Spiritual Bombing, a new extreme unfolding.

It is Saturday early morning 7am as I tap the blinds of the hotel room. Outside I look at Genova, the historic and biggest city of the infamous Italian Riviera. No matter how much you can read and research about Genova nothing can prepare you for it. A deep complex of medieval grandness, industrial modernism and brutal archit based around one of the largest trade ports of Europe. Its super bonkers. Build as a thin line along the coast surrounded by countless hills that just spring out of the sea it poses as one of the most magnificent places I have visited. Its metropolis supports hundreds of tunnels, bridges, marinas and overpasses surrounded by a thick sub-tropical forrest. Residential areas seems like they are hanging at the edge of a cliff while the forest is literally covering every inch that is not taken by this modernist industrial splash. It is crazy, confusing, unique and beautiful.

It is also the battleground of Spiritual Bombing race and event: cycling’s latest extreme underground race. Conceived by Ricardo Conti and build on the aftermath of SCVDO’s successful Respvblica events that took place in the same city few year back, Ricardo under the wings of SCVDO is taking the idea to new levels. Allowed only for brakeless fixed gear bikes, it is a gruesome track with an elevation gain of a pro race of Giro d’Italia and Vuelta combined! Designed to be available to only Elite fixed gear riders this year the climbing is meant to be off the hook. Trained lungs are not enough. You have to have strong legs and be ready and willing to sacrifice them.

I took breakfast as quick as i could and jumped on a rental car. My role as a volunteer was to move organisational stuff, do the support car business and run Checkpoint Number II, right up on one of those scary steep hills. As I arrived on the beach racers were getting prepared, chatting, checking maps and relaxing. The atmosphere is friendly and chill but somewhat restless and spiky with anticipation for the effort ahead.
Few people from the CMWC have showed up to race, a lot of people from out of town, a bunch of Colombians from PRBLMS! crew, GGGG from Milano and some American registrations were the ones that gained my attention. WNTB category was not big at all, the only downside to the event.

Now, I cant really give you a complete recap of the race, but it was evident that riders had to dig deep inside them and find the resilience needed for this – strategy, fuel and food was also crucial and what actually played the role was the spirit and calmness deep inside.

After a few words from Ricki off they went and the race was on. I jumped on the car and drove through the beach town of Mele climbing up towards the mountain. I arrived at the checkpoint at the antennas past the mountain refuge and took spot. A deep thick fog was around the peak making the scenery of epic proportions. A first break from a Colombian duo thinned out easily while Fio from Portland seemed that he could be in a good space while the mountains were unfolding for all of them. At my checkpoint II, I saw lots of riders being sceptical for what was coming next. Here they were at the top, the gels and boosters were almost gone but this was just the “primo piati”.

Leaving my Checkpoint II riders bombed down the hill and turn inward circling towards the city on the outer limits of the mountains. I turn my head and had a look, Genova appeared as a small dot on the horizon somewhere deep down there, it felt somehow far away on a different reality as we were having a major international showdown on this TARCK reality proving oursleves to the god of the cog.

At the end as it is usually the case with these unsactioned events it doesnt really matters, and what is being felt by all is the community and the camaraderie around those willing to be part of something like this. Those that travelled, those that organised and those that volunteered. It is always positive to reflect on the culture, the ethos and we surely are very happy to see that the movers of the scene are interested in pushing racial, gender and political points forward.

We collected 3 of these voices below.

Ricardo Conti, creative director and general manager of Spiritual Bombing race and event.

Tell us a little about your background and involvement in cycling.

Hi, My name is Riccardo Conti. I was born in Milan in November 2002.
I’m a former bike messenger and a bike mechanic. You can find me under the Ulisse.cc moniker.

How did the idea for Spiritual Bombing came about?

Spiritual Bombing was born as a simple gesture of friendship towards my crew. It was 2023, the last respvblica had just passed, and I sensed a growing desire among my group of friends for competitions like this: fixed gear, brakeless, with long climbs and descents. But no race seemed to meet our expectations, so we organized our own. At the first edition, there were eight participants, but the spirit was stronger than ever.

Did this year’s race go as you imagined?

I can’t help but be happy with this year’s race. The participation was incredible, and so was the competition. I met many new faces and many familiar faces. It’s beautiful to see how the passion in people’s eyes shows no sign of diminishing year after year. But having said that, I’m also disappointed not to have seen a real WTNB participation, which makes me realize that as a competition and as a community, we still have a lot to work on.

What would you like to see happen in the future in the cycling scene?

For now, after these intense weeks of preparations for Spiritual Bombing but also for the Cycle Messenger Wold Championship in Milano, I haven’t had much time to think about the future of the scene. I simply hope that we will always remain united as a family and continue to believe in the same values. I think this question should be asked primarily to those who have competed, because sometimes, as an organizer, you can’t truly experience those emotions 100%.
I don’t feel I’m wise enough to have messages for anyone, but I want to thank everyone who is part of this great family. Without you, all of this would be nothing, or worse, it would have no value.

Fio from Portland, Oregon, USA.

What is your name and where do you come from?

My name is Fio, Im from Pacific Grove, California but have lived and worked in Portland, Oregon for the past five years.

Name your crew/scene if you have one.

Shoutout the PDX Fixed and greater Portland scene for being a chosen family and pushing me further on the bike.

What is your background in cycling and/or other sports? What is your favorite time you had on a bicycle?

I started with just riding to school every day, and ended up discovering the bike, specifically fixed gear as a method for personal freedom and expression. Any day Im able to get on a bicycle is a good day. Thats where I stand right now.

How did you approach this race, and did it turn up the way you envisioned?

Lining up at the start with a bunch of hitter, I was focused on just riding my own race and not blowing up too much on the climbs. I ended up going out pretty quick with the front few riders to stay ahead of the bunch’s traffic. I think we found our paces on the first big climb, and at the start of the first descent I passed the last rider id see for the remainder of the race. I thought there were more up the road that I was constantly chasing in my head which made for an interesting game of pacing hard up the climbs while making sure I had enough in the legs to make it down safely.

Any other message?

All in all very happy with how the ride went for me; grateful that everyone made it through safely. It was an amazing experience to ride with so many amazing shredders in such a unique race. The spirit of fixed gear is alive and well in the hearts of these riders. I cant wait to ride with them again.

Sebastian Montoya, Spiritual Bombing Champion and King of the Genova Mountains.

What is your name, where are you from, and where do you live?

My name is Sebastián Montoya, I’m from Colombia and I live in Barcelona.

Name your crew/scene if you represent one.

This year, I will be representing my workplace, Coffee Unión Place, while also proudly representing the people and team at Prblms!

What is your background in cycling or other sports?

I’ve spent many years riding road bikes and mountain bikes in my home country Colombia, so cycling has been a big part of my life. Fixed-gear riding, however, is still fairly new to me, so I’m a bit taken back by all of this, but I am totally stoked!

How did you approach this race and did it unfold as you expected?

I approached this race knowing it would be a challenging one because of the course and its technical nature, especially on the descents rather than the climbs. Before the race, I had the chance to study the route and identify some key sections, which helped me prepare mentally and strategically. All the checkpoints were easy to spot, and overall, the race unfolded pretty much as I expected.

Briefly describe how the race unfolded for you?

The race started off in a fun way. I was leading alongside a friend, but once we reached the mountains, we got lost. After finding our way back, we had to fight our way through the field again. Those are the kinds of things that can happen in a race, and they’re part of the game.
What I did know was that I needed to gain as much time as possible on the toughest climb so I could have more control over the race, take care of both my bike and myself, and protect my position at the front.
After getting through the first climb and the first brutal descent, I knew I had to stay focused, ride fast but controlled, and be ready for whatever the final climb had in store.
It was incredible!

Any other messages?

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the entire event staff and organizing team. They did an incredible job, and the event was truly fun from start to finish. Simply put, thank you all so much!
I’d also like to thank all of the competitors. Everyone raced incredibly hard, and it was inspiring to share the course with such strong riders. Thank you as well for your amazing energy and for making the experience so special.

Photographs: Johnny Senarega
Words and film photos: Agi Kolyvas
Spiritual Bombing, Genova
Orgnaised by Ulisse.cc
Supported by SCVDO
Sponsors:
Cinelli
Velo Temp
Rayon Vert
Roa Hiking