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Nalini supports Giulio Palummieri at the North Cape 4000
Nalini has always believed and invested in young people.
In addition to its constant commitment to the professional sector, every year the Italian brand supports a series of projects by amateurs who express their genuine passion for cycling through their biking experiences.
This is the case of Giulio Palummieri, class of 2000, a student of Biomedical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Milan, who was born with a passion for cycling and decided to take on a challenge that will take him through 10 countries to a legendary destination in July 2023: the North Cape.
The North Cape 4000 is the most popular UltraDistance cycling adventure in the world and can be summarized in a few significant numbers: 280 athletes, 40 nations, and 4200 km without support.
Let's learn more about his vision and his relationship with cycling:
1. What made you decide to take on such a challenge?
"Get lost to find yourself."
My love for sports and cycling made me want to spend long days in the saddle.
I thus enjoyed the freedom, the discovery, and the awareness of what my body is capable of.
The freedom to think only about basic needs like food and drink and the beauty of nature around me, forgetting the superfluous worries that everyday life imposes on us.
Discovering places, even nearby, that have so much to offer, turning a simple workout into a journey.
The realization is that with the strength of my legs alone, I can cross regions and states easily.
From here, the step to signing up for an ultracycling event is short. The chance to try yourself out with other people who have the same passion as you, the dream of crossing all of Europe by bike, the beauty of the places along the route, and the desire to see how far your body can go are too important to pass up and not take on such a challenge.
2. How are you training?
Coach Luca Filipas of the Endurance Academy in Castano Primo is helping me prepare. We have planned a multidisciplinary training program with running, strength, and, of course, biking sessions. The training motto is volume, so as many hours of activity as possible, mainly at low intensity. During these months, we will also work on the important aspects of an ultracycling race, such as nutrition and sleep.
3. What are you most afraid of and what excites you most about this endeavour?
On adventures like this, everything that can go wrong goes wrong from knee pain to mechanical problems to bad weather and navigational errors.
So, you have to set out with a light and clear mind to deal with all the unexpected events as best you can and be ready to return home if things get really bad.
This aspect is the most delicate. If you take months to arrive at such an event in the best possible condition and then have to give up after just a few days, it isn’t easy to accept, but it’s part of the game and not the end of the world.
However, the beauty of the places you cross and the awareness of your body's capabilities always pay off, even if you don't make it to the end.
4. What has Nalini come up with for you?
The choice of clothing is a delicate matter in an Ultracycling race, where all the equipment must be carried on the bike or your shoulder. Therefore, the weight, volume, and number of different garments must be kept to a minimum. That’s why we opted for versatile garments. For example, the short-sleeve jersey I requested is made of a slightly more compact fabric that already has a windproof function. For the shorts, I’ll wear the Ergo Bib Short from the top ERGO line, which supports muscles, provides an ultra-comfortable pad, and is made of a compact, abrasion-resistant fabric accessories of all kinds to start with. Then we will complete the kit in the coming months.
Follow Giulio in his endeavour: