The three founders of Team Polenta own a total of about 17 bikes: Lots of bikes made in Cambiago by Ernesto Colnago (EPS, Extreme Power, C-50, C-59 and C-60), a Wilier, a single speed Torelli, a Dario Pegoretti, a Guerciotti, and several bikes by Ugo DeRosa, including a very rare signed Protos. Of course, just about every bike is equipped with Campagnolo components, everything from 7-speed Record on the 1985 DeRosa to Super Record 11 EPS. The common thread is that almost all of the bikes and equipment carry the coveted “Made In Italy” mark.
As the members of Team Polena say, “If it is not Italian, it is not a bicycle.”(c)
The obvious Colnago fetish is attributable to the fact that Adriano’s home town is just a few miles from the Colnago factory, and that they both speak the dialect of the region, Milanese.
And, where do the member of Team Polenta squander their hard earned Lira? At home, it is Helens Cycles, Zone 3 Multisport, and Cynergy Cycles. In Italy, we go to Cicli Gagliardini in Alba and The Local Bike Shop in Campo Ligure, and Cicli Cortina in Cortina. Of course, if you are looking for a DeRosa, Colnago or Pinarello, the only person to call is Andrea at Cicli Corsa, just a stone’s throw from each of these iconic bike builders.
If you are looking for something really special, Andrea of Cicli Corsa also builds custom bikes at Stelbel Telai in Bergamo, Italy. Take your choice of steel, titanium or stainless steel–they are all Tig welded, and simply beautiful. Of course, the most beautiful of them all is the stainless steel Antenore model that Andrea designed and built for Il Capitano’s 75th birthday. It even has “75th” painted on the top tube.
When on their bikes, the members of Team Polenta wear the offical Team Polenta jersey.
The design on the front of the jersey is from a label designed by Roman Levi. Mr. Levi was a famous grappa maker from Neive, Italy. He was best known for his hand painted lablels, especially those, such as the one on the Team Polenta jersey, depicting Donna Selvatica. The back of the Team Polenta jersey features the Berkel company, famous for its antique meat slicers, often found in traditional Italian delicatessens. “Affettiamo La Competizione” (We Slice The Competition) refers to both the Berkel and Team Polenta. Peterson Training is Ron Peterson, a Southern California cycling coach. For those of you who are not Italians, the picture is polenta in a traditional brass pot.