One British touring cyclist currently riding in Italy can boast having something in common with former world champion Mario Cipollini – both have fallen foul of a law banning cyclists from some dual carriageways.
According to local newspaper reports in the Marche region, the unnamed cyclist, carrying luggage on his bike, strayed onto the road from Morrovale to Macerata after approaching it from a rural side road.
The road is designated a superstrada, and the cyclist is believed to have missed a sign forbidding bicycles from the dual carriageway.
Motorists alerted police to the rider’s presence and he was escorted off the road at around 4.30pm yesterday and put back on his way.
In February 2003, Il Corriere della Sera reported that Cipollini had been fined €68 for riding on a section of the Livorno-Pisa-Florence superstrada where bicycles are banned.
Cipollini, who was the reigning world road champion at the time, told the police officers who stopped him that it was one of the few places he could train peacefully – and perfect for practicing his sprints.
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13 thoughts on “GB cycle tourist in Italy does a Mario Cipollini – by riding on road where bikes banned”
Last summer I did similar.
Last summer I did similar. Italians drive like lunatics on small country lanes – on this road I strayed onto it was like a drag race. I have never been so scared, and there were no signs so cyclists were allowed on it. After about 200m I climbed a fence, carried the bike across a field full of sheep and 2 very scary looking guard dogs and over a gate. 2 hours later I found a way across this horrible road, back onto quieter lanes (though, as I say, still populated by lunatics behind Fiat 500’s!). I’m yet to be convinced Italy is a cycling paradise!
Zermattjohn wrote:Last summer
“Italians drive like lunatics on small country lanes” this is a gross generalization and it is hilarious to read it form someone whom country has a 60 mph speed limits on country lanes, just 10 mph lower than a motorways!!!
I am Italian and I have been living in the UK for 15 years and cycled in many of the European countries.
To start with, it depends in which region you are cycling. In regions like Tuscany, Umbria and generally in the north are people are very used to cyclist on the road because every other person cycle and if they don’t do it personally it is very likely that they know some one who does (either family or friend). Fore instance, my dad who doesn’t cycle is super careful when there are cyclists on the road because he knows that me and few other of his friends go out cycling so he is naturally more caring.
The other point I’d like to make it is that people should really spend sometime selecting your itinerary and plan it carefully so you don’t get on the wrong road. It takes very little on Google map to work out where it is ok to cycle and where it is not, although we are all subject to mistakes.
One last point which is just from my personal experience. I go on holiday in Italy every year and go cycling during my holidays. I have never had to endure the sort of road abuses from motorists or pedestrians which I very often get in London and surrey (i.e. cars overtaking close by, Tailgating splitting, yelling, etc….) . Last weekend in Shere I was outside a shop eating an energy bar when a guy walking a dog told me: “do you realise that mist people hate you because you are B***y everywhere”. More spectacularly the wife claimed that the cars congestion in Shere was ultimately fault if the cyclists because none of them respect the rules of the road.
Well said Riccardo, been
Well said Riccardo, been living in the Torino area for 7 years and never had a problem . even cycling through the city for work, cars even slow down for you on roundabouts if they se you have momentum. The cyclist is king. Piemonte is a fantastic area for cycling, we love it here.
Meh. Accidentally strayed
Meh. Accidentally strayed onto an autobahn near Magdeburg once. That was a fun time.
IMO Italians drive fast but
IMO Italians drive fast but are very observant unlike the bling bumblers on British roads – I know which I prefer! 😀
In Spain, I believe that it’s
In Spain, I believe that it’s ok to ride on motorways where there is no other alternative, i.e. the motorway is effectively tarmac’d on top of the old road (especially in rural, hilly areas).
This certainly was the case a couple of times when a group of us were cycling to Madrid. Got to say it was incredibly scary riding on the hard shoulder – shoulder to shoulder with articulated lorries!!!
@nobled I think there are
@nobled I think there are very few motorways in Spain, the main arterial routes out of Madrid (A1, A2 etc.) are dual carriageways. The difference is fundamentally between autovias and autopistas, where cycles are not allowed on autopistas.
I’ve ridden sections of the A1 without problems, I’d much rather mix it up with Spanish drivers than British.
Ha, yesterday I entered M1 in
Ha, yesterday I entered M1 in London without realizing, the quietest and nicest ride in a while. Cops made me jump the fence and pass me my bike over the fence at Mill Hill Broadway station. Nice guys, though, no citation 🙂 =D>
And I thought there was going
And I thought there was going to be a picture of one of the road.cc crew sheepily getting a telling off from a Carabinieri!
Got to say have spent the
Got to say have spent the last 10-12 years cycling in Italy mainly in the north round Treviso and surrounding areas and in all that time have found Italian drivers to be no trouble at all.
the only time I had a moment was last year down south not far from monte casino , and the mouthy prat turned out to be English – ~X(
Agree with the above –
Agree with the above – Italian drivers seem mainly OK. Some of the roads are a bit crazy though.
Heading from Teramo to Montano del Vomano a couple of years back we came to a road tunnel, with ” No Cycling” signs, but there was no alternative, so we waited for a lull in traffic and just blasetd through it.
Cyling in the Dolomites this year we experienced some quite long tunnels, – no cycling ban, but terryfing to ride through with some over 1.5km long! – great biking country B-)
Well,
I live out in Italy and
Well,
I live out in Italy and half the problem is that Garmin etc. hasn’t done a great job of road mapping, for instance on Sunday my 810 wasn’t showing a cycle track that helped you avoid a pretty nasty Autopista even though it’s been there for 5 years, when I drive anywhere I have a constant battle with the Garmin which tries to take me away from big main roads it hasn’t got in it’s system.
I once got stopped by the Polizei in Austria for riding on what they were calling SchnellStrasse.
They put my bike in the boot, drove me to the next exit and told me it was a 50€ fine for riding there, told them I didn’t have cash on me so they said they would let me off but they had to take details of my ID…told them I didn’t have ID on me… they got pretty angry and told me it was €150 for not carry ID…I referred them to the previous statement about not having cash and then told them I was still 80km from home so they could either drive me home for the money and ID or let me go… He was pretty pissed off but he let me go! WIN
Italian drivers are on the whole very courteous to cyclists (especially compared to UK)… if they actually see you in the first place…
My top 3 worst drivers in
My top 3 worst drivers in Europe:
GB
Switzerland
Netherlands
It is always a relief to roll out of an airport in France or Italy where motorists in general just slow gently and then breeze past when they overtake.
Are motorists in the UK taught to always brake suddenly and then accelerate as hard as possible when they approach and overtake cyclists?
I don’t remember that from my lessons but perhaps I had the wrong instructor, as it seems like the norm?