The inGamba Family

Please allow myself to quote... myself.Joao Correia is nothing if not sincere. Sure sure, he has a lot of other (fantastic) traits too, but you'll just have to meet him to get the full story. Above all, he's my friend. Joao is also a mentor, my manager, my former teammate; he's a father, husband, entrepreneur, and small business owner. The above inscription on that Giro race number is a small testament to what he's meant to my career.This week I'm in Lecchi in Chianti for an inGamba tour. It's highly recommend that you follow their instagram feed, since I've wrangled control of their @ingambatours handle and am posting photos throughout the week.To see what he's created here at inGamba is nothing short of extraordinary. It's easy to take something for granted, think that something is standardized, until you've had experienced it elevated. Wine is wine is wine... until you've sipped something exquisite. Olive oil is olive oil is olive oil... until you've had Castello di Ama. Hospitality is hospitality is hospitality... until you're lucky enough to experience life inGamba.It's Joao's astute attention to detail that sets inGamba apart from anything else. It's not trite meticulous attention, rather it's his attention with sincerity. There's a tremendous amount of emotion involved, which is fitting of Italian culture in general. From the hand-inscribed custom leather luggage tags, to the beautiful welcoming book, to the daily journal, the route guides and daily ride cards with elevation profiles and maps, the eclectic artwork, to the immaculate service course, the caring detail is one of a kind. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery; but it's impossible to copy the relationships Joao has developed with this community.No word speaks to all that is right about cycling better than community. Drawing people together with a shared interest or common unique experience makes cycling great. Every morning that happens in the tiny hamlet where inGamba is based in Chianti. Paolo, effectively the mayor of town as well as the owner of the local resto-bar, strolls into the street and with a heartwarmingly booming voice, offers up cappuccinos and a croissant to start your day. That's a sliver of the experience Joao showed me as teammates in 2010 when he lived just a kilometer away. I first questioned it at the time, but I came to learn that a cappuccino and flipping through La Gazzetta is the way a true Italian cyclist starts the day.I'll stop raving about Joao, just to keep his ego in check. Perhaps more than anything, his ability to build a team is visionary. There's a cohesiveness in the entire inGamba staff where, like the Pied Piper, they'll commit to Joao's ideas and requests with confidence. Worldwide, with staff in California, Italy, and Portugal, it's a pleasure to see the entire inGamba staff work as a single unit.I'm ecstatic to be back in Italy. I trained here with Joao as teammates in 2010 (with corresponding photo journal here) directly on the heels of a training camp in Switzerland and before the Tour of Poland. All three were cool experiences, but Italy was unequivocally the best. That was my first Italian experience and at the time I had no idea the subsequent four years I would race with an Italian team. It's tremendously nostalgic being back that grows each time I return.Plus this time, I brought UnTapped maple waffles to warm on the mug and dip into the cappuccino. 2010 meets 2016.