BREMBATE – The setting in which the 45th Mamma e Papà Guerciotti Trophy takes place is that of Victoria Park, the structure built from the Bergamo company which hosts this historic cyclo-cross race for the first time. Tapered and dirt roads that force athletes to ride their bikes well in order to make the differenceThe freezing temperatures overnight had frozen the ground, and all the kids, during the morning's test run, were worried that it might give way and become increasingly soft as the hours passed. Instead, temperatures rose, but not enough to warm the place up. A track that remained compact from start to finish, where tactics and driving skills counted more.
Unexpected joy
Filippo Fontana knows this well, Italian champion in charge who played smart to win this coveted race, which the leading athletes of our cyclocross movement always count on. The head-to-head duel with Englishman Thomas Mein was resolved in the final metresWhen it was important to be in front of the team champion CS Carabinieri Olympia Cycles he didn't keep us waiting. Winning a victory that gives him the right morale.
«I'm very happy – he says on the edge of the podium Fontana – in the end it was a victory I didn't even expect. When successes like this come along they are very welcome.. In the end I would say it was a perfect day. I didn't have a very big leg, as is normal given that I am not well prepared at the moment. However, I managed to improve and had a very well managed race.. Given my strength, I fired the bullet on the last lap, I knew I had to play it like that."
Nerves and tactics
The pace was set by the British Mein right from the start, trying to extend and filter out the group of 55 starters. The two went off strongly from the middle of the race onwards and it was immediately clear that the level was equalBetween legs and agility in moving the bike through curves and counter-slopes, neither of them was able to make the difference.
«The idea was to refine as much as possible – continues Fontana – at least to see how the race would go. The first laps I let Mein pull, also because there were many of usAfter half the race, I tried to pull away, and it was just me and him. We exchanged practically regular positions until the end of the race. On the last lap, he let me go in front, and I managed it to my advantage. In the only straight, where Mein could have passed me, I accelerated and managed to stay in front.In the winding sections, where overtaking wasn't possible, I took a breath and slowed my pace slightly. I took the final blow in the head, it was essential, given that the road was narrow in the last hundred meters."
Young riders people who are raring to go
In the initial part of the race, the leading pair was joined by a lively Samuele Scappini, a young man under 23 who appears to be growing well and in great shape. During the hour-long race, he lacked the pace to stay with the big boys and try to win. A mechanical problem also deprived him of the satisfaction of third place., went to the junior world champion Stefano Viezzi. A lot of attention was focused on the 2006 class, at their first approach to the world of adults.
«I didn't start very well – Viezzi analyses – I had a little contact at the start that made me step back a bitI found myself around twentieth place, having to make up ground. I took advantage of the gaps in front, when they were looking at each other, to get back within range. It was a constant push and pull because as soon as I got back under the leaders they started again.. In the end, I can only say that I'm happy with the placing."
«The approach to category – continues Viezzi, who from 2025 will be a rider of the I have to team up of Alpecin Deceuninck – I think it's good. Running with the elite I can only growToday, and in general lately, I feel like I'm growing in preparation for the important events of the season. The most prestigious one will be the World Championship, which I want to reach in my best condition..Competing with these athletes is a pleasure. Not only are they of international caliber, they are also at the peak of their maturity. I'm still too young to understand what my level might be, I don't set myself any limits."
