We continue our series of stories about missed opportunities, tactical errors, or, as in this case, almost impossible events. This time the protagonist is Stefano Zanini, for all Zazà. The sporting director ofAstana-Qazaqstan, reflecting, he does not point the finger at a stage or a race in which he really kicked his heels, but at a memory linked to pure bad luck.
«I'm telling you about the time I had to retire the team car at the Tour of Flanders.", Zanini says. This is one of those invisible stories, drowned out by the din of the race, chasing the winners, the losers, the tactical dynamics. But it is a story of pure cycling. That day It was last April, no Astana-Qazaqstan rider crossed the finish line in Oudenaarde.
Stefano, you were telling us about the flagship's retirement. Tell us about it…
For me, the Tour of Flanders remains one of the most beautiful races, along with Milan-San Remo. Therefore, expectations are always very high, even if you already know you might not be able to compete for the podium. However, you can have a great run with your boys, there is always one more hope, Especially in Belgium, where races can change right up until the last minute. But that year we were really unlucky.
What happened?
Around kilometer 190, I don't remember exactly now, Cees Bol, the last of our athletes in the race, fell. He hooked up with one of the many spectators on the roadside. Cees set off again, but he'd taken a serious hit. He chased and held on, but by then he was out of contention. At that point, there was no point in persisting: we focused on the next races. But of course, not finishing the Flanders...
It was a real boost to morale…
Well, quite a bit. In terms of morale, yes, because the guys also wanted to have a good race. But you know, when bad luck strikes, those races are always difficult to interpret. We no longer had any riders in the race: between those who had fallen off, those who had crashed, and those who had mechanical problems, we were out. And bad luck was already gripping us, as we'd struggled to put together the lineup for Flanders. We were short on manpower.
Who stopped before Bol?
I don't remember the exact order of withdrawals, but the other athlete who remained in the competition was Fedorov. That day, in addition to Bool and Fedorov, we had deployed Gidich, Gruzdev, Syritsa, Morkov and Selig. Some weren't at their best and we know how tough certain races are. But Bol, up until that point, about 60 kilometers from the finish, was in the small group that then took the race.
What did you say to each other that evening after the race?
Very little, on the bus. Then in the evening we reflected: there's little you can do against bad luck, but we shouldn't have given up. We had to react immediately. Of course, we analyzed what hadn't worked, but at that moment, the most important thing was to keep our spirits up. Of course, it's hard to lift your spirits: you still have expectations for certain races. In the end, however, we recovered well. A few days later, in fact, Bol finished fourth at the Scheldeprijs, behind riders like Merlier, Philipsen and Groenewegen.
Have you ever retired your flagship?
Yes, it happened to me at the beginning of my career as sports director with Fuji-Servetto TMC, Giannetti's team, in 2009.
How was the retreat moment?
Practically, before the second passage on the Oude Qwaremont, I drove straight towards the bus, I went off track.
What did you say? What was going through your head?
What I said is best left unsaid! As for the rest, it's a huge disappointment. On the radio, a lot of silence. Even in the flagship, where the mechanic, Morris Possoni, was with me.
IN PREVIOUS ARTICLES
The Missed Opportunity: Cozzi, Tudor, and the Giro d'Abruzzo
The Missed Opportunity: Zanatta and Pietrobon's Escape to Lucca
