The course for ACCPI's new professional riders, held in Milan on November 29th, aimed to introduce them to the dynamics of cycling, which is also seen as a profession. Among the various athletes who participated there was Ludovico Crescioli, the Tuscan who will race with the next season Polti-Kometa (From January 1st the team will take the name Polti-VisitMalta).
“We arrived in Spain today for the first training camp of the season,” Crescioli says, “in Oliva, where the team has been gathering for a few years. I have already been to Malta a few weeks ago with the team and I had the chance to meet some people. Now I will have the chance to test the various materials, see the bike and fully introduce myself to this world."
A day in class
Over the years, the day dedicated to new professionals has seen a notable drop in the average age, with many young people coming directly from the junior category. It is clear that in an increasingly younger cycling the course held by theAccpi you become more and more importantBecoming a professional does not mean running top-level races and having top-of-the-range technical equipment, but it is a real job, with rights and dutiesBefore entering the vortex, it is good to know what is at the center of the cyclone.
"It was a full day," Crescioli says, "starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. It was a good course in which they explained the world of professional sports, starting with doping controls and moving on to contracts and how they work. There was also a talk by Elisabetta Borgia, a sports psychologist who works with the Federation."
Shall we start with anti-doping?
They explained to us how is availability maintained through the application that provides the WADAFor example, there's a one-hour slot you must guarantee every day during which you must always be available. In short, you must be at home, or wherever you're staying at that time. Every movement must be reported, because WADA needs to know where you sleep and where you are.
Is it done via cell phone?
Yes, which makes everything easier. Even if this is the most delicate part of the work, because you can't get a single comma wrong. The application has a calendar that we athletes have to complete from quarter to quarter.For example: the months from January to the end of March must now be filled in with the required data by December 15th. I know that from December 10th to 20th I will be on retreat in Oliva, so I have already indicated my position for that period.Of course, things can change, but WADA still requires advance notice.
How does this control begin?
You will receive an email asking you to sign up. It arrived at the end of September, so I had been using it for a month.But during the course I cleared up all my doubts.
Then Elisabetta Borgia intervened, right?
He spoke with us for a good half hour and it was a very helpful intervention. He gave us some tips on how to tackle this big step..
Guy?
He said to create himself of the right expectations, within our reach, and to seek gradual progression. There were many young people at the course, practically all of us under 23. From this point of view, the world of cycling is changing, and To ensure that everyone finds their own dimension, you need to have the right mental approachThe risk is to fall into loop negatives and experiencing this sport as a burden. But then we also moved on to the practical aspects.
The phases of the race?
Marco Velo explained to us how to behave during a race and taught us how to recognize the figure of the race judge. And who makes up the jury? We mistakenly think that everyone is a judge, but that's not the case.. In short, everything has become more professional; after all, this is our job now. Finally, Paolo Bettini also made a small contribution.
What did he tell you?
He told us about his experience as a new professional. Those were different times, but the trend is similar. Then he talked about his career, how he became a rider and when he turned professionalIt was a beautiful, spontaneous life lesson.
