejo and in Algarve you can still find some villages like Mértola where white houses with riddled chimneys have an obvious Moorish influence.

The scenery also changes. The north has its soft rolling hills and vineyards of the Douro Valley, the green forests and mountains of Serra da Estrela and GerĂŞs.

In Alentejo, by contrast, you’ll find an endless stream of wheat fields, olive and cork trees, framed by spotless beaches and rugged, sharp, dark-coloured ridges. Algarve finishes with its colourful cliffs, miles of untouched seashore, white sand and calm, warm water.

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02.

BEVE. drink

PORT COLIN O’BRIEN The Douro Valley is a land of extremes.

Centred on the eponymous river and dominated by the Serra do Marão, the mountain range limits rainfall and creates something of a microclimate that makes one of Portugal’s most important wine regions totally unique.

It can be scaldingly hot in the summer, and turns bitter cold in winter. The mountains’ steep slopes and the ground’s rough, craggy character means that only about 10% of the area is planted, mostly on the lower, gentler slopes. The locals say that’s because the best wine needs to hear the river Douro flowing.

The vines cling to the mountain, their trellises fixed to stepped terraces that have been hewn, hard won, from the slopes of the Serra. The roots struggle to unlikely depths in search of water, the kind of adversity that adds character to a wine and rarely results in anything but the finest grapes.

There’s almost no soil to work with, and what there is is full of grit and scree.

There’s little water, fewer nutrients, and the ground’s mineral make-up is tough on roots. And yet, from such unpromising beginnings, over centuries the chance combination of local industriousness, international commerce and warring nations has resulted in one of the world’s most famous, and most distinctive, wines.

Like so many things in Europe, the history of Port is inextricably intertwined with tumultuous relationships between the continent’s major powers. Although wine had been grown in the country since the time of the Roman Empire, by the 17th century it was some way behind its neighbours in terms of quality, and very little of it was exported.

That all changed in 1678 when – not for the first time – war broke out between Britain and France. The Portuguese and the British had long been trading partners, and BEVE 35

with French ports under siege it was only natural that London turned to their Iberian allies in search of vinous supplies.

As they travelled up the Douro in search of richer, deeper wines than those that could be easily found closer to the coast, the earliest entrepreneurs bought in bulk from local farmers and added brandy to the barrels to stabilise the wine before shipping back to England.

There were on to something, even if their early efforts lacked more than a little finesse. By the time fighting broke out again in the 18th century – this time for the War of Spanish Succession – Port production was drastically refined, and it

became the drink we know today. Many of the most famous producers still around were founded by this time, and it had become a tightly-controlled and properly demarcated production area, probably the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

It’s changed little since then. The landscape is still rugged and unkempt.

Transport and communications networks are limited. Signs of civilisation, few and far between. Which is just about right for a region devoted to producing something as anachronistic as Port. Because more than anything, the best of it is like a message in a bottle. Some spiced, floral, caramelised notes from history, and a fleeting taste of a time gone by.

inGamba is a cycling family where your brothers and sisters are professional bike riders, soigneurs, world class chefs, and wine growers. It’s a week that will change your outlook on life forever, both on and off the bike.

COLLY MURRAY, INGAMBA GUEST & WINE IMPORTER

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ALENTEJO COLIN O’BRIEN

Ruled at various times by the Romans, Visigoths and the Moors, Alentejo is an architectural and cultural treasure trove.

It boasts some of Europe’s best beaches. It’s the home of Cante singing, the primeval, polyphonic sound of Southern Portugal’s villages, of the agricultural and industrial working classes and of a time gone by. It’s also Portugal’s breadbasket. It’s famous for rich, uncomplicated cooking and for its salt cod, sheep’s cheese, black pork, olive oils, mushrooms – and its wine. The region makes almost half of Portugal’s total, and in some neat synergy, it’s also the largest producer of cork in the world.

Both the Phoenicians and Romans made wine here as early as the seventh century BC, but as recently as 50 years ago, little if any of that heritage was left. Blight took its toll, as did Portugal’s shifting political landscape.

And economics played a huge part. It was simply easier and more profitable to dig up the vines and plant olives and wheat. In recent times, however, Alentejo has become something of a European success story, because with the help of the EU the region’s growers have started producing some of the continent’s most exciting new wines.

Extremely hot, parched dry summers are typical, but modern irrigation – Europe’s largest man-made lake is in Alentejo – allows farmers to take advantage of the heat without suffering from a lack of water.

The result is a stunning array of styles.

From palate-cleansing and crispy whites to deep, dark and mysterious reds as enchanting and harmonious as Alentejo’s choir singers.

The name comes from “Além-Tejo”, Beyond the Tagus, and covers almost a third of the whole country, from the Atlantic coast to the Spanish border and the Tagus in the north down to Algarve. Despite this size,

however, it’s home to just seven per cent of the country’s population. Traditionally, despite its fertility, it has been a very poor region, but also a heartbreakingly beautiful one – something that’s intensified by the fact that much of it feels abandoned.

So: Look forward to being surrounded by as gorgeous a landscape as you’ll ever see.

To delving into a gastronomic wonderland.

To discovering a home to passionate and talented winemakers, and a place that’s almost completely unknown to the outside world. In other words, look forward to a region that suits inGamba perfectly.

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03.

BICI. ride

SUPPORTING ACTS COLIN O’BRIEN

InGamba aims to serve your senses. We deal in emotions. We sweat the small stuff to deliver big experiences. We want to dish up the richest parts of every region and let you relish all of it slowly.

None of that would be possible without our incredible team of mechanics, soigneurs and riders. With years of experience in the professional peloton with teams like Tinkoff and Cannondale, they’re the support network you deserve, doing everything in their power to make this vacation an unforgettable adventure.

On the road, they can be tour guides, advisors, friends, a helpful wheel to hold when the pace quickens. They know the stories hidden in the countryside and the folklore behind the local food and wine. They are a one-way ticket to the best coffee shops along the route and your servers when you finally stop for that ristretto.

Back at base, the magic never stops at our Service Course, because behind every great rider, there’s a great mechanic. Their know-how allows a climber’s bike to soar in the mountains and gives a sprinter the confidence to fight for the line. The hours they spend agonising over every nut and bolt, each gram of grease and every millimetre of cable give the fastest riders on the planet the confidence to be their best, safe in the knowledge that they won’t be undone by a dropped chain or a broken spoke.

The best mechanics aren’t just cleaners and fixers – they’re insurance polices. Like a loyal Sous-Chef or the base player in your band, they might not get much credit from the wider public, but the people who matter most will tell you that no success would be possible without their endeavours.

The soigneurs, meanwhile, are like wizards, turning sore tissue into fresh muscle, ready

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for the next challenge. With years under their belts as professional riders, they are intimately in tune with the care that cyclists need each day to be their best. They take care of your bottles each morning, fill your musette with ride food that they have been cooking late into the night, and wake your legs up with a quick rub before you hop in the saddle.

And the man behind the curtain smoothing out all of this chaos, is Nate. You may have spoken to him about bike fit or exchanged e-mails about travel, but it’s hard to explain how much of himself he puts into each and every trip. He’s the guy pulling the strings, directing traffic, coordinating timetables and handling the inevitably complex logistics that ensure your experience with inGamba exceeds every expectation.

All of these people make inGamba special.

Without them, none of it is possible. Whether they’re riding next to you, driving to dinner or working in the background, they share a common goal: to care for you,to address your needs before you know you have them and to handle every last detail of daily life so you can focus on enjoying the ride, literally and figuratively. You’ll see some amazing places with us and get used to some incredible equipment, but we guaruntee that the most memorable part of this whole experience will be the people. They look forward to welcoming you into the family.

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GIORDANA Giordana have been friends of inGamba for a long time. And not just because they make some of the best cycling kit on the market. We’re partners because we share a genuine passion for cycling, because we both believe in quality and because

we’re both immensely proud of what we do. Giorgio Andretta founded Giordana in 1979 with a clear goal: To offer athletes unparalleled performance by combining the best of Italian craftsmanship and style with the latest technological advances.

More than 30 years later, his company still sets the standard. Our custom inGamba kit is lovingly made by a team of skilled workers at Giordana’s factory near Vicenza in northern Italy.

We think it performs perfectly, and represents the best of Italian manufacturing. And just as importantly, it looks cool. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy it as much as we do.

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PINARELLO No one blends pedigree and performance like Pinarello. Known for their multiple Grand Tour wins and their jaw-dropping looks, these bikes are the stuff dreams

are made of. Pinarello’s latest super-bike, the Dogma F8, is the combination of over 60 years experience with the latest technological advancements – with a

little help from Team Sky and Jaguar, who know a thing or two about going fast.

Unsurprisingly, it’s utterly gorgeous. And, while you’re with us, it’s yours to enjoy.

It will come equipped with SRAM Red eTap, and wheels and finishing kit from Zipp.

That’s a lot of bling, but hey, life is too short to ride anything but the best.

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STAFF We serve your senses. We deal in feelings, tastes and experiences. We want to tap into the richest parts of this region and let you relish all of it slowly. The landscapes, the vistas, the rolling roads – those are fixed things that surround us, that create the backdrop for the moments, conversations and revelations that will inform your time here. On the edges of that stage are characters who are committed to ensuring the quality of your experience – a staff that will become like family.

On the road, our guides are there for you in every regard. A guide, a companion, a helpful wheel to hold when the pace quickens. They know the stories hidden in the countryside and they’ll share them with you. They are a one-way ticket to the best coffee shops along the route and your servers when you finally stop for that ristretto. Our Lead Guide, Eros Poli

has more experience riding these roads than anyone around. He was the winner of the legendary 1994 Tour de France stage over Mt. Ventoux. Imagine a guy like that riding next to you and offering words of encouragement when the group is going fast, and the going gets tough.

Back in the Service Course, our mechanics will care for your bike with the attention to detail and honed precision of a pro-tour mechanic, tuning and washing it each night. In fact, our previous mechanics are all working on the Pro-tour for teams like Tinkoff-Saxo and Cannondale-Garmin. In the morning, you’ll find your bike outside, already in the correct gear, right pedal turned to exactly 3 o’clock. We trust our mechanics with the bikes because there is no one better – and because at the heart of your experience everyday on the road is the quality of your connection to the machine.

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The soigneurs are the magicians, turning sore muscles into fresh ones with daily massage. With years under their belts as a professional riders, they are intimately in tune with the care that cyclists need each day to be their best. They take care of your bottles each morning, fill your musette with ride food that they have been cooking late into the night, and wake your legs up with a quick rub before you hop in the saddle. Raul is the master soigneur. And while he cares for your body, he also takes care of your spirit, livening up the day with jokes and antics, maybe even a little song and dance. There are few people in this world with the power to elicit such joy and happiness as he does on a daily basis.

And the man behind the curtain smoothing out all of this chaos, is Miguel. You may have spoken to him about bike fit or exchanged e-mails about travel, but it’s unlikely you’ll ever see him. He’s the guy pulling the strings, directing traffic,

coordinating timetables and handling the inevitably complex logistics that ensure your experience with inGamba exceeds every expectation.

The members of the staff wear many hats.

At some point Miguel will turn up on a bike, pedaling alongside you through the lush fields that line the road to Crete Senesi. One of our mechanics, Helder, might be behind you in the support van, blaring endearingly awful Euro-pop from the radio, ready to hand you a Coca-Cola at a moment’s notice. It could be Raul’s wheel that you follow through the snaking curves of a long descent.

Whether they’re riding next to you, driving to dinner or working in the background, they share a common goal: to care for you, to address your needs before you know you have them and to handle every last detail of daily life so you can focus on enjoying the ride, literally and figuratively.

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Raul may be a soigneur, but that’s just a facade. He’s one of life’s rare human beings that will have you in hysterical laughter in the blink of an eye.

PETER CRACKNELL, INGAMBA GUEST

RAUL HEIDI SWIFT

You come to inGamba knowing you will get massages from a professional soigneur. You think of this as a set of hands and a moment of relaxation. You imagine yourself closing your eyes after a hard ride – a bit of kneading and pressure sorts you out. Instead, you get Raul. Raul the leg whisperer.

Raul the clown. Raul the mime. Raul the comedian. Raul the lover. Raul the great. Raul forever.

You fall in love with him. You can’t help it. Neither could I. And he loves you, too. Because that is why he breathes. To take care of people. To take care of you. To take care of me.

The word “soigneur” means “one who takes care of others”.

This is not just about massage. Everyone who meets Raul will learn that. Everyone who meets Raul will learn something they did not know about how to love each other as human beings. His is a selfless, devoted, invested kind of care.

Raul takes care of my legs every day that I am in Tuscany. On some days he also rides with me, observing the way I climb or shift gears. When we climb with fast groups he puts a hand on my lower back and takes the edge off of my threshold effort. He always asks for permission first. When I run out of water, he hands me a fresh bidon from his cage. When the fireworks go off in the front of the group, he sometimes gets caught up in the fray. Then he sits up, supermans on his saddle and drifts back to me. Laughing.

Later when he works my calves he props my leg up on the table and leans his head against my knee – eyes closed – and disappears into his work. There is a conversation shared between fingers and muscles as he kneads his way into the very details of my pedaling, the shadowy forms of my doubts and insecurities, the secret hopes guarded in my heart. By the time he’s done, he knows more about me than I intended.

BICI 55

What drew me to inGamba was at first the trip itself and what I found was a group of people that truly care about the world around them. That blew me away and I’ve been back every year since it started.

GARY SMITH, INGAMBA’S FIRST CLIENT

CHANGING LIVES JOÃO CORREIA For us, a bicycle is a recreational tool. But to millions of people around the world, a bicycle is an inexpensive, sustainable form of transportation, one that can mean the difference between seeing a doctor, getting to school, making a living – or not.

One of the things we are most proud of at inGamba is our One Guest: One Bike program where we donate $147 – the price of one bike – to World Bicycle Relief’s Africa program in honor of each person who travels with us.

World Bicycle Relief addresses the lack of affordable, reliable transportation in rural Africa by designing, sourcing and manufacturing high-quality bicycles to withstand African terrain and load requirements while meeting the needs of students, healthcare workers, farmers and entrepreneurs.

They strengthen local economies and promote long-term sustainability by assembling bicycles locally, training mechanics and improving the spare parts supply chain.

We share common values and envision a world where distance is no longer a barrier to education, healthcare and economic opportunity. A world where bikes make a difference.

We believe strongly that inGamba is helping change the lives of our guests by giving them a travel experience that is unparalleled and we’re making it our mission to make the world a better place through the power of a bicycle.

So, we’re asking you to join us in this fight to bring life changing transportation opportunity to Africa by making a donation before their trip to the non-profit World Bicycle Relief at wbr.org.

Donating a bicycle is more than a gift; it is a long-term investment in sustainable practices and economic opportunity in rural Africa. Please join us, you may just find out – like we did – that you get so much back from giving.

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BICI 59

To be honest, riding with inGamba is the best week of my season. The fun at the dinner table, the wines and the perfect roads makes it a dream week for me. I return to my race season, totally unstressed, but really well trained.

LAURENS TEN DAM, TOP 10 FINISHER 2014 TOUR DE FRANCE

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RIDE, REST, REPEAT TED KING

Please pardon this terribly perfect analogy, but inGamba runs the absolutely perfect (wait for it)... cycle. You arrive anxious and eager to soak in the entire week’s adventure in Italy, so the first day you’re bursting out of bed and onto the bike. You come home that evening after one of the most amazing rides of your life sinuously weaving through the Italian countryside and you’re famished. So João has arranged one of the best meals you’ll ever eat from a restaurant you’ve certainly never heard of nor would you have ever found left to your own devices. Rest, repeat, raise to the power of amazing, and multiply times 7 – or however many days your trip is. Every greeting is familial and heartwarmingly organic, every detail covered. Every bite, every pedal stroke, and every sip you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

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WORDS & IMAGES MIGUEL ANDRADE Travel and Food Writer

MANUEL BOTTAZZO Creative Director

PAOLO CIABERTA Reporter/Photographer | inGamba Guest

JOÃO CORREIA Retired professional cyclist | inGamba Founder

JARRETT DEERWESTER inGamba Guest

SCOTT FOREMAN Founder | Cultivator Labs | inGamba Guest

BILL GIFFORD Writer | inGamba Guest

JERED GRUBER Features Editor | Peloton Magazine | inGamba Guest

JULIE HELFRICH inGamba Guest

JIM MERITHEW Journalist | inGamba Guest

COLIN O’BRIEN Writer | inGamba Guest

HEIDI SWIFT Editor-at-Large | Peloton Magazine | inGamba Guest

ORIGINAL CONCEPT JOÃO CORREIA NATE RIPPERTON

PARTNERS A special thanks to our partners who add as much to our guests’ experience as any restaurant, wine or ride we do. They allow us to treat our guests like pros.

Our bikes are Pinarello Dogma F8s equipped with SRAM Red eTap and Zipp wheels, bars and stems, saddles by fi’zi:k and tires by Vittoria. Clothing by Giordana, nutrition and hydration by ClifBar and heads protected by Giro helmets. Friendly competition brought to you by Strava and fueled by Handlebar Coffee. Training programs

by Carmichael Training Systems. Corner clearance and knees saved

by Speedplay pedals, Elite water bottles and cages. Bikes stay tuned

by Park Tools. Bags for bikes and gear by SciCon. Cool name stickers

by Victory Circle Graphix. Garmins held in place by the original BarFly3.0. And, we make a difference in the world through World Bicycle Relief.

inGamba is the collaboration of a few people who wanted to share their passions for riding a bicycle, eating great food and drinking fantastic wine.

We strive to live each “perfect week” fully while introducing our guests to a world they may not know existed. inGamba was born from a simple tweet: “Thinking of doing a ride, eat, drink EOY bash here in chianti October 12 –18th,” said @joaoisme. “Share my favorite things about this place. Who’s interested?”

Four brave souls – Gary Smith, Kevin Irvine, Jason Probert and Robin Kelly – answered. There were no security deposits, no liability waivers, just as Kevin put it “a huge amount of trust”.

The adventure writer Bill Gifford added words to the narrative; Jason Gould provided images while Joe Staples, Andrew Reed, Michael Scher and Tony Little created the canvas. The original team consisted of Raul Matias, Jorge Queirós, João Correia and the kind people of Lecchi in Chianti whose world we share with a few lucky travelers each year.

From these humble beginnings sprouted this thing we call inGamba.