Nalini Experience and Stefano La Mastra: right the first time!

Nalini Experience and Stefano La Mastra: right the first time!

On October the 8th 2020, at the Nalini - Moa Sport headquarter in Castel D'Ario, came to an end Stefano La Mastra's undertaking of travelling 570 km alone. Eight the mountain passes he has crossed, for a total difference in altitude of 10.570 metres. An exhilarating experience, to say the least, which did not spare Nalini's ambassador a few setbacks, although the mild weather made these three days almost perfect, especially as far as safety was concerned. This project came into being with the purpose of testing on the road the new autumn-winter collection, in spectacular, extremely diversified contexts, therefore suitable for this goal. From the 3 °C of Manghen pass, where the first seasonal icy wind greeted La Mastra, to the 25 °C of Lake Garda, the clothes manufactured by the long-standing Mantuan brand performed their tasks excellently: they were shielding during downhills and in those stretches in which the cold was biting; they granted high visibility when the light was dim; they were breathable during uphills and when the third sunny day took a toll on the athlete's energies, giving rise to completely different needs.

But let us describe this undertaking more in detail.

FIRST DAY

The first day started with the athlete's departure at 6 am from Lecco, in the heart of the Prealpi Orobiche, heading towards the Valcamonica – a 190 kilometres stretch with 5.300 metres difference in altitude. During this first day, Stefano climbed into the Valsassina through Ballabio to reach Culmine San Pietro pass (1.254 metres above sea level). Afterwards the athlete moved on through the canyon of the Orrido in Val Taleggio towards the next pass, the Zambla (1.264 metres above sea level), which connects the Val Brembana and the Val Seriana. He then moved on to Presolana pass (1.297 metres above sea level) and Vivione pass (1.828 metres above sea level). The last destination of the first day was Ponte di Legno, reached at 8 pm, with the sky already darkening, which meant the athlete needed to be shielded form the cold and extremely visible.

FIRST DAY

Worth noting:
During the final stage of the first day, Stefano wore the Bow Xwarm Jacket, a jacket that won last year Bicycle Brand Contest, designed for extreme weather conditions and cold temperatures down to -2 °C, thanks to its external membrane with a Merinos wool inner side.
The ultra-reflective fabric of the jacket and the inserts in both the top-of-the-range Bow Pro Gara tights – manufactured with three fabric layers and a membrane on the front side to face low temperatures and damp weather in the most efficient way - and in general in most of the autumn-winter collection ensure top visibility with dim light, which was, in this case, essential to safely finish the first stage.

SECOND DAY

Departure from Ponte di Legno at 6 am, heading towards Manghen pass (2.047 metres above sea level) in the Dolomiti del Brenta, with the setback of a punctured tyre creating a delay, which was later more than balanced by the athlete.

The first pass, the Tonale (1.884 metres above sea level), was faced with great energy as three more passes waited our ambassador: Mendola pass (1.363 metres above sea level) south of Bozen, reached after travelling through Cagno, the Manghen, reached after getting past Campi al Lago, and finally San Lugano pass (1.097 metres above sea level) and Molina di Fiemme. Biking in the middle of a stunningly beautiful natural environment is what enabled Stefano to reach the end of the second exhausting day, especially since he was met on the Manghen by a driving wind which made the final stretch of road incredibly tiring.

The athlete reached Borgo Valsugana at about 7 pm for a well earned rest.

SECOND DAY

Worth noting:
During this whole day, the athlete wore the popular BOW Carena jacket, with its distinctive anatomic cut. Breathable and with gauzed internal fabric, Carena is an especially adaptable item because, as a technical jersey, you can use it with only your underwear, or, if worn with warmer clothes, it can be used as a full-fledged jacket. On the back are located three asymmetrical pockets equipped with a water draining system. The reflective parts are, in this case, the logo and the front area, on the pockets and at the bottom.

THIRD DAY

Departure from Borgo Valsugana at 7:30 am heading towards Moa Sport in Castel D'Ario – headquarters of the Nalini brand.
The goal of the third day was covering 190 kilometres with a 1.200 metres difference in altitude, heading towards Riva del Garda through the orchards of the Trentino hills, then travelling along the beautiful shores of Lake Garda until reaching Peschiera.

At his arrival at Moa Sport, scheduled for 5 pm, Stefano found Caludio and Alessando Mantovani waiting for him with the staff from the sales and design departments.

THIRD DAY

Worth noting:
The third day was blessed with summer-like temperatures, therefore Stefano enjoyed a preview of the next collection, wearing in advance a gravel jersey with 5 pockets belonging to the Spring-Summer 2021 collection, with the only addition of a windproof jacket.

In conclusion, let us read Stefano La Mastra's own words regarding the first Nalini Experience… hopefully, the first a long series:

“To me, this is only the beginning of a collaboration which is, in fact, an understanding, a unity of passions and goals related both to sports and humanity. Enjoying one's passion as I have already done in numerous past undertakings, just as in these last three days, is really priceless. Heartfelt thanks to the Nalini team for supporting me and believing in the power of dreams that can, or better must, be made true. In the end, it is all a matter of determination.”