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Swansea City boss told 'on your bike' - and enjoy cycling the climbs of South Wales!

Premier League's newest manager Francesco Guidolin reputedly got the Zoncolan included in Giro d'Italia...

It’s not unusual for journalists to tell the manager of the local football club, ‘on your bike’ – but in the case of new Swansea City boss Francesco Guidolin, it’s not a case of wanting him out, instead it’s an invitation to explore some of the best cycling South Wales has to offer.

Former Vicenza and Udinese boss Guidolin, who took over the reins at the struggling FA Premier League club last week, hails from one of Italy’s cycling heartlands, the Veneto – and it turns out he’s a bit of a bike nut.

That point wasn’t lost on Wales Online journalist Andy Howell, who has put together a 107 kilometre route the 60-year-old keen roadie may want to have a crack at including the climbs of the Cimla, Bwlch and Rhigos, all of which feature on the route of the Dragon Ride.

The itinerary Howell has devised starts and finishes at the Liberty Stadium and also includes the cobbled one in three climb of Constitution Hill in Swansea, memorably climbed during the 2010 Tour of Britain with Michael Albasini claiming the stage on his way to the overall victory.

The Wales Online article reveals a rather arresting piece of trivia about Guidolin – apparently, he was responsible for one of professional cycling’s most feared climbs, Monte Zoncolan, being included in the Giro d’Italia.

> Video: Mike Cotty takes on the feared Zoncolan

The story goes that during a training camp shortly after taking over the helm at Udinese in 1998, Guidolin went for a bike ride with a friend who led him up the Zoncolan.

He was so enthused about it that he told TV commentators about it and word soon reached the Giro’s organisers RCS Sport, who first included it in the 2003 edition of the race.

There’s another anecdote about Guidolin’s love of cycling that may sit uneasily with Swans fans but will be welcomed by fans of other teams battling to avoid the drop in the coming months (not to mention those of Championship side Cardiff City).

Apparently, there is a joke in Italian football that the best time to play a team he manages is during the cycling season.

With nine matches remaining when Tirreno-Adriatico gets underway in early March and the Giro d’Italia in full swing come the climax of the football season, the quicker the team secures the 40 or so points usually seen as guaranteeing top-flight safety, the happier Guidolin is likely to be.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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12 comments

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ct | 8 years ago
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'ndy 'owells...sigh

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pruaga | 8 years ago
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According to Simon Warren's book of climbs in the south east, Little Switzerland is in Hampshire: https://www.strava.com/segments/626528

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Scoob_84 | 8 years ago
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Switchback like the stelvio? I must have missed this, where does it say this?

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bendertherobot replied to Scoob_84 | 8 years ago
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Scoob_84 wrote:

Switchback like the stelvio? I must have missed this, where does it say this?

In the Wales online piece. About half way down, after the ascent through "Little Switzerland." (No, I'd never heard that description either!)

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Scoob_84 replied to bendertherobot | 8 years ago
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bendertherobot wrote:

Scoob_84 wrote:

Switchback like the stelvio? I must have missed this, where does it say this?

In the Wales online piece. About half way down, after the ascent through "Little Switzerland." (No, I'd never heard that description either!)

The Afan Valley is known as Little Switzerland. A quick google search should confim that. Its mostely due to the amazing mountain bike trails and forestry there rather than the one or two bends which arn't really switch backs. 

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Zermattjohn | 8 years ago
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That looks a decent day out. For a non-native like me it would be handy if they'd included a download of the route. Until I can get to the real Switzerland, Little Switzerland sounds like a good place to head when visiting my folks in Gloucestershire.. 

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Hangeron | 8 years ago
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"switchbacks like the stelvio" - aye well accurate journalism has never been 'ndy 'owells strong point

 

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dottigirl replied to Hangeron | 8 years ago
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Hangeron wrote:

"switchbacks like the stelvio" - aye well accurate journalism has never been 'ndy 'owells strong point

That was my thought too.

Wouldn't surprise me if the route has been cut & pasted from elsewhere either...

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ianrobo | 8 years ago
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best you will find in the UK ! 

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bendertherobot replied to ianrobo | 8 years ago
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ianrobo wrote:

best you will find in the UK ! 

There are many parts of the UK that would disagree with that, in particular switchbacks. 

There's one. A single one. Hell the "Garth 3" and the Devil's Staircase have one switchback each as well, but at least they are challenging. 

 

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bendertherobot | 8 years ago
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Switchbacks like the Stelvio? 

Words fail me.

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ianrobo | 8 years ago
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Rode the Bwlch and Rhigos so many times I know every bump and is easily my best place to ride in the UK.

Sounds a good man for Swansea and will love South Wales

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