Antonio Pompilio is one of the ROUVY community's most experienced creative and expert AR video creators for the platform and is also a great organiser of many official community events. His videos created in Italy are pure eye candy and a joy to ride, whether in a race or a group ride.
Read more about Antonio, AKA Mamiky, and learn about this skilled and prolific route creator.
Where do you live in Italy?
Puglia, San Giovanni Rotondo, Gargano National Park
What is your daytime job?
Hospital IT support and E_Learning
You are a loyal ROUVY user. How long have you been riding on ROUVY, and what do you like the most about the app?
I got to know Rouvy during the Covid lockdown and have never stopped using it since, especially now that the pandemic has passed. On ROUVY, I love the possibility of riding on roads filmed in reality. It's like discovering a new place in the world every day.
When did you begin filming routes for ROUVY?
I started filming videos in April 2020.
What inspires you to film videos for AR?
I enjoy filming and producing AR videos because, with the advancement of virtual reality, it is great to ride with avatars that give you an immersive feeling of being with your friends and fellow competitors. Advanced features, such as drafting, are also unavailable in non-AR videos.
How many AR routes are there including those about to be published?
About 50
You enjoy filming climbs, but which easier routes have you filmed?
Lake Garda, Varano Lake and Ortona-Fossacesia and other easier routes will be published soon.
Where are your favourite places for recording?
My favourite places are the mountains, the Dolomites, around lakes, places near the sea and all those places where the scenery can offer incredible views.
Which route was your most challenging to film and why?
Alpe di Pampeago because there wasn't a moment's pause for breath on consistently steep slopes.
What were your most challenging or dangerous moments while filming?
The most challenging moments are when I film climbs, where I cannot stand up and swing my bike to avoid distortions with the GoPro.
How do you go about preparing and filming the videos?
I like filming on my road bike or MTB and use a special mount for my GoPro. Filming a video is not so simple: I have to try to use my stomach muscles a lot to avoid movement on the bike. Also, before recording a film, I must wait for good weather and choose times when the light is ideal.
Which is your all-time favourite AR video you have filmed and why?
Of these listed climbs, I enjoyed the Passo Manghen because it offers unique and spectacular scenery.
Where are you planning to film next?
I plan to film easier and flatter routes near lakes and routes filmed from events and real-life races.
Tell us a bit about your exciting race league
In the summer of 2022, I had the idea of creating a small group with which I could ride during the autumn and winter period, competing or otherwise participating in events I could organise on ROUVY. Hence, the first invitations, the creation of a private Facebook group, and the first private messages began with community members that I knew and then with others outside my group.
My first intention was to create a small group of 30 users and to organise races and Group Rides among ourselves, but then the requests from more and more community members to join increased. What followed was the start of the RMC, i.e., ROUVY Mamiky's Championship, was established. Today, we have around 300 active members. I have also created a website where I publish all the articles about the races, race results and rankings, and group rides and challenges. Here is the link to the website.
Please explain how the league works
The Championship has strict rules, which all members must observe.
Here are some basic points:
- 1 race per week, on Wednesday, repeated five times: 08.15, 14.15, 16.15, 18.15, 20.15;
- Those who cannot do the Race on Wednesdays can do it during the week, Monday to Sunday, either by creating their race or joining a race that other members have created.
- Classification no longer by age but by W/kg, divided into the following Categories:
A9: 1.0 ~ 2.29 W/kg
A8: 2.3 ~ 2.59 W/kg
A7: 2.6 ~ 2.89 W/kg
A6: 2.9 ~ 3.19 W/Kg
A5: 3.2 ~ 3.49 W/Kg
A4: 3.5 ~ 3.79 W/Kg
A3: 3.8 ~ 4.09 W/Kg
A2: 4.1 ~ 4.39 W/Kg
A1: 4.4~ 4.69 W/Kg
ELITE: 4.7~ up W/Kg
- All Races are run on AR routes, which I select and choose myself;
- Only certified and smart trainers are allowed.
Can you tell us when these ROUVY races are available to take part in?
From October 2023 to April 2024 for the winter season.
Do you have plans to include a league through the summer months?
Yes.
What other exciting events have you planned for the ROUVY community?
Since January 2024, I have also instituted monthly Challenges:
- Series of 4 races, parallel to the RMC.
- Each RMC member will have one month to perform four races on the four selected routes.
- On these routes, the rider can create his races and do them whenever and with whomever they want.
- Categories are ranked by FTP, according to the RMC.
- General and category ranking is based on total accumulated time.
- Real and digital prizes for winners and draws.
- I hope to be able to organise Challenges throughout the year, even in the summer months.
I asked Antonio to tell us more about each one of his new routes.
ALPE DI PAMPEAGO
Alpe di Pampeago is a mountain peak in Trentino Alto Adige. The nearby Pampeago Pass is located at 1,983m above sea level, dividing the Selva di Ega and Cima di Valdorsa valleys, lying on the dividing line between the provinces of Trento and Bolzano in the centre of the Dolomites. The Pampeago Pass joins the Val di Fiemme with the Val d'Ega, and on its southern slope rises the Alpe di Pampeago, famous both for skiing, due to the presence of the Ski Center Latemar, and for cycling.
AR route link: https://riders.rouvy.com/route/93861
PASSO DURONE
Passo Durone is a rideable climb that allows you to enjoy the surrounding panorama. The road from Ponte Arche to the Durone pass is manageable. Over the 10 km, the difference in altitude is just over 600m. From 405 at the start, it rises to 1,024m. Continuing for 8 km on the subsequent descent, you arrive in Tione, the main town of the Giudicarie.
AR route link: https://riders.rouvy.com/route/93884
PASSO MANGHEN
The Manghen Pass is famous in the Giro d'Italia and is particularly tough due to its length. The climb from Borgo Valsugana is 23.4 km long and has an average gradient of 7%, although the last 7 km are the most challenging with an average gradient of 9.5%, but with peaks of 15%.
The Molina di Fiemme side is shorter, 16.4 km at an average gradient of 7.5%, but again, the final section is the toughest, with an average gradient of 9.5% for the last 8 km.
The southern slope of the Manghen Pass, as well as the entire Val Calamento area, belongs to the municipality of Telve. The northern side belongs to the city of Castello-Molina di Fiemme.
AR route link: https://riders.rouvy.com/route/93888
PASSO COE
Coe Pass is a beautiful climb for those who are not afraid of tackling a challenging altitude difference of over 1,400 m along the road from Calliano (Val Lagarina) up to the Folgaria plateau, to the 1618 m of the Coe Pass, a mountain stage of the Giro d'Italia.
On the Alpe di Folgaria, Passo Coe is a beautiful climb worthy of the 'Great Ascents of Trentino.' But for true climbing lovers, the 'champions' altitude difference does not frighten, also stimulated by the fact that Passo Coe was a mountain stage of the 2002 Giro d'Italia, a stage that then saw the victory of Pavel Tonkov. The pass is an all-uphill route through the beautiful Rio Cavallo valley and the Folgareth terrace before arriving at the champions' pass. On arrival, the Osteria Coe and the La Stua restaurant will be the reward for your effort!
AR route link: https://riders.rouvy.com/route/93836
MONTE BONDONE ITALY
Monte Bondone is a beautiful climb located in Trentino. It is also famous on a Pro Cycling Tour level because it has been included in the Giro d'Italia several times. The peak is 1,650m above sea level, and the ascent is 21.5 km long, starting from Trento.
One can climb Monte Bondone from three sides. The best-known climb starts from the city of Trento, precisely from the San Lorenzo bridge, and it is the one I filmed for Rouvy. A plaque at the climb's start commemorates the feat Charly Gaul achieved at the Giro d'Italia in 1956.
AR route link: https://riders.rouvy.com/route/93839
ORTONA-FOSSACESIA
The first stage of the Giro d'Italia 2023 made the Ortona-Fossacesia route world famous. The 'Via Verde della Costa dei Trabocchi' (Green Way of the Trabocchi Coast) runs along one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Italy, located in the Abruzzo region. On one side are the beaches and the Adriatic Sea with the characteristic Trabocchi towers; on the other, lush vegetation dotted here and there with bathing beaches and nature reserves.
The Via Verde hosted the first stage of the Giro d'Italia 2023 for the 14 km from Fossacesia Marina to Lido Saraceni in Ortona. It was an individual time trial of around 19 km, culminating with the ascent to the town of Ortona. Amidst a pink crowd and the magic of the coast, Remco Evenepoel won over our Filippo Ganna.
AR route link: https://riders.rouvy.com/route/95407
Grazie mille, Antonio! We look forward to enjoying more of your quality ROUVY community content, magnificent videos filmed in Italy, and exciting events in the coming year.
