Luckily there are the clubs… In a season in which the Italian away trips for the junior Nations Cup have been drastically reduced, especially for the women, It is up to the clubs to provide girls with the experiences that are fundamental to their growth. A concept that the Breganze Millenium has long since made its own, under the pressure of Davide Casarotto which led the girls to run “the race”: the Tour of Flanders.
It couldn't be otherwise for someone who, At the turn of the century he lived for 8 years in the professional world, working for others but also taking his own great personal satisfactions and which for years has been passing on its experience to the new generations.
«Already when I stopped, in 2004, I got closer to the company and worked with the guys from a team in my area which also had some excellent riders, people like Canola and Pasqualon who then raced as a pro for years. Then by a twist of fate, without me having any experience in women's cycling, In 2008 they offered me the opportunity to work for a team in the Treviso area and after a couple of years I moved to Breganze, which was already one of the most successful teams at the time."
How do you work with a rather small group like yours?
They are not exactly very few, this year we have 10 girls, last year there were 13. We are therefore in line with the Italian average, always keeping in mind that the costs of the activity are tremendous and it is difficult to find sufficient budgets to support a greater number of girls.
Beyond the economic aspect, however, how much does the fact of being able to follow them more closely also influence?
This is certainly true, considering also that those who do it are driven by passion, This is certainly not the kind of work that our families make a living from, and I'm also speaking for most of my colleagues in the industry.. So it's not like we have all the time available to follow so many girls. Let's say between 8 and 10 is the right amount. However, I would like to emphasize that it's not all my own work: I have a well-established staff working alongside me, starting with the president of Breganze. Federico Zattera which allows our foreign trips to continue with Gino Lunardon, Andrea Draws e Gianni Gresele.
What are the girls like, what is it like working with them?
Not easy, but sometimes exhilarating. My first commitment is to give everyone the opportunity to grow, then the strongest ones will emerge on their own., if they have a little talent, a lot of personality, and enough brains to keep going. Because these are the essential ingredients…
How did your trip to Flanders come about?
It comes partly from my experience, because in my years as a professional I preferred all the races in the North. I was a mediocre rider, but I achieved some "little results" up there and, when I ran the Flanders, I fell in love with it.Then I followed it from the car for a couple of years, as a guest of an elite team that would later become Astana, and I was truly impressed by the crowd. When I was racing, I hadn't even noticed, but when you're in the team car, you realize there's a real crowd. I think it's the most iconic race in the world, and I wanted to bring my own team there as soon as possible. I'm grateful to Breganze Millennium for letting me do that.
How did the opportunity arise?
It happened last year because we had a really strong team, with the reigning Italian champion who was Jade Silo and so we applied and they accepted us. Giada had an incredible race because she was also coming from a serious accident, but she was left with two champions who would later win the world championships on the road and in the time trial (Ostiz e Arens(Editor's note). Except that due to inexperience, she dropped out with 5 kilometers to go, on a downhill run. She was with four freshmen who had a somewhat brutal experience because they didn't reach the halfway point, for various reasons. I wanted them to come back to see the progress they'd made, and history proved me right.
How do you rate their performance, especially Rapporti who came fourth and Ballan who came seventh?
It is curious that even the Ballan arrived after two consecutive crashes, in the same Silo race in 2025. I was unsure until Wednesday whether to take her or not, because she couldn't even hold the handlebars. But she's tenacious, like her father (former world champion Alessandro, ed.). The race her father won had a huge value for her, so she wanted to come at all costs. Relationships I already said last year, when he had a truly disappointing performance, that he had the potential to emerge in this match, he just needed to learn to manage it and improve his condition and mentality.
How was the race?
All the strongest teams in the world have departed, including 4 national teams. On the last lap, the hardest one, there were 27 girls in front and we from Breganze had 3. They always stayed in front but then they couldn't keep up with the two French and the German (the rev winner, the Poirier interspersed with Bieberle, ed.). In the final, however, Linda managed to break away immediately after the break and arrive fourth and Azzurra came third in the sprint of the pursuers.
How does Ballan remind you of your dad?
I saw him for a while at the beginning, and I stopped when he started, even though we didn't spend many years together. She is the carbon copy of her father, slender and determined, I would say she was born to do this job.She just needs to learn and grow as she gets older. She came in less than ideal condition, and getting a seventh-place finish considering how she was doing is a great result for her, I think.
And what can you say about Rapporti?
Linda is the prototype of the modern cyclist, a physically built girl, very muscular but very strong in time trials and very good at climbing. Whatever you tell her to do, she does. She also just needs to gain experience in holding positions, managing her effort, being in the right place at the right time, and sometimes believing a little more. In general, however, the thing that gave me the most satisfaction, beyond the result, is the improvement in the same race after a year, because it means that work has been done well.
