Nicola Checcarelli started cycling as a child, rising to an elite category within the sport whilst competing in Tuscany. He counts himself as extremely lucky to have made cycling, not only his job but his pastime making him a long-time advocate of sports travel to the region. Since 2004, he has covered various journalistic roles, for example, with the Periodical Publishing Company, publisher of the specialized magazines Bicisport, Cicloturismo and Mtb Magazine. This has allowed him to focus on the Umbrian Region, with specific emphasis on the promotion of cycling tourism. He has also worked in specialized cycling shops. He now continues to compete at an amateur level, dealing with bio-mechanics and is also the editor for the online magazine BiciDaStrada.it. As you will continue to read his passion for cycling has never ever dimmed…
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What was your most memorable sporting holiday and why?
I often travel with my bike to participate in events and races and it’s hard to say which of them was the most memorable holiday, but I can look back on every one I took in the Dolomites as very special. Add to this, a nice week in Gran Canaria in winter, where I had never been before; I was surprised above all, by the beauty of the hinterland: a true paradise for cyclists.
What was the best worldwide cycling location that you had a chance to compete at and why?
Umbria, where I live, is a wonderful place to ride. But the most beautiful place where I competed is the Dolomites, where the Maratona dles Dolomites takes place. Roads with excellent road surface, breath-taking views and above all the possibility of climbing the climbs that have made the history of cycling. The Maratona dles Dolomites, is an annual single-day road bicycle race covering seven mountain passes in the Dolomites. Open to amateur cyclists, the Maratona—with 9,000 riders from over 70 nations – is one of the biggest Italian Granfondo bicycle races.
If you could choose one adrenaline or adventure activity to do on holiday what would it be and where?
I would like to deal with an ultra-cycling race on my own. My dream is ‘The Race Across America’ (RAAM), but there are also many events in Europe, like ‘The Race Across Italy’. These are formidable endurance races across long distances and will allow me to push my physical and mental limits.
What’s the ultimate sporting tournament you would attend purely as a fan and/or spectator and why?
I have seen many cycling races, including the Giro d’Italia (The Giro d’Italia is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Italy) and the World Championships, but I would like to see the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris. In addition to cycling, I would like to see the final of the All England Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, London.
As an Umbrian-born cyclist what are your favourite routes, which you would recommend for cycling tourists visiting the region?
Umbria has many places to ride. A tour that I love, is the hills around Lake Trasimeno, but also the various climbs that lead to Monte Peglia and all the climbs of Valnerina, which are as good as the mountain climbs. From a purely touristic point of view, I recommend the trip along the Via di Francesco, described on their dedicated website as a “journey, an adventure, a trek, a pilgrimage, a life experience”. You can follow in the footsteps of St. Francis but on two wheels, following the St Francis Way, from Assisi to the Eternal city of Rome. The cycling stages run parallel to the walking path.
Umbria is called the ‘Green Heart’ of Italy, which natural landscapes across Umbria stand out for you?
The landscape is varied, ranging from the plains to the mountains, but certainly the distinctive landscape is that of hills covered with meadows and woods, as well as grapevines and olive trees. With Terre di mezzo Editor, I published “La Via di Francesco” (2017), written together with Paolo Giulietti and Gianluigi Bettin: the guide showcases several itineraries to reach Assisi from La Verna and from Rome, on foot or by bike in the green heart of Italy, including the pristine landscapes of the Alpe della Luna and the millenary Casentinesi Forests, the glimpses of the Valtiberina, the Marmore Falls.
For more information on the region of Umbria see umbriatourism.it or viadifrancesco.it