When taking over Ale-BTC-Ljubljana, Mauro Gianetti he left everything as it was, but in the role of team manager, which until then had been Alessia Piccolo, put Rubens BertogliatiThe Swiss, who stopped racing in 2012, was already part of the staff of the UAE Team Emirates as a coachYet, when he was offered the new position, he accepted immediately with the curiosity that has always accompanied his career.
"I found out at the end of September," he says, "when Mauro asked me. I still had the Giro di Sicilia to do, and in the meantime I was thinking about it. Then when we had the team meeting in Abu Dhabi at the end of October, we made the decisionI said yes, because in any case it's an added experience. I can bring that to women's cycling. the baggage of the pros and that which I have gained in the youth environment of the Swiss Federation. And it's nothing new. When you go away with the national team, there are men and there are also women..."
And how are you?
I have to say everything is fine. When a team is formed, even if it starts from a base that already existed, there are things to doThe jerseys that need to arrive, the bikes, the vehicles… The category may change, but the things to do are always the same. For my part, I have to get used to the new realityThey're here in the retreat, we've been following them these days. And even if the pace of the professionals is different, seeing them uphill it seemed to me that they were going fast.
Will yours also be a technical role?
I won't be a coach, if that's the question, nor a sports director. Instead I will continue to work with men as a coach, but I will make few trips and only if the team needs a hand.
What did Bertogliati bring to the team?
The professional work structure. Alè-BTC-Ljubljana was based on a parent company that was also a sponsor, with the president who wanted the team. Behind our team, however, there is a country that has given us important guidelines and very large sponsors.We did nothing more than bring our philosophy.
Did this happen by taking everything that was there at face value or by changing something?
There was first the observation phase and now the imposition of the working method, which was already partly there. The next step is to grow. If the girls need a coach, we allocate the budget and get it.. It's still a first year, even if the group is well established.
How long will it take to get up and running?
We will do the fine tuning, as they say, during the year and from the next ones we will start to grow.I feel good. The people I work with are motivated and the staff selected by Fortunato Lacquaniti it is well-stockedThey work and support us well, they are quality people.
Will you follow the races?
I will try to be there at the most important ones, but I will leave the choice of athletes to the coaches, because they know them better than me.It's a good thing I'm staying back at this stage, because I don't know my opponents. For now, I'm content to know my own.
What is your relationship with the athletes?
We treat them as professionals, even if in Italy this role is not contemplated, which is why many girls are included in military sports groups. They are top professionals and with those sports groups you can work, but It will be necessary to set some limits to resolve the matter in the girls' interestI hope that from 2023-2024 theUCI resolve this anomaly, professionalism must be equal for everyone. For example, I chose to leave Swiss Cycle, keeping a commitment with the regional federation. You can't have your feet in too many shoes.
Is Gianetti involved in the management or does Bertogliati do everything?
Very present, fortunately. At the beginning he passed on to me the working method And he also came to the training camp for a couple of days. He knows the team exists, but as soon as the men's team gets going, he'll have his hands full.
Do you help out the team coaches?
I follow them and listen to them willingly to create good synergies.
Who is in charge of finding new girls to join?
Fortunato and I, I have to say that My presence at the competitions will be linked to scouting work., even though prosecutors are getting involved in the movement. A surprise could emerge. Women's cycling's cycling is tied to fewer patternsMavi Garcia comes from triathlon, for example. I brought in Linda Zanetti, a Swiss girl who comes from mountain biking and who wants to focus on the road. And then there's Emirati champion Safia Al Sayegh, who has shown good numbers, but needs to grow. She was born in 2001, and it's important for her and for the girls in her country.
Is there a rivalry with the men? Will you have to win the Tour?
A lot of people ask me that (laughs, ed.). We have to aim for a great result and we have excellent athletes. Tadej (Pogacar, ed.) must be a source of inspiration, but not of stressWe have to make our own way, but knowing that this is another level. The internal competition is certainly stimulating, but the Tour route is not too selective.The French were cautious for the first time, but I believe that the Super Planche des Belles Filles will make a selectionWe will have our own approach route. The idea of running the Tour Femmes It's a great incentive for us too...
