Tomorrow and Sunday The first gravel world championship in history will be held between Vicenza and CittadellaDaniele Pontoni, Italian cross and gravel champion, has released in recent days of unexpected summonses, with names like those of David Ballerini and Daniel Oss, or Sofia Bertizzolo among the women, next to Barbara Guarischi.
The world championship Filippo Pozzato organized it with her PP Sport Events and will be destined to enter the history of a rapidly growing discipline. The participation formula is unprecedented compared to the standards of road racing and if anything it follows (even if not entirely) that of mountain bike marathons, with the elite and pros who start ahead of the amateurs who have qualified. With the national team manager we then tried to understand what kind of race will emerge, what rules it will follow and how the choices were made of men and women.
«With some people – says Pontoni – there were some my proposals, for example with GuarischiI saw her riding on the track in Pordenone and it was born from there. Instead, I spoke about Daniel Oss with team manager Amadio. For Ballerini and others I also made a series of calls to the sports directors and team managers, first of all to understand who the available athletes were, on a wider roster than I had given, with the names I would have liked to have for this World Cup».
Have you also considered the predisposition for off-roading, perhaps in the youth categories or for the Northern classics?
Those who had experience in the youth categories were given special attention, but here we must not only think about off-road, because it is a cross-country race anyway. This is also why we are and have been oriented more towards professionals coming from the street, especially also for the mileage: both in the women's and men's competitions. This technical evaluation was obviously also carried out, in addition to the availability of the team athletes.
Also because the route doesn't appear too technical...
In fact I came to first personally view the race course to understand what the athletes' aptitudes might be for this world cup.
For example, how did the call-up of Sofia Bertizzolo come about, even though she finished fourth in the Flanders tournament?
It came out talking to his mechanic Flavio Longhi and knowing that she was still coming from cross country in the youth categories.
Specialized athletes will be racing on Roubaix road bikes. Do you think a review of the regulations will be necessary?
At the moment, as is right being at year zero, you have a very wide range and leaves a bit of freedom to everyone, as was the case in the 90s with mountain biking. So I think we will need a few years to regulate this specialty, which I think it has an important future.
How will assistance be provided on the route?
As a national team, we already planned all the points just last night. We will be divided into 3-4 teams with which we will cover the 12 stations. For example, the work group that goes to station 1 will then go to stations 4, 7, and 10. Those who work at station 2 will then go to stations 5, 8, and 11. And those who work at station 3 will then move on to stations 6, 9, and 12. It will be a race within the race, like in a mountain bike marathon.
Where will the race be decided?
In my opinion they will start to see each other great things already at the beginningIn the first 35 kilometers we will already understand a lot. There are two climbs and the most technical sections where it is also easier to get a puncture or have problems. Then again, as we all know, 200 kilometers is a long way for men, as is 140 for women.
So you expect selection right away?
It won't be decided, but it will be outlined at the beginning. In the races we've seen so far, even if we have little history, the riders arrive one at a time and with huge gaps. Furthermore, a world championship is a world championship and it could be that the race becomes even more tactical. We have our own idea of the race and we will interpret it in a certain way.However, from the first references we will understand if we will have to adapt to other schemes.
How will technical support work and how did you make the technical choices?
You can't change the bike clearly and Assistance can only be obtained at fixed points. The children will have what they need to be self-sufficient. For the technical choices, we viewed the route with all the kids The two missing players will see it today. We decided together, also based on the characteristics of the individuals. Some people feel more confident with a 33, some with a 35.It also depends on each athlete's guidance, it won't be standardized for everyone.
Is there the tension of a real World Cup?
The world cup is the world cup and let's remember that the first will go down in historyBut wait, I'll pass you an elderly gentleman who wants to say hello, wait...
Who's speaking?
Tour of Lombardy 1999.
It's Mirko Celestino, technical commissioner of the national mountain bike team and winner of the Lombardy 13 years ago, who in Vicenza will support Pontoni, in the name ofexcellent cross-sector collaboration.
Will you run too?
No, he didn't call me. This guy doesn't understand anything about selections. (laughs, ed.) We were talking about it yesterday with Daniele, while we were on the trail with the girls. And we were telling each other that these would have been our racesThey look like the Belgian races with these little roads, which I liked so much…
The first gravel world championship will take place between tomorrow and Sunday, in the very rich weekend of Lombardy and the Ora di GannaAs already said at the time with Pozzato, everything was organized without references to the past. For this reason it will go down in history and for this reason we will follow it with great curiosity.Given the names at the start, it certainly won't be a trivial race.
