GS CIAO has been an active cycling club since 1990 and is based in Boulder, Colorado with the purpose of promoting competition, fitness and the cycling culture.
No other country embraces the cycling culture like Italy, so we’ve aptly named our organization GS CIAO. "GS" is Italian for Gruppo Sportivo or "Sporting Team.” And CIAO is the friendly “hello” and “goodbye” in Italian, but also stands for Colorado International Athletic Organization.
At its inception, GS CIAO served as an international exchange program for athletes of all sports. Soccer, cycling, running and skiing were just a few of the disciplines represented by athletes from CIAO. As the program grew, it molded into its second generation life as an amateur cycling team. Over the years, cyclists became the predominant athletes hopping back and forth between Colorado and Europe. While Colorado serves as the competitive cycling "hub" for the United States, Europe has the same role for the entire world. Making the transition from American racing to the European circuit is not easy and GS CIAO looked to offer aspiring cyclists a sense of structure and support as they attempted to make it in "The Show".
In the early 90's, the team transitioned from an exchange program into an American based amateur cycling team. With added sponsorship,primarily from the Taya Chain company (a Japanese manufacturer of bicycle chains), the team grew to become the number one amateur team in the country and served as a feeding ground for some of the world's top professional teams (see GS CIAO Alumni). As the sport of cycling in the United States grew, so did GS CIAO and at its competitive peak, riders wearing CIAO uniforms could be found winning the nations toughest races against seasoned professionals. With more and more riders making the switch to professional teams, CIAO underwent its most recent metamorphosis to become the regional team that it is today.
Today GS CIAO is proud to be one of the top teams in Colorado and one of the most respected teams in the nation. With riders competing at all levels of the sport, from beginner to professional, CIAO can be seen at almost every Colorado event as well as major national events across the country. The future looks bright for GS CIAO!
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