Encore trois zinzins
Three slices of pizza. Not perfectly symmetrical. Not equally loaded with toppings. But from the same base, with the same taste, part of a whole...
Our ambassador Matthieu, aka Manivelle.cc, our friend and top mannequin, Fred, and original Niçois rouleur Denis Morino decided the Brevet des Zinzins de Turini had been over-looked so far* this summer so they used it to fill a gap in their late season calendar. (*actually, Fred is already a certified Zinzin having completed it solo earlier this year).
We asked each of them individually to sum up the ride. The rule of the triology continued…
LIBERTÉ
FRED: Freedom on the road has to be shared with friends, passing time on the road with stories from the road, like Matthieu’s tales from this year's TCR.
DENIS: It was more than just a big day out on the bike. It was an impromptu assault on the three sides of Turini. These unplanned adventures often turn out to be the best.
MATTHIEU: It’s a tough brevet, climbing sharp gradients under the sun, stretching your limits in the heat corner after corner. Thankfully the water comes for free at the fountains in the mountain villages and it gave us an excuse to stop and have a joke. The only restriction on time was sunset.
EGALITÉ
FRED: You must balance the effort you put out, with the food you put in. On the menu: homemade farcis, pasta with chicken and spinach, beer and Italian wine. And at the end pizza, tourte de blettes and caramel and hazelnut tart.
DENIS: Almost every side is equally as hard as the other, with two of the ascents being more than 20kms in length. As a Niçois now living in Toulon I had forgotten the severity of some of the slopes and the magic of the landscapes and the small villages nestled in the mountains, yet so close to the city.
MATTHIEU: Each stop to stamp our brevet cards at the bottom and top of each climb was equally amusing. We joked and compared notes on the last climb and descent. And we ate. A lot. But not all road snacks are equal and the Holy Grail was the blueberry tart at the end of the final climb.
FRATERNITÉ
FRED: We reached the col by the three different sides, we are three cyclists who come from different places, but we all point in the same direction. We have the same passion for the effort and the pleasure of sharing the experience with each other.
DENIS: I am proud to be a Zinzin.
MATTHIEU: Nothing is more important than having a great team, one that keeps you going, that serves as a point of focus, that makes you never give in, in order to share in a special moment. Unforgettable.