Awesome Italian Guys: Pedale.Forchetta

Sanremo photo:pedale.forchetta
Arriving in Sanremo photo: pedale.forchetta

The Velominati site has drawn out many interesting, talented people these last few years, from frame builders to custom V-bar plug makers. We all know @pedale.forchetta as a Moots riding, bidon cage disdaining Italian cyclist. What’s not to love already… and generous too? From the beginning he has been sharing his photos with us all: the Giro, Milan-Sanremo, Il Lombardia. Luckily for us he is not a professional cycling photographer. For starters he might not post his photos on Velominati so easily. He is not on a moto. He is on foot taking pictures of the Italian fans, police, riders, directors, ex-riding legends and the tifosi’s cars. While most professional photogs shoot the race, Angelo captures the tension and excitement before the race and the emotion and exhaustion after it. He is the best.

His before-and-after photos of Milan-Sanremo 2012 were amazing. He has ridden in a Androni Giocattoli team car during an edition of MSR. His black and white photos on the Muro di Sormano were otherworldly. If he was not a cyclist we wouldn’t know him on Velominati. We might have missed his photography, until Milan-Sanremo 2013. The day of the race he sent a few fast photos to Velominati so we could be there too. Since this MSR, I’ve seen his shots on PEZ and Il Dolore. When the going gets tough, Angelo gets going. Luckily for us all, Angelo Giangregorio was there on that crazy day from Milan to Sanremo.

Personally I’d say these are some of his best photos ever. It was an epic day. I’ve watched some poor quality video of the race, yeah, it was grim, I get it. But no, I didn’t really get it until I looked through a set of Angelo’s photos. There is a shot of Mark Cavendish at the start that is so mesmerizing, it could be in Vogue.

Does being a cyclist make him a better photographer? It has to. He understands the beauty and humanity that is cycling and captures it with his camera. Does being Italian make him a better photographer? Of course it does. He shoots the people at races as much as the racers and his Italian generosity come through in his photos.

I’ll let Simon of Il Dolore say it properly.

The Cycling Photographs of Angelo Giangregorio.

I’ve known Angelo for about three years now ever since I used his photographs on my old website La Gazzetta della Bici. Ever since then I don’t think I have ever seen Angelo take a bad snap. He is by far my favourite photographer and one of the nicest people I know. Italy bleeds from Angelo’s photographs. He not only photographs the sport of cycling but manages to capture the heart and soul of the riders and the fans in every photograph he takes. I always look forward to a new set of Angelo’s photographs not just because they feature Italian cycling but that they always show the very soul of what it means to ride a bike, watch cycling and be aware of the life around us.

Grazie socio, Angelo.

Writing about photography doesn’t work so I’ll stop right now. Look at his pictures. In fifty years from now, when people are looking back to the old days and epic races, Milan-Sanremo 2013 is going to be one of those races and Angelo’s photos are going to be the pictures people remember.

Here is his MRS 2013 flikr set, and make sure you check out his amazing Photo Stream.

[dmalbum flikr=”72157633022136858/”/]

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48 Replies to “Awesome Italian Guys: Pedale.Forchetta”

  1. Sweet.

    I always wondered if there were other Velominati photographers around, and what they are doing.

    You really need to feel for your subject to take good photos and I think it’s very clear that the photos are so awesome BECAUSE he loves the sport.

    Pedale, If all goes well hopefully we’ll meet next year in the classics, because I’m going to shoot them myself.

    Also, the pictures look more frighteningly cold than J. Gruber’s photos from this autumn on the stelvio (http://www.flickr.com/photos/smashred/sets/72157631777318135/)

  2. “Luckily for us he is not a professional cycling photographer”

    He’s not?  I thought he was.  He really is at the absolute top of the game and if anyone should be able to make a living off of shooting a photograph, this man should.

    “His black and white photos on the Muro di Sormano were other worldly”–Amen.

    Fuck Graham Watson, the Leni Riefenstahl of Cycling, I’ll take Pedele.Forchetta any day!

  3. @Buck Rogers

    By professional I meant making a living at it not the quality of photos. I assume if he was making a living at it we wouldn’t be able to see them without watermarks or see them for free. But I may be wrong there too. Research, fuggetaboutit.

  4. @pedale, Grazie mille for sharing your work here.  Also, if I recall correctly, for vindicating those of us stubborn enough to run Shimano pedals with a Campagnolo gruppo.  Cheers!

  5. @Gianni

    @Buck Rogers

    By professional I meant making a living at it not the quality of photos. I assume if he was making a living at it we wouldn’t be able to see them without watermarks or see them for free. But I may be wrong there too. Research, fuggetaboutit.

    Sure we would, because we’re special.

  6. From the MSR album:

    – Love the smiles, both of the racers and the crowd.  Weather or not, that’s what cycling is all about.

    – On the photo with Taz coming off the stage after signing in:  You’d think they could put some rubber on the diamond plate steps.  Isn’t that a recipe for disaster, icy, cold, and clipless cleats?  Jeez!

    – Love how it took 3 men to help Belletti off his bike

    – How did Phinney’s socks stay so white?!

    Overall, the captures and the finishing make this seem like a P-R from days gone by.  The television did not do it justice at how dark it was out there.  Excellent!

  7. @Tartan1749 Taz, Taz Darling is the Peloton photographer with the canon in the background, the girl that got smashed up in that sprint (last year?). Glad to see she’s back in the saddle.

  8. @biggles

    @Tartan1749 Taz, Taz Darling is the Peloton photographer with the canon in the background, the girl that got smashed up in that sprint (last year?). Glad to see she’s back in the saddle.

    I think us of KT 2012 were at that race, at the finish. The Wednesday race between the Ronde and P-R and we were oblivious to the terrible nature of that crash. Or even that a photo got injured. It was wet and chilly and it was us and a huge crowd of beer drinking Belgians, hard to see much but Belgians.

  9. Il Dolore is such a great blog, love it. You should post a list of authentic sources of inspiration. I find a lot of cycling content on the web but most of it is about fixed gear bikes out of their natural environment and being horribly tweaked and decorated while being driven the wrong way. Poor bikes.

  10. I always enjoy seeing what @Pedale has in store for us when he shoots events, he makes you feel like you are right in the midst of the action.  Anyone can shoot a spectacle, but to convey the essence behind it – the sights and sounds, the feeling and emotion – to convey those feelings in image takes a talented eye.  Chapeau @Pedale, I look forward to seeing more of your work!

  11. @Alfonso

    Il Dolore is such a great blog, love it. You should post a list of authentic sources of inspiration. I find a lot of cycling content on the web but most of it is about fixed gear bikes out of their natural environment and being horribly tweaked and decorated while being driven the wrong way. Poor bikes.

    Yes, I’m a big fan of Il Dolore too. I just found it in the last few months. He really gets it. I’ve been chasing photo credits for our book and sweet jesus, it can lead you down some scary blog alleys!

    Poor bikes indeed. They shouldn’t be humiliated like that.

  12. Nice shots PF.  What must it be like to live in the Motherland.  Hopefully, one of these days you can feed me pasta at your house after a long ride.

  13. Indeed, we’re very lucky to have pedale post his photos here. I always love seeing them.

  14. Chapeau, PF. It’s always a joy to see your photos and the collection on the Il Dolore page are no exception. Pro or not, they wouldn’t look out of place in a Rouleur Annual.

  15. @Gianni

    @Alfonso

    Il Dolore is such a great blog, love it. You should post a list of authentic sources of inspiration. I find a lot of cycling content on the web but most of it is about fixed gear bikes out of their natural environment and being horribly tweaked and decorated while being driven the wrong way. Poor bikes.

    Yes, I’m a big fan of Il Dolore too. I just found it in the last few months. He really gets it. I’ve been chasing photo credits for our book and sweet jesus, it can lead you down some scary blog alleys!

    Poor bikes indeed. They shouldn’t be humiliated like that.

    Any site that leads off with a Fellini quote cannot be all that bad.  Thanks for the reference, Gianni!

  16. @Cyclops

    Nice shots PF. What must it be like to live in the Motherland. Hopefully, one of these days you can feed me pasta at your house after a long ride.

    If we can ever pull together a Keepers Tour in Italy you can bet we will try to get Pedale in on the fun. So keep making those frames. Always be soldering, as they say in Glengary Glen Ross.

  17. @Gianni

    @Alfonso

    Il Dolore is such a great blog, love it. You should post a list of authentic sources of inspiration. I find a lot of cycling content on the web but most of it is about fixed gear bikes out of their natural environment and being horribly tweaked and decorated while being driven the wrong way. Poor bikes.

    Yes, I’m a big fan of Il Dolore too. I just found it in the last few months. He really gets it. I’ve been chasing photo credits for our book and sweet jesus, it can lead you down some scary blog alleys!

    Poor bikes indeed. They shouldn’t be humiliated like that.

    Il Dolore is great.  My only complaint is that following him is like drinking a fine Trappist ale out of a fire hydrant.

  18. Always look forward to his photos. Always the best photos from races, better than any other website or news outlet you can find. Very supprised to find out he is not professional and working for a top magazine or something.

  19. @Nate

    Il Dolore is great. My only complaint is that following him is like drinking a fine Trappist ale out of a fire hydrant.

    and your problem is where…? That sounds like fun, for about thirty seconds. 

    I don’t where Il Dolore keeps coming up with all the amazing photos he does. Guys like Simon are bridging the massive chasm between digital photography and everything before. Thank god someone is stepping up. I still have giant three ring binders of slides I should digitize, right after I digitize all my old albums. When the fuck is that going to happen? Bed ridden after crashing due to overheated carbone rim, that’s how.

  20. You’ve now got me wasting far too much time at work… absolutely love this shot. There’s a great story there in the set. Chapeau PFContador - Il Lombardia 2012

  21. @Pedale: If you’re not paying your mortgage with your work, you should be. The shots you get without the kind of access granted Watson, are beautiful. If you had that access, I could only imagine. You have posted photos here that I would blow up, frame and hang in my living room (and my non cycling VMH agrees).

    I’m a horrible photographer, but love taking photos. Very few can capture our sport like you do (I’m not one of them by a long shot).

    You, sir, have a gift.

  22. Surely PF can get some gritty shots of KT2013 – or at the very least, Frank waving the V-flag at RVV and/or P-R in the heat of the action.

    He will be there…yes?

  23. Thank you very much, It’s an honor to receive such appreciation for my photos.

    Me, I’m a complete amateur with a huge passion for cycling and photography and with my job as an employee.

    My unaware photography mentors are: Robert Doisneau, Fedele Toscani, Eugene Smith, Garry Winogrand, Camille J McMillan, Daniel Sharp, Taz Darling, Geoff Waugh, Olaf Unverzart, Mike King, Ben Ingham, Timm Koelln and many more.

    Thank you again.

  24. What else can be said that hasn’t been mentioned above. Very nice work Pedale.Forchetta if there is a passion to be had,  you’ve found it.

  25. Pedale, your photos are indeed bellissimo! You really should be making a living from your art… if only Velominati could afford to pay you! Thanks for sharing with us.

  26. The photos are wonderful.  This brings to mind something I meant to bring up a while back.  Has there ever been consideration given to having a Velominati Gallery?

    I am no web designer but have seen many other websites with one.  Not sure if could be self posting, or moderated or just a pick of the best V photos.

    Or maybe it is just a slightly more expanded version of our Wallpapers section?

  27. Il Delore is a cool blog. One of my favourite photos is Coppi and his Alfa, @pedale captures the same ‘decisive moment’. He definitely knows his zucchini.

  28. To quote Buck Rodgers: Fuck Graham Watson, the Leni Riefenstahl of Cycling, I’ll take Pedele.Forchetta any day!

    It might not be my place to award this, but that gets the +1 award of the month. I’ll never look at GW the same way again. That is a classic line that had me LOL.

    PF’s work is stunning – and I work in the art world so I have some knowledge. GW’s pictures are just so clinical and dry in comparison.

  29. @Gianni

    @Nate

    Il Dolore is great. My only complaint is that following him is like drinking a fine Trappist ale out of a fire hydrant.

    and your problem is where…? That sounds like fun, for about thirty seconds.

    I don’t where Il Dolore keeps coming up with all the amazing photos he does. Guys like Simon are bridging the massive chasm between digital photography and everything before. Thank god someone is stepping up. I still have giant three ring binders of slides I should digitize, right after I digitize all my old albums. When the fuck is that going to happen? Bed ridden after crashing due to overheated Carbone rim, that’s how.

    My problem is I don’t have 2 hours a day to soak up and appreciate what he posts.  Simon is sitting on a treasure trove.

  30. Many great images, captured brilliantly for sure, all deserving of a spot on the lounge wall…

    My favorite (among many) and I’m not sure how to ID the picture, but about half way through the slideshow there is a Europcar chap walking between a couple cars (titled MSR 2013). Not sure if he abandoned or if it’s at the finish, but his posture spoke volumes to me as soon as I saw it. 

    Having complied with Rule #9 from time to time, I find that after hammering yourself for hours and remaining indifferent to the conditions, this is how you walk when you finally dismount..  It takes awhile to straighten up and for the effects of said ride to dissipate…it’s subtle, non-Velominati would not even see this, but once you’ve experienced it – you don’t need words to recognize it.

    Stu

  31. I’ve praised PF in the VSR thread but am more than happy to do so again here!

    You’re photography is absolutely amazing, sir. To say you have a talent would be a compliment for an amateur. What you are doing with the camera is a skillful art. You manage to capture cyclists in photographs as only another cyclist could. You know what to look for and what is meaningful to the lens. That cannot be taught and few have that ability. If you’re not currently paid for your photography, you certainly deserve to be.

    Thank you for sharing your craft with us.

    -Dinan

  32. @wiscot Because those are news shots he’s doing. They show a sports event unfolding. They are great for what they do and have their place in history: The man is badass. These are very different, they aren’t news shots, and they have far more soul in them.

  33. I’m very stupid about the visual arts so I don’t know the appropriate term of art, but PF’s eye is all over the scene, capturing all sorts of interesting and beautiful things. A visit or four to his Flickr photostream is time well spent.

  34. What’s with the leg warmers on top of bib shorts?  I see a couple photos of guys doing that.  Oh the humanity!

  35. @Velosophe

    What’s with the leg warmers on top of bib shorts? I see a couple photos of guys doing that. Oh the humanity!

    As someone mentioned on another thread – for easy removal under race conditions. Prioritising Rule #70.

  36. Incredible shots from a monster of a day! Thanks, Pedale Forchetta!

    Il Dolore is great & not a complaint, but would be really wonderful if he included some more captions. Likely doesn’t know all of the folks in the shots, but probably more than me. I guess I’d love a bit more background info…though a photo does tell a whole bunch of words!

  37. @Pedale.Forchetta

    Thank you very much, It’s an honor to receive such appreciation for my photos.

    Me, I’m a complete amateur with a huge passion for cycling and photography and with my job as an employee.

    My unaware photography mentors are: Robert Doisneau, Fedele Toscani, Eugene Smith, Garry Winogrand, Camille J McMillan, Daniel Sharp, Taz Darling, Geoff Waugh, Olaf Unverzart, Mike King, Ben Ingham, Timm Koelln and many more.

    Thank you again.

    Enjoyed taking time to look at your online gallery — up to page 59! You truly can evoke something in people.

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