russelwongphoto

FOOD

2011-11-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CRAZY FOOD LOVER BEING PART CANTONESE AND PERANANKAN AND OF COURSE SINGAPOREAN. I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT FOOD MORE AFTER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING ME ABOUT IT SINCE BEING ON NO RESRVATIONS AND THE RECENT LAYOVER ANTHONY BOURDAIN SHOWS. THERE WILL BE MY DIFFERENT FOOD LISTS TO COME TOO! FOLLOW ME ON @russelwongphoto on twitter.

Geisha watching in Kyoto

2010-12-31T02:25:00.000-08:00

Mention Kyoto and the first thing you will hear is did you see any Geishas? In Kyoto they call them Geiko and the trainees are called Maikos. There are 5 districts which are called Hanamachis (Flower town) so you have a choice on where you want to spot them. During winter time like now, i see them about 4pm -5pm walking to their various ochayas or tea houses where they work. They sometimes touch up their hairdos about 2pm at the salons hanamachi's salon getting ready for the day.

One sure way of seeing them is buyung a ticket to the Miyako Odori where they perform once a year during sakura season in april at their respective theatres called the Kaburenjo.

Some interesting reading would be Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki. Iwasaki was one of the 2 geikos that Arthur Golden spoke to for his book Memoirs of a Geisha. Her book is the original one! And by the way the book and movie is hated by all the different Hanamachis and rightfully so.

Another book is Geisha by American Liza Dalby, the only foreign geisha. She was a geisha when she was 24 yrs old in Pontocho.

Robbie Mcewen Singapore Ride

2010-12-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

ROBBIE AT LONGHOUSE MEETING POINT FOR THE START OF THE TWEET RIDE.

Carl Lewis

2010-12-24T03:42:00.001-08:00

1981 AT THE TAC IN SACREMENTO WHICH WAS MY FIRST PHOTO PUBLISHED!

IN SINGAPORE IN DEC AT A LOCAL TRACK FOR A RUNNING CLINIC.

I met Carl Lewis and shot him when i was a sophomore at the University of Oregon. The Nike people were raving about this kid from U of Houston and so there i was following him as he was my ticket to free shoes!! One summer i drove down 7 hours to Sacremento to the TAC Championships and jumped the fence only to witness his longest jump then breaking 28ft! i grabbed a photo of him on the infield and was later kicked out as i didn't have a pass. i NEVER had a pass not even shooting at Hayward field at the U of Oregon. That photo was my first published shot ever ; it ran in T & F magazine.

Fast forward to Atlanta in 1996, i caught Carl winning his 9th gold. What a journey and to know i was there all the way made my day. Those long drives,missing school and being on probation, being shouted at by Carl made it all worth it.

A couple of weeks ago, Carl dropped in Singapore and gave a running clinic to the kids;grey in the hair and way more freindlier! His advice, " Stretching is over rated!"

On the previous visit to Singapore i handed him that first pix i got at the TAC and also the Atlanta win! "WOW"...thanks Carl for WOW 'ing us and also contributing to my Nike shoe collection when i was a Duck!

Kyoto Fall

2010-12-23T17:53:00.000-08:00

Kyoto in fall is as amazing as during sakura season. After going for the past 3 years trying to work on this book, it's been just as exciting as when i first got there. This was done in Shimogamo Temple amongst the avenue of trees outside. Geishas or Geikos (Kyoto dialect) wonder out to different temples and parks just to photograph themselves. It was about 6C and wet then. The colours change about mid nov so this was the reminants of it as it was shot about 12 Dec.

Giro-Verona Time Trial, May 30th , 2010

2010-07-31T23:25:00.001-07:00

Evans after the prize presenation.

Verona Arena corridor.

2010-07-31T23:23:00.000-07:00

Basso with his Liquigas teamates.

2010-07-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

Ivan Basso enters the Arena in Verona to win the Giro!

Arroyo in the Arena.

Evans finishing the Time trial and voted favourite rider.

Vino coming into the Arena.

Pinotti finishing the time trial.

Giro-Verona Time Trial, May 30th , 2010

2010-07-30T22:37:00.001-07:00

We were up early for breakfast and yes, they had hard-boiled eggs! Italy is changing! It was a comfy modern room for a change and I wished I could have slept in. It’s the last day after all and I’m sure I will miss the Giro when it’s all done.

We headed out to walk to course and to find the various spots where we could shoot. Right outside our hotel we found the old wall and cyclist were taking training rides to know the course. We headed towards main start area near the Arena and then tried looking for the team buses.

We found it and it was busy already at 1030am. Sexy fashion designer girls were walking around like it was Milan and we called this Botox Alley! Met Basso’s sister Elena Basso, blonde, Botox..what else!

We caught Pozzatto talking to the crowd by the bus and also last year’s World Champion Alessandro Ballan of BMC; he was not taking part this year. As we headed toward out hotel we caught Cadel and a few others; Matt Loyd, Ritchie Porte.

We found a beautiful Villa by the old wall and walked in for some amazing pizza in the garden. This is pretty much the nicest Pizzeria I’ve even seen.

It was time to go shoot and we walked through the city and towards the river on the other side. It’s always packed for the time trials as it’s so easy to just hang out, pick a spot and just watch. But the difficulty is like F1; u cant cross the route so sometimes you have to make a huge detour just to get to the other side and fight everyone which is a pain.

We finally got to the river picking up city sights along the way. The riders came in about 2 min intervals. Their team cars follow them in case there’s a mechanical problem. As it was a short route, the leaders couldn’t lose too much time. We walked around and slowly made our way back to the Arena to catch the finale.

They built a ramp from the actual finish line into the Arena where they have the Operas. What a scene. This was done before a while ago. As the riders enter the Arena after their time trial they are interviewed on stage. Basso the eventual winner finally arrives and the Arena erupts. He’s a very likable guy even after his 2-year suspension “intention to dope”.

We then hoped on the the ramp for the award ceremony, about 30 photographers. Luca behind me experienced what being paparazzi was really like! You pick a spot and you never move; that’s the rule.

The award ceremony went on for the top teams, top riders; Evans spoke fluent Italian as he lives on the Italian- Swiss border and married an Italian and has an Italian coach.

By that time, it was about 6pm and we never got a drink, an espresso or any food so we were extremely beat up!! Off we went to get our car and I must have drunk about 3 bottles of Orangina at the café!

We headed back to quiet Riva sad that it all ended. I checked into the Hotel right by the Lake. What a view! Dinnertime arrived again and we headed out to another local Osteria just chatting a recapping what went on for the whole trip. It felt like a month when it was only 4 days! It’s always very intense when you’re covering any tour as you’re driving a lot and always trying to figure out what next, where to eat, where to stay, where to shoot!

Time for a 4-day vacation in Riva to unwind and take in some sights finally and head home. After speaking to many people and some photographers, they all said this was one of the most amazing races ever seen. I’m glad I got to catch it on my first Giro trip here!

Some after thoughts. I lost my wallet before I left for Milan; all my cards and cash!! But thanks to the Banca de Luca, he gave me some cash to last me for 4 days! My insurance finally paid me the cost of my wallet and even cash lost!

The papers and cycling magazines did publish a photo of all of us on the ramp shooting Basso which was great! Something to keep.

A lot of people ask me what the difference between the Giro and the Tour. The Tour is more intense and way more people. Weather is usually sunny and flat stages can be boring. Hotels are close to impossible to book near the hot locations like the hilltop finishes or even the start and finish.

The Giro is more relaxed and it’s actually more enjoyable to watch as it’s easy to get hotels, parking spots and u are not pushed around a lot. I think the cycling is more intense as the elements are more harsh as it’s raced in May and it’s colder and wetter and as you can see, there’s even snow! It makes for more dramatic photographs. I’m always bored with nice sunny postcard shots. The people are funny and I really did enjoy the food and company a lot.

Giro-Gavia Race Day, 29th May, 2010

2010-07-30T22:31:00.001-07:00

The back of the peloton.

Basso arrives!

Vino in the breakaway.

The peloton in the distance by Berni.

Lonely cyclist making his way up.

2010-07-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

The other side of the Gavia which was foggy and more dangerous.

Downhill on the Gavia.

The grupetto towards the peak.

Battered and bruised!

Liquigas and Basso leading the peloton.

2010-07-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

The breakaway arrives.

Waiting for the riders on TV in Berni.

A crusifix

Beautiful day for the arrival of the peloton.

Grio-Arriving at the Gavia

2010-07-30T22:16:00.001-07:00

Nightfall at the Gavia with the peak up ahead.

Dinnertime at the Rufugio Berni.

Sausage and potatoes and polenta!

Rufugio Berni

The drive up the halfway up the Gavia.

Giro-Gavia 29th May, 2010

2010-07-30T22:02:00.001-07:00

The Gavia has spurned many stories and the most famous one happened in 1988 when Andy Hampsted won it. As the were at the bottom of the mountain, it was clear and suddenly it started to snow and a blizzard came! No support cars were allowed as they couldn’t make it through the pass so the riders were on their own!

The owner of our Refugio told us that the top 3 riders cycled up the peak and descended. Then the rest came by. But after awhile, the 2^nd break of riders rode up the peak after they descended as it was so cold they need an espresso! One was so frozen he was dragged off his bike and was still in a crouch position! They took him into the shower and sprayed warm water over him to thaw him out! So every time you mention the Gavia Pass you will inevitably hear about the 1988 incidents. Needless to say they fired the race organizer after the race.

The night before we were told that they had a plan B that if it snowed and it was suppose to at 2pm, they would move the route to the Mortirolo again. But thankfully, the blue skies were out and we were ready for them to arrive.

We walked up to the peak which was about 2km and found another Refugio there and saw them setting up the barriers. We then picked a spot for us to shoot the peloton when they came by. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect say in the snow.

As it was lunchtime, we headed back to Berni and had our lunch in a packed café as everyone was using it to warm up after riding up that morning! We even had time to nap in the bunks before the race and slowly walked out to our spot up the road. It was about 4pm and they arrived. The breakaway first and then the main peloton. Everyone was nearly in their windbreakers. Liquigas lead the way with Basso being protected as usual, in Pink. Slogans were even sprayed on the sides of the wall of snow. Reminded me of ice kachang syrup!

This image to me was what I was looking for this whole Giro. U would never get a scene like this at the Tour as it’s too warm in July. The elements during the Giro are tougher.

We then packed and drove up the peak onto the other side of the mountain. It was a different story the other side with a cloud cover, fog; it was totally different. The roads were worse and narrower. There was even a tunnel with just candlelight!

We finally made it to the bottom and the finish was to the left on Ponte di Legno but we took a left and went towards Brescia and then cutting over to Verona!

The drive was pleasant as we saw some lakes and little town.

We finally arrived in Verona and found our hotel Armando at about 9pm. As we were starving, to our surprise one of the best Osterias was right next to us, the Ristorante Al Bersagliere on Via Dietro Pallone. Formula one memorabilia all over the place, opera singers’ portraits signed scattered on walls. Seemed like a very popular place. We later found out the owner was a racecar driver for Ferrari before.

I had my first taste of dried horsemeat; tasted like bacon! Had a great tortellini dish with just butter. Wow!

We decided to walk to the city centre to see where the start and finish were and also to the shopping area. Grabbed a gelato again and even ran into Mario Cippolinni as there was a music awards show at the same arena where the Giro would finish!

Nice town with cobbled streets and beautiful shops. For the first time we say women in designer wear! yes , the city gals are out! We were just used to seeing villagers and people in spandex and bikes until then!

All set for the Time Trial tomorrow.

Giro-Mortirolo

2010-07-30T21:58:00.001-07:00

Matt Loyd on the left reaching the peak.

Riders braving the wet and cold up the mortirolo

2010-07-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

Arroyo in Pink.

Evans chasing the breakaway.

Sastre.

Vinokourov

Basso leading the breakaway with Nibali and Scarponi who eventually won the stage.

2010-07-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

The outdoor TV screen with riders on the route after the peloton passed.

Wiggins taking it easy at the back.

The teetotlers who were drunk at 10am!

The first group arrives at the peak.

A water trough at the top of the Mortirolo for the riders wth the swiss alps in the background.

2010-07-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

The osteria where the villagers gathered to watch the race and where we had lunch.

Pizzocheri, the speciality of this region. Buckwheat pasta.

Nothing like a espresso after lunch and the papers waiting for the riders.

The Pantani monument wit riders stopping to pay their respects.

The Pantani plaque with bandanas left in his memory.

Giro:Tirano-Mortirolo-Gavia 28th May

2010-07-18T02:58:00.000-07:00

Had a great rest but could have slept more as I love napping in the mountain! Tirano is pretty much south of St Moritz and is by a small river. The red trains with the high glass ceilings just leave from across the street and is a hit with a lot of people.

We had our breakfast and headed to the train station to look around and to get more info on the road closures at Mortirolo. We then headed to get some paninis in case there is no food up in the mountain. Not long after we arrived at the foot of the Mortirolo and to out surprise, the cops allowed us up the mountain as we had out passes!!! You would usually have to hike up or leave before they close the roads which can be 6am! Would u hike up 20 Km!!hahaha..I thought so!

The hairpin turns were tight and I hear that there are 31 of them! Halfway up we stopped at the famous Pantani monument and most cyclists do stop for abit to pay their respects and even hang a cap or a bandana for il Pirato, The Pirate!

Since Marco Pantani died in early 2004, stages of the Giro that go over Mortirolo feature a special prize to the first man at the top of the pass called Cima Pantani. A monument to deceased Marco Pantani was erected in 2006 by the Italian Professional Riders Association in the eighth kilometer of the road from Mazzo di Valtellina. He died of a drug overdose sadly but is much loved by the Italians for his aggressive rides and still holds the record up Alpe D’Huez. His signature Bianchi bike and his bandana over his bald head will always be missed. He was one of the few that won the Giro and the Tour in the same year. Not even Armstrong has done it.

I shot a Spanish man hanging a blue cap on the monument and when he left with his entourage, Luca overheard them saying that we probably don’t know who he was. Someone famous maybe?

As we reached the top of the Mortirolo, the landcape opened up and there was a huge campground with a party going on! The usual bad euro music, music, large screen TV. I guess we won’t be eating our Panini we bought at the foot. It was wet, cloudy and cold. We got a great spot by the trees and walked up to look for a spot for both Luca and me.

The Mortirolo is at an elevation of 1852m. From Mazzo di Valtellina: The actual climb to the summit starts at Mazzo di Valtellina and is 12.4 kilometres long at an average of 10.5% (height gain: 1300 m), the maximum gradient being 18%.

As we walked towards the peak we saw food trailers with their own roast meats, sausages, expresso, Paninis; a food festival really! This is what it’s all about, the regional foods and the camaraderie with the other fans that wait for about 10 hours. It’s not like football where u are on one side or the other; in cycling, they will cheer for everyone and encourage them up these mountains, throw water on them to cool them down, hand them a newspaper to protect them from the cold on the descent. Being in Italy, you hear the best insults too but all done in jest!

The best one I heard was when a fan shouted at Wiggins of Team SKY saying “You useless bastard, I pay you 50 Euros for my SKY cable a month and u can’t even cycling fast!”

We also ran into a group of pink t-shirt guys that were shouting at me calling me “Arashiro!”. He was 3^rd on a stage and sure caught the attention of the Italians and being the only Asian there, I was called Arashiro and sometimes samurai!

By chance we ran into a great Hotel/Osteria down the mountain and used it as out base for espressos and even had a great lunch there. The old men there and villagers all spoke a certain dialect that even Italian don’t understand! I ordered Pizzocheri, which is a buckwheat pasta cooked with potatoes and olive oil and cheese, a specialty in this region. As my salad came abit later I started to eat it together with my pasta and just sprinkled some of it in my pasta. You should have seen the look I got from the people next to me as they have NEVER seen anything like it! That’s how serious the Italians take their food!

We walked up to the peak again and headed for our spot and waited for the peloton which was due soon. I was stationed at the hairpin as I’m able to get close-ups of the riders and Luca with his tripod and cable slightly higher up so he could get the panoramic view of the climb.

So down came the rain and also the peloton! Basso, Nibali and Scarponi broke away and came up. All Italians. Then came Evans.

As soon as they passed, we walked down to the big screen TV and watched the end of the race. It was a downhill from there all the way to Aprica at the finish. Basso got Pink and Scarponi won the stage!

We then drove down the 31 turns and towards Bormio, Santa Catarina Valfurva and up the Gavia elevation 2621m. There was a cop at the base of the Gavia but gave her out names and up we went! The Refugio gave out names at the base as they only allow people staying at the peak to head up.

What a view, after 20k we hit the Rufugio Berni near the peak. Checked into our room and surprise surprise!! 4 bunk beds with disposable sheets! The last time I roomed this way was in the army! There were rooms with 2 bunks, some 3. The room cost us 30 Euros.

We headed downstairs and couldn’t wait to walk around the race route up the Gavia. Saw a church next to us covered with snow. It was about 6 C with 3 m of snow! It was time for dinner so we headed back to the Refugio and ordered our food. 2 choices: pizzocheri or sausage and potatoes!

We then had some fruit and espresso to top it off.nothing like a warm meal on the mountain. We then headed to our bunks. Communal showers outside the room and I think I was the first to crash out!

As I was sleeping I heard some conversations between some guys and Luca which I wasn’t sure if it was in my dreams! Ignore it and headed into dreamland!

Bikes!!

2010-07-16T23:32:00.000-07:00

Cadel Evan's BMC.

Cadel's taped 'MAP' showing KM markers with turns and mountains!

Past Giro winner Cunego's bike.

Cunego's crank.

Cadel's Aussie water bottle carriers!

2010-07-16T23:28:00.001-07:00

Arashiro's custom Colnago with the word Winner in Japanese.

Basso's Cannondale with Campagnolo Super Record 11.

Every rider his their name on their bikes.

Basso's bike ready to go on the team bus.

Wiggin's Dura Ace crank.

Ponale-Giro arrives!

2010-07-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

A view of the eastern side of Garda from the tunnel.

The storm clouds roll in before the race.

2010-07-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

Cyclist along the Ponale before the roads are blocked.

A delapitated Hotel at the Ponale which will be reburbished soon.

Cyclist enjoying the blocked roads before the Giro.

The Peloton arrives in rain jackets.

Arroyo in Pink looks up at Luca's lens!!!

RIVA de GARDA, Ponale

2010-07-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Giro-Riva de Garda -Tirano 27th may

2010-07-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

The day has come for the Peloton to retrace the famous route of Coppi riding through the city of Riva. The town only knew about it yesterday as the organizers wanted to surprise everyone.

It was lunch time so we went looking for some pizza in town. I teased Luca about having the great Hawaiin pizza made of pineapple and Canadian bacon (an American invention) and he pukes at the thought and says “NEVER!”. So as I kidded about it in this local pizza joint, in the menu I saw “ Pineapple pizza “ !! Luca nearly fainted! The place has gone to the dogs and is making the tourist happy! Just like the English breakfast signs for bangers and mash! But honestly, nothing like it! hahahaha! Cold cuts and bread doesn’t do it for me. I need some HEAT on my food!

We made our way to Ponale and got a great spot for the car as it’s very limited on the parking places since the roads through the tunnels are very narrow. It then started to rain and we pretty much sat in the car and under the tunnel later until the peloton was about to come by.

The first sign that the peloton will arrive soon are the tv choppers. This place was the scene in 007 when the Aston Martins were doing the chase scene at the start. Heard they crash a bunch of them whilst shooting and they closed the tunnels for 2 months!

With luca on the ledge near the tunnel entrance and me on the ledge at the exit we shot as the breakaway came and not long after the peloton and it was over in about 5 min!

As soon as we headed back to the house to get our bags, the sun came out! It’s always the case. But honestly, I don’t look for sunny weather and clear skies all the time as it does get boring . I love the bad weather days as it makes for more dramatic shots.

So off we went with our bags after some expresso made by Donatella, for our boyz bonding trip! It’s the first Giro for my friend and so was mine!

Our destination was Tirano up in the alto Adige region. It’s south of St Moritz.

We drove north from Riva towards Trento; we headed west to the famous Melinda green apple region of the Trentino region in Valle de Nos. The weather is perfect for these apples as the water is from the glaciers and the sun is great there.

We then passed Ponte Legno where one of the stages would end and after 4 hours of driving in the mountains, we arrived in Tirano. Our hotel was next to the train station and the room looked alpine with the pitch ceiling. The restaurant served a very gourmet menu so in we dove! Speck again and some steak! Time to rest up for the big day at the amazing Mortirolo tomorrow.

Giro-Riva de Garda

2010-07-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

2 x World champ Paolo Bettini

The Town square in Riva with the Giro barricades.

A typical street in Riva.

Giro signs in Riva.

GIro-Brunico Start 26th May, 2010

2010-07-15T06:53:00.001-07:00

Cadel signing some autographs at the team compound

Ivan Basso

Italian champ Pozzatto

Griepel's legs!He Won this stage to Brescia.

2010-07-15T06:48:00.001-07:00

IVAN BASSO

CADEL HAVING A CHAT WITH SOME AUSSIE FANS

THE FOUR JERSEYS AT THE START IN BRUNICO

Giro-Brunico Start 26th May, 2010

2010-07-15T06:44:00.001-07:00

Past Giro winner Cunego

Wiggins

Lloyd

Giro-Brunico-Riva 26th May, 2010

2010-07-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

After a well deserved rest from climbing up 24% slopes at a high altitude, I was up and looking forward to a great breakfast again and then headed to Brunico which was just on the other side of Plan de Corones about a 20min drive.

Everytime you leave the town the next morning it just seemed like a ghost town as the race has left. Brunico was a small town and it was easy to navigate and get a great parking spot near the start and just walk around to have a café and then look for the team buses to get some close-up shots of the bikes and riders.

Made it to the parking lot with all the buses and met literally everyone there. Basso, Evans was signing autographs, Pozzatto…that’s the great part about cycling, everyone is so accessible.

Slowly walked to the start and got a great shot of the jersey holders with Arroyo in pink and his bike too! They rolled off at about 1pm and off they went towards Bolzano and to the finish.

I chased them down to Bolzano but was caught in the jam in the city and missed them! Oh well, off I went to meet Luca and his family in Riva de Garda which I was really looking forward to!

An hour later I arrive at the turn off in Riverato Sud and guess what? Accident at Loppio! A car collided with a camper and I was stuck there for an hour, as it was a single lane road. After much chatting with the other people, I headed off and in 30min I was in Riva! Wow! Found Luca’s house and they were up in the balcony waiting for me! Finally familiar faces.

Riva is the northern town on the lake and u pretty much walk everywhere as it’s really small, sitting at the foot of the western cliffs. This is where they filmed Quantom of Solace 007!

Met the Luca’s family and Donatella his mum! Papa Giuliani wanted to take me to the location for tomorrow and we headed out. Driving like Senna through the cliff tunnels, we got there in 5 min and walked around the Ponale area finding a great spot which showed the lake and the bridge coming out of the tunnel. This is very typical of the area. We then headed back and took a walk around the city. As we were enteing the old city area, we saw 2 cops with machine guns by a bank!!! A hole up happening! This is the most action Riva has seen! We then got word that Paolo Bettini the world champ was spotted at the local café and guess what? We ran into him! I had my first gelato at Eta Beta and wow man!! Nice and dense and not too sweet like some others. The original version of gelato is very icy and lighter but people now seem to like the creamier versions. Gelato is from the Valle de Zaldo region.

Riva is a very quaint town with narrow streets and some hint of Venetian architecture; made reservations for dinner at the local Osteria del Gallo tonight near the famous black Madonna alter.

Dinner time and we headed out to the Osteria del Gallo and ordered canaderli which is like matzo balls with a cheese sauce. They also make another version with soup. The Austrians call its cannodle speck. Speck is a sort of smoked ham famous in the alto adige region. The other course I had was strangolapreti, a spinach /old bread ball with parmesan butter sauce. It actually means strangle the priest! All fed and ready for the race tomorrow!

Giro-Plan De CoronesTime Trial

2010-07-14T06:41:00.001-07:00

Giro-Plan De Corones

2010-07-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Giro:San Vigilio-Arashiro who was 3rd in a previous stage.

2010-07-14T06:34:00.001-07:00

Giro:San Vigilio-Plan de Corones,May 25th,2010

2010-07-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

After a great night sleep in the mountains ( I never have a problem anyways!), I headed downstairs to the breakfast area and to my surprise, the lady asked me “Would u like some eggs for breakfast?”!!!! It was then I realized that she was NOT Italian! A true Italian would never ask you that question. Welcome to Austria! The other guests were from Austria and everyone spoke German.

Thanks to my connection at Gazetta dello Sport who are the main sponsors of the race, I managed to get a press pass from the boss..armband and tag.

I headed down to the various cyclist compounds only to realized my flash broke.Bummer..one less thing to carry I guess which is fine! Checked out the Sky team which has the best team bus and their cool Pinarellos with the electronic Shimano DI 2 shifters. Other teams I found was Cervelo, Milram, HTC Columbia..As it was still early about 10am, only some of the lower placed riders were warming up. As I walked towards the BBOX team bus, I noticed Arashiro’s Colnago bike. After shooting it a Japanese lady walked up and we spoke; she was his wife Miwa. She handles the Japanese press for him and after his 3^rd place finish at one of the stages, everyone seemed to know him! Even the Italians!

As some cyclist were starting their time trials, I shot the start and even met Arashiro. We met on the net through a friend he used to cycle for Shinichi. Chatted abit and wised him well! I think we were only the 3 Asians there!

It was about lunch time so I headed into the nearby bar and had myself a great entrecote! I planned on getting up to the peak about 2pm. Sorted my equipment out in the room, jackets, rain gear….all set. Off I went to shoot some starts of the time trial.

The ski lifts were just outside my lodge and it was easy. No charge as I had my pass and rode the first one up. Walked across to connect the 2^nd one. And then walked about 800m to the 3^rd and final one to the peak!

When I got to the peak, I was greeted by snow!wow! Everything I imagined. I walked and looked at the finish and the main course. People were playing cards with shirts off and having a picnic.It was about 14C, sunny blue skies and just perfect!

I spotted Graham Watson on the way down at the 600m mark and said hi! We chatted and finally met personally! As the cyclist were on a break I walked down further to see what I could get around the 24% gradient areas.

So here they come;it was about 330pm. I shot around the 700m mark wit no barriers around the dirt road. It was crazy and the riders came about 2ft from me! Finally the leaders came ; Basso, Evans, Nibali. The dirt roads weren’t as lose as before and they got a roller to pack it in so the tires don’t spin too much on the higher gradients.

Found out only later Garzelli won the stage as I rushed to the podium and managed to catch the tail end of it. That walk up 800m uphill in altitude killed me with all my cameras and equipment!

Couldn’t wait to take the ski lifts down and have a warm meal! Showered and slowly made my way again to Osteria Plazores as Graham said he would be there again. Brought my laptop and did some downloading and had a great meal as usual with strudel to top it off. Spoke with Graham for abit and headed to my iternet spot at the Hotel Condor.

With some luck, I was able to meet Simoni and later Cunego was next to me having a gelato and also saw my pix of him. They couldn’t believe I made it all the way from Singapore. What a long day,time for a well deserved nap at 12am.

For more race photos click on : http://gallery.me.com/russelwong#100332

San Vigilio town in the Dolomites

2010-06-26T06:43:00.001-07:00

La Bronta ski lodge, San Vigilio in the Dolomites

2010-06-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

Giro-Milano to San Vigilio 24 may 2010

2010-06-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

Pounced out of bed at about 730am all ready for my adventure! Headed for my ‘English Breakfast’ which I know I won’t be eating for awhile when I’m travelling around the Dolomites. Hopped into the cab to get me to Milano Centrale train station.

When I got there, I decided to just get a ticket to Verona from the vending machines as the lines were long at the regular booths. 13 Euros to Verona , not bad for an hour 40min ride. When I boarded the train something told me it was not right! The guy in my carriage told me I got the wrong ticket as mine was a small local train station in Verona and not the main Verona station!! Ran out like a crackhead and bought the right ticket from the booth this time and dashed up to the later train. I should have bought the ticket from a Trenitalia vending machine instead of the local commuter train machine.

Finally got into the Verona station at 1130am after 2 hours. Had to dash to the Hertz car rental as they close at 12pm but thank god it was close by..5 min cab ride to be exact! The people were great and got the car I wanted , a Ford Focus which I used the last time for The Tour. It had to fit my equipment, my luggage and enough room for a nap in case…..and also not too big as the mountain stages are a pain to park!

I was hungry as always and hit a trattoria right next door Hertz. Ordered a salad which is normally bad in Italy, and spaghetti ragu. Later on, the owner told me I should have kept the original fettuccini and not change it like I did. Never change your pasta u hear…it’s not like I want mee pok and not yew mee !! they take it personally there!

Finally hit the A22 highway and headed north towards Bolzano and then St Vigilio which is by Brunico. I drove past the eastern part of Lago de Garda and can’t wait to get back there to meet Luca for the 2^nd part of the trip. I hear it’s beautiful. It gets abit confusing as the cities all have 2 names, the Italian name and the Austrian name! This part Trentino and Alto Adige region was all part of Austria calle South Tyrol until about 1945 during World War II. After 2 hours of driving I realized I missed my turn off to Brunico and landed up near Austria!!!The next turn around was 20km down..welcome to Europe! Finally headed back and arrived to San Vigilio. A very cute ski town by the Dolomites.

It was about 4pm and u could see them preparing the start for tomorrow’s time trial of 12.8km up the plan de corones. I walked up to my ski lodge La Bronta and was shocked that no one was home and it looked closed! I called the owner and she came running down and showed me to my suite as the previous person cancelled out and so I got it at no extra charge. She called Claus her son to help me move in and he was kind enough to offer me a ride around the plan de corones as he has a special mountain pass and was able to show me the short cuts and even some game. Claus and his mum don’t seem Italian as that’s how they are in this region;they even have their special dialect in each of these small valleys in the Dolomites.

I heard that the cyclist were all up on a recce of the mountain and doing it about 10 times up the steepest gravel portion above to figure their gears out. It was a great drive around plan de corones and we even went over to the National Park further down the road.wow!

I heard so much about the food here and had Claus recommend a down home place and so I headed to Osteria Plazores a very traditional eatery. On my way down, i saw the Lampre team bikes being cleaned at the Hotel Condor. After a 15min walk, I came to this old stone and wood house and was ready for dinner. I was about the only one in there as everyone was outside! Ordered beef carpaccio and salad for my 1^st course and they also suggested cancci, a pasta wrap like our curry puff with radish in it laced with olive oil and parmagiano! Needless to say it was amazing and I topped it off with struddel; told you they weren’t Italian! I noticed Graham Watson,one of the top cycling photographers in the world at the next table and I decided to twitter him on the way out! We have never met but have exchanged messages.

On the way back I headed with my computer to the Lampre Hotel as they have internet and saw Simoni having dinner. He’s won the Giro before and had that famous argument with Basso going downhill on a stage. Got a message from Graham and we hope to meet meet tomorrow on the mountain top! Work down, emails sent, photos uploaded and I was ready for bed ready for a long day. 1130pm lights out and I’m beat! It’s been a long day from Milan.

GIRO D'ITALIA- HOTEL DIANA MAJESTIC,MILAN

2010-05-24T12:18:00.001-07:00

As it was a Sunday, my friends suggested brunch although it’s not really in the vocab of Italians! Yes, there are 5 places that serve it in the whole Milan and mostly hotels. The hotels never really welcomed locals so it was strange for them to eat in there but times have changed. We booked a table in the garden of the Hotel Diana Majestic, a boutique hotel.

What a quaint setting with the rich Milanese families hanging out! There even was wedding reception there. As we are in the fashion capital, there were models serving you ice blended Illy café! Food was typical, Penne,macaroni,baked salmon, roast beef etc .all for 37 euros.

Hung out for about 3 hours and rushed back to catch the Monte Zoncolan mountain stage in the hotel! Basso won! I was jet lagged and slept after..ready for Verona tomorrow!

GIRO D'ITALIA-MILAN

2010-05-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Melpensa ,Milan about 630am after a 12 hour flight from Singapore. Ran into some good friends that work at Valentino’s Restaurant at the baggage claim as they live near Monza which is north of Milan. Surprisingly, the bags came in 15min which is a miracle in Milan! Grabbed all my bags and headed to the Cardona trains into the city just right next to the terminal. As Inter Milan won the champions league, I saw many supporters in their jerseys and scarves and was wondering where they came from since the game was the night before. They then told me they had a welcome home party at the San Siro stadium at 6am!!! The first team in Italian football history to do the treble thanks to the genius Morinho.

Got into my Hotel Enterprise, a boutique hotel in corso sempione and was starving. When I first lived in Milan in 1986 I lived in this area so it was quite emotional for me!hahahaha..The staff was nice and allowed me to check in at 830am! Ran down for breakfast not expecting anything good…..come on..it’s Europe! They are never known for their breakfasts! As u all know I have a love affair with eggs and guess what…they even had an egg station set up with HOT FOOD!!!!!!!!WOW..Milan has come along ways!Felt like home already.

Blast from the Past!

2010-05-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

Know who this is? It was taken about 1980 in Oregon ....it's the late FLO JO the world 100m record holder!!!!!! The guy behind in the green sweats is David Mack her then boyfriend...google him...interesting story.

London

2010-05-02T00:16:00.000-07:00

i was stuck in London for 10 days because of the volcanic ash but thanks to my uncle he hooked us up good in his palace in Crescent Grove...anyone for a cuppa? Beats Starbucks. SIA was great putting people onto planes no questions asked and managed to get on a half empty A380!

Claridge's Hotel, london

2010-05-02T00:08:00.000-07:00

Tea at Claridge's is always a highlight for me in London. Last time i was there Sting was in the next table. Gordon Ramsey has his restaurant there in the hotel too. Too bad Raflles Hotel here in Singapore can't do a good job like them. How hard is it making sandwiches and scones..apparently impossible for the Raffles....serving tea from a tea bag, curry puffs,kueh...give me a break mate!

Grace Kelly exhibition, V&A Museum, London

2010-05-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

The Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A Museum was pleasant but i expected abit more memorabilia. Set up in the costumes section of the museum, with the huge press in Vanity Fair cover story, i thought it was too cramped. Dresses, bags, gloves and even some movie clips.

Clarke's Cafe,London

2010-05-01T23:53:00.000-07:00

London is not really known for it's food but i did find a special place called Clarke's Cafe on Kensingtion Church St. I chanced upon it just looking for some cookies at first in the next unit which also has a great assortment of breads which she supplies to the top gourmet store. It's been around for a long time just serving whatever the chef Sally Clarke wants to serve with no choice! there is a choice now..a close friend of Alice Waters of Chez Parnisse who was the inspiration, her food is clean fresh and simple...hard to find these days when everyone wants to be abit too smart for their own good. This is pan fried whiting with chips.

WHITE HART LANE,LONDON

2010-04-18T04:28:00.001-07:00

Chelsea vs Spurs,London

2010-04-18T04:24:00.000-07:00

SO I'M STUCK IN LONDON FOR ANOTHER WEEK PROBABLY SO OFF I WENT TO CATCH A FOOTBALL MATCH AT WHITE HART LANE BETWEEN SPURS AND CHELSEA. TOOK A TUBE TO SEVEN SISTERS AND THEN A BUS TO WHITE HART LANE.ATE SOME BANGERS ON A BAGUETTE LONDON STYLE! BOUGHT A TICKET FROM A SCALPER..WHAT'S NEW!THEY DON'T ALLOW PHOTOS DURING THE MATCH SO HERE'S AN IPHONE PHOTO! MORE FOOTBALL MATCHES TO COME IF THE DELAY IN FLIGHTS CONTINUE!THANK YOU ICELAND!

BERNIE ECCELSTONE,MALAYSIAN GP 2010

2010-04-16T03:20:00.000-07:00

BERNIE,MALAYSIAN GP 2010

2010-04-16T03:17:00.000-07:00

WHEN U HAVE BILLIONS, THAT'S WHAT U DO..PLAY BACKGAMMON AND DRINK WINE WHILST THE REST SWEAT IT OUT ON THE TRACK WITH LIGHTNING AND 100 % HUMIDITY...BAD FOOD..LOOKING LIKE THEY'VE WALKED THROUGH HELL AND BACK! CHEERS BERNIE..I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU WHEN I GROW UP!

PRACTICE,MALAYSIAN GP APRIL 3RD 2010

2010-04-16T03:09:00.001-07:00

PRACTICE,MALAYSIAN GP 2010

2010-04-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

MALAYSIAN GP APRIL 3RD 2010

2010-04-16T02:58:00.000-07:00

FINALLY MADE IT TO SEPANG AGAIN AFTER A 2 YR BREAK..DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT AFTER SHUMI RETIRED AND THE SINGAPORE GP STARTED.IT'S JUST NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE PLACE WITH THE HEAT AND IN THIS CASE A THUNDERSTORM.

CHECKED INTO THE PAN PACIFIC HOTEL AFTER FLYING THE GREAT BUDGET AIR ASIA AFTER A 12 HOUR BREAK IN SINGAPORE FROM KYOTO.

IT WAS A GREAT HOTEL AS MOST OF THE TEAMS STAY THERE AND U CAN GET ACCESS TO THEM EASILY.

PRACTICE WAS GOOD BUT WHEN QUALIFYING STARTED, IT STARTED TO POUR ABOUT 5 MIN INTO IT WHICH MESSED UP THE GRID AND THE BIG TEAMS INCLUDING FERRARI AND MCLAREN NEVER MADE IT PAST THE 1ST ROUND! RED BULL MADE THE RIGHT CALL AND WAS POLE POSITION!

QUALIFYING,MALAYSIAN GP APRIL 3RD 2010

2010-04-16T02:49:00.000-07:00

L'ABRE,PARIS ROUBAIX 2010

2010-04-15T13:51:00.001-07:00

L'ABRE,PARIS ROUBAIX 2010

2010-04-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

L'ABRE,PARIS ROUBAIX 2010

2010-04-15T13:48:00.001-07:00

2010-04-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

2010-04-15T13:46:00.001-07:00

WAITED ABOUT 2OMIN , THE INFORMATION CAR WITH LOUDSPEAKERS DRIVES BY WITH INFO ON THE RACE. THE LEADERS STILL HAD A GAP AND CANCELLERRA AND BOONEN THE FAVOURITES WERE STILL IN THE CHASING PACK BEHIND THEM.

MOST OF THEM PREFER TO CYCLE ON THE SIDES WHERE THE MUD AND DIRT IS AS IT’S SMOOTHER .

AFTER AREENBERG I HEADED TO ORCHIES AND AS THE PAVE RAN PARALLEL TO THE HIGHWAY A FRIEND TOLD ME TO PARK ON THE HIGHWAY AND RUN DOWN THE SLOPE TO CATCH IT! WELL,THE COPS WERE THERE THIS TIME SO I GAVE IT A PASS AND MOVED UP TOWARDS THE CRAZIEST PART OF THE RACE L’ABRE WERE THE DRUNK BELGIUMS ARE!!. THEY PARK THERE ABOUT 1 WEEK BEFORE THE RACE TO GET A GOOD SPOT AND DRINK!!!!! LAST YEAR THEY ENDED UP THROWING BEER AND SLAPPING THE RIDERS SO NOW THE COPS ARE WATCHING OUT FOR THESE HOOLIGANS AND BARRICADDING PART OF IT.

FINALLY GOT TO CAMPHIN-EN –PEVELE AND GOT A PRETTY GOOD SPOT THANKS TO MY TINY CAR!WALKED ABOUT ANOTHER KILOMETER AND HALF TO THE MAIN SECTION OF L’ABRE.SAW THE FAMOUS L’ABRE BAR IN THE CORNER.

ABOUT 30MIN WAIT AND THE CHOPPERS SHOW UP, A SIGN THAT THE RIDERS ARE CLOSE. CANCELLERA, TT BEIJING GOLD MEDALLIST, SHOWED UP FIRST AS HE ATTACKED ON A NORMAL ROAD WHEN THE REST WAS RECOVERING AND BOONEN WAS CAUGHT SLEEPING AT THE BACK! CANCELLERA WON THE

RACE IN THE END. ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING RACES AND PERFORMANCES EVER IN ROUBAIX ACCORDING TO JOHN WILCOCKSON THE GURU OF CYCLING!

BIKES SHOTS.

AT 6PM, I FINALLY DROPPPED THE CAR OFF IN LILLE AND GRABBED AN EARLIER TGV BACK TO PARIS AT 7PM. IT ONLY TOOK AND HOUR..ALL COVERED IN DUST FROM THE RACE BUT A HUGE SMILE ON MY FACE! THIS IS MY FIRST TIME AND IT HAS SURPASSED MY EXPECTATIONS.

2010-04-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

ARENBERG FOREST,PARIS ROUBAIX RACE 2010

2010-04-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

2010-04-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

AFTER INCHY I HEADED FOR THE FAMOUS ARRENBERG FOREST WERE THE FIRST SORTING OUT OF THE LEADERS HAPPEN. BY THE TIME I WALKED BACK TO THE CAR AND LEFT I ONLY HAD ABOUT AN HOUR TO MAKE IT THERE, PARK THE CAR, WALK TO THE LOCATION! SO I DROVE LIKE A CHINAMAN AND ABOUT 3OMIN LATER ARRIVED AT THE FAR END OF THE ARRENBERG FOREST.

THE CARS WERE ALL BACKED UP TO THE HIGHWAY SO IT WAS ABOUT A 2MIN WALK IN. AS I STUDIED THE VIDEOS OF THE RACE BEFORE, I KNEW THERE’S A SECTION WITHOUT BARRIERS SO I HEADED INTO THE FOREST ANOTHER 400M AND WALKED ACROSS INTO THE TRESS AND STATIONED MYSELF THERE. THERE’S MUD EVERYWHERE , THE TREES AND BRUSH ARE FULL OF THORNS . THE PAVE IN ARRENBERG IS 2.4 KM.

2010-04-13T23:00:00.004-07:00

2010-04-13T23:00:00.003-07:00

PARIS ROUBAIX RACE

2010-04-13T23:00:00.002-07:00

INCHY, PARIS ROUBAIX RACE 2010

2010-04-13T23:00:00.001-07:00

THE PELOTON WAS DUE IN AT 12:37PM SO I HAD ABOUT 2 HOURS TO BURN. IT’S FLAT OVER THERE WITH FIELDS AND I LUCKED OUT WITH A GREAT RESTAURANT BY IT. LE PENDU WAS SERVING MY KIND OF BREAKFAST…YES..OMELETTE!!U KNOW MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH EGGS FROM MY TOUR DE FRANCE DAYS.

I WALKED UP THE PAVE ABOUT A KILOMETER AND FOUND A GREAT TURN AND I GUESS THAT WAS THE HOT SPOT AS ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHERS WERE ALSO THERE WITH THEIR BIKES. SUPPORT CARS, POLICE BIKES CAME WHIZZING BY AND THE AMOUNT OF DUST KICKED UP WAS CONSTANT SO I HAD TO KEEP MY CAMERAS IN MY BACKPACK AND A CLOTH TO CONSTANTLY WIPE IT DOWN.
THE PELOTON CAME ABOUT 30MIN LATER ABOUT 1:10PM…BREAKAWAY OF ABOUT 19 RIDERS.

PARIS ROUBAIX RACE 2010

2010-04-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

I PICKED UP MY LITTLE CAR THE NIGHT BEFORE IN MONTPARNASSE AND LEFT THE NEXT MORNING AT 8AM FROM THE APARTMENT IN THE 7TH. I HAVE NEVER DROVE OUT OF PARIS BEFORE SO THIS WAS GOING TO BE FUN TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE CITY. I’VE HEARD NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT AS THE HIGHWAY IS OUTSIDE THE CITY AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND IT! THE POLICE WAS SETTING UP THE PARIS MARATHON AT 8AM FOR THE RACE THAT DAY SO SOME OF THE ROADS WERE ALREADY CLOSED! MADE MY WAY TO THE PERIPHERAL ROAD WHICH IS A CIRCULAR HIGHWAY AROUND PARIS AND TOOK A WRONG TURN..WHAT’S NEW!
FINALLY MADE IT TO THE MAIN A1 NORT SOUTH HIGHWAY TOWARDS LILLE, WHICH SITS IN THE NORTH EAST OF FRANCE WHERE THE PARIS ROUBAIX RACE HAPPENS.
AFTER 2 HOURS OF DRIVING I MADE MY WAY TO THE 1ST PAVE,COBBLE SECTION IN INCHY.SECTOR 27. EACH PAVE IS GIVEN A NUMBER IN DESCENDING ORDER. THIS SECTOR IS 2200M AND ON RED COBBLES WHICH ARE NOT AS BAD AS THE BLUE ONES UP NORTH. IT WAS COLD, ABOUT 7C WITH A STRONG HEADWIND.

2010-03-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

CNN.comgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

AVIVA IRONMAN 70.3 TRIATHLON SINGAPORE

2010-03-21T13:00:00.001-07:00

Jeannette Wang (Sin) on her run.
Guess who!
Cycling on Sheares bridge with the Singapore flyer at the back.

2010-03-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

WOKE UP AT 5AM TODAY AND HEADED DOWN TO THE AVIVA HALF IRON MAN AT THE EAST COAST.THE SUN WAS JUST PEEPING OUT WHEN THE CYCLING LEG WAS UNDERWAY PASSING THE SINGAPORE FLYER.
CRAIG ALEXANDER,THE TWO TIME WORLD IRON MAN CHAMPION AND ALSO THE DEFENDING CHAMPION IN SINGAPORE WON AGAIN. CRAIG IS AN AUSSIE BASED IN COLORADO.

2010-03-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

2010-03-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

LING TAN IN PARIS

2010-03-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

HERE'S MY OLD FRIEND LING TAN WHO HAS BEEN AT THE TOP OF HER GAME SINCE 97' AFTER SHOOTING WITH RICHARD AVEDON THE PERRILLI CALENDAR..STILL GOING STRONG IN THE RECENT PARIS SHOW. LING IS FROM MALAYSIA AND I WOULD SAY SHE'S THE LONGEST WORKING ASIAN SUPERMODEL...SHE'S WITH IMG NY. AN ANIMAL ACTIVIST TOO AND SHE'S PLANNING TO FUND A DOG SANCTUARY.

2010-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

2010-03-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

THE OCBC CYCLE WENT GREAT.BEN KERSTEN WON THE PRO CRIT AND THE TOUR DE FRANCE SHOW WENT WELL..A GOOD CHANCE FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS AMAZING SPORTING EVENT AND THE BEAUTY OF FRANCE. THANKS JOHN WILCOCKSON FOR WRITING THE INTRO TO THE SHOW.JOHN WROTE THE LATEST LANCE ARMSTRONG BOOK AND HAS COVERED THE TOUR DE FRANCE FOR 40 YEARS!!!!!!

2010-03-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

JAVAJAZZ ,JAKARTA ,INDONESIA. 5-3-10

2010-03-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

100 000 PEOPLE AT THE 3 DAY JAZZ FESTIVAL...JOHN LEGEND KICKED IT OFF AT THE EXPO CENTRE IN JAKARTA!