Winter Bike League

SHOOTING THE BREEZE WITH ROBERT C. GIANNINI

Robert C. Giannini, aka the Don, ripped a hole in the fabric of Athens cycling when he high-stepped through the Classic City from 2002 – 2011, capturing both the WBL Overall Title and the Alto World Cup in 2008. He was an accomplished rider when he rolled into town, but he was also an academic and a scholar. The Don, as he would come to be known because of his cold-blooded, suave assassin’s style, came to Athens to earn his PhD in finance, and while he was pedaling out 100-mile rides on some days, he was working out complex equations on others, considering probabilities, designing algorithms, and building elaborate models, all in pursuit of his ultimate goal. After earning his PhD in 2011 from the University of Georgia, Don married and has lived both at home and abroad since, and he continues working in his field, as he explains in the interview below. The Don left a permanent mark in Athens cycling not only because of his ability to handle himself on a bike, but also because of his kind smile, affable spirit, and generous personality. We checked in with Don to see how life is for he and his family, who now live in the cold weather clime of Connecticut.  

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2021 Calendar

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The SUMMER WBL COMETH IN 2021: Depending on the progress we make in our fight against the pandemic, our plan is to ride 6 WBL rides during the late spring-summer months in 2021 to replace this year's postponed season but these dates are a moving target at this time. These rides will not neccesarily be on 6 consecutive Saturdays. Instead, we will pick weekends for the WBL rides that do not conflict with local or regional races and hope to provide a good training opportunity during the season on an open weekend, possibly doubling-up on one or more weekends. We can't give specifics at this time but more information will follow as soon as we are able. 

Our rides start at the Hub at 5 Points in Athens on Saturdays at 10 a.m. (window open). Parking will be available on the side streets in the neighborhoods around the Hub. (Please don’t park at the Hub.) A limited amount of public parking is available at the fire station in 5 Points across Lumpkin. Get ready for the upcoming other season!   

2022 Calendar

(*subject to tweaking due to despicable conditions):    

OUR SPONSORS:

Overall Leader sponsored by the HUB Bikes  (https://hubbikes.com)

Ladies Finish Sprint Series sponsored by Team Type 1 Foundation ( http://teamtype1.org/)

Non Pro Finish Sprint Sries sponsored by the Heath Family

Jackie Crowell mid-ride ladies sprints sponsored by the Team Type 1 Masters

Sprints sponsored by Nabo Realty and CEO Briggs Carney (naborealty.com)

Sprints sponsored by Boulevard Family Practice / Dr. Bret Magner (Boulevardfamilypractice.com)