It's called "Olympian calm" and is the characteristic that characterizes a seraphic, measured, detached, and at times almost naive state of mind. In ancient Greece, it was a period of peace, during which all conflicts ceased. Today it is the only weapon to counter the tension of those who are called to win an Olympic medal. Simone Consonni, one of the four carriages that will make up the quartet for the winning track pursuit of the gold medal at Tokyo 2020+1, the "Olympic calm" is maturing these days. And judging by his words, he's already on the right track.
Azzurri in Montichiari
The Italian national team is working at the Montichiari velodrome to refine the train, to prepare the "leg", to oil every mechanism. The very fact that Consonni – 29 years old, Bergamo from Lidl-Trek – answering the phone about a week before the races says a lot about how his "Olympic calm" is well underway. After all, Paris will be his third Olympics..
«The Olympics are beautiful – he explains – but the atmosphere is delicate, it takes hold of you, envelops you, drags you along, making it difficult to calm down. Especially when it becomes so away from competitions, managing anxiety is not always easy, but it remains a global event, which goes beyond sport».
Return to Paris
This is due to the emotional aspect, which, we might add, is heightened by the fact that her sister Chiara will also be racing in Paris. Then, however, there's the technical aspect. The quartet will start on the first day of August with the three days of competitions (if everything goes smoothly...) scheduled for 5-6-7 August.
«We have to try the track again St. Quentin en Yvelines – explains Consonni – We know it, we have already tested it, but the feeling with each velodrome needs to be refined».
On the track it's always a question of hundredths and millimetres, the riders are already maniacal when the minutes they give on the Alpine passes are at stake, Let's imagine how track cyclists experience an Olympic event. This however is the eve of Consonni characterised by the maturation of the Olympic calm and then even his less than ideal condition in the last few weeks hasn't affected him.
«I had a cough and sore throat for a week – he says – but it was providential, It came at the right time, it didn't compromise my approach to Paris».
Ganna's silver
In short, Consonni from Brembate Sopra is fine, but the competition is a four-way competition and it's not enough for the individual to be fit, all four need to be at their bestAmong these four is Filippo Ganna, the driving force of the quartet. He who—according to his track record—bears the burdens and honors of the most talented. The Pippo of national cycling warmed up his engines in the road time trial, with the silver medal behind Remco Evenepoel and ahead of Wout Van Aert. Wout took the silver medal with a monstrous finish, from GannaBut what signals did the time trial give the quartet?
«Pippo said it – replies Consonni – it wasn't the medal he was expectingBut he also said that in complicated weather conditions, like those in which the time trial took place, he is not a "dragon". That said, it's an important medal.He was beaten by a great Remco, it's a silver medal that I'm sure will boost his morale and that of us who followed him from the track, with the big screen, during training. Now Pippo is with us, in these days he will work above all by listening to himself, feeling the physical and mental sensations to calibrate the approach to the raceThe time trial is a very demanding test and the travel is always stressful. But we will be at our best."
Between winning and confirming oneself
Yet, it's still not enough. Being a strong four-man team might not be enough, because then there are the opponents. Which national teams are the most fearsome?
«Denmark without a doubt – says the Bergamo native – and then New Zealand that we beat in Tokyo by a handful of tenths. Finally, let's not forget the Great Britain, by right among the most fearsome by traditionBut we will be there, ready to do something important."
Consonni is there, he confirms it and his “Olympian calm” is also defined by wisdom and final awareness: «We know that the difficult thing is not to win, but to confirm oneself". An accountant in the punctuation and choice of words, now you need to be coldly calculating to crumble time and opponents on the oval that could become a perfect circle, perhaps golden.
