«I had reached the point of not recognizing myself anymore – says Elena Cecchini – especially because I am very ambitious and I have a hard time accepting defeatHaving to work for a teammate, even if I was in good condition, felt like a missed opportunity. The same thing happened if I had the space to ride my own race and I made a mistake: another missed opportunity. It had become exhausting, and at the same time, it was as if the team was happy with it anyway. It wasn't easy to leave, because Canyon had become a family by now, but I had no motivation. As if the performance was no longer usefulI needed to get out of my comfort zone, especially after such a difficult 2020."
The Friulian thus talks about the change of team, which saw her move from the German Canyon Sram Racing where he had been running since 2016, in the Dutch style SD Worx, squad Specialized, even contacted by Anna Van der Breggen, the champion of the two rainbow jerseys of Imola, who will retire at the end of 2021 to become its sporting director.
Did she really look for you?
In April, with a message. I thought about it for a while and then I jumped on the trainDoing the last season with her, for what it will be able to transmit to me, is a luxury I didn't want to give up.
Are you sure you're not just going to shoot?
I'll definitely have my space. Anna is an athlete who wins a lot at the end of the year, but there will be opportunities if the legs speak the right wayThis is a good thing, because if I'm too relaxed, I don't do very well. And being on a team of girls who work hard and have to earn their place will definitely be contagious.
Why was 2020 so tough?
The lockdown allowed me to spend some good months at home with Elia (Elena has been Elia Viviani's partner for years, ed.), but I worked too much and arrived exhausted at the restartI couldn't wait for October 31st to arrive, to do the Italian championship and take a break. I didn't think I'd done anything special on the rollers, but my body hasn't metabolized anythingWhen I went on my first outing, I came home after two hours and wanted to cry because of the muscle pain. So I stayed at high altitude and it went well until the European Championships, then it all started to decline.
It needed a good reset…
And there it was. Three weeks without a bike, even if we cyclists are always afraid to rest, believing they were going to lose who knows what.
Who follows your preparation?
Since 2018 I work with Marco Pinotti, another one who needed new stimuli after the last year at CCC. Now at Team Bike Exchange He's very motivated and calm. We talk on the phone often, every day if the work is specific. I get along well because he checks what I'm doing and if something deviates from the planned work, he calls me and we explain. I can talk to him freely.
How did you come across him?
Elia recommended it to me. They had shared a room at the London Olympics and he was amazed by the fact that the night before he had declared the average wattage he would have achieved the next day in the time trial and had deviated by very little. «Someone like that – he told me – is just what a neat freak like you needs». And he was right.
Do you already have a program?
I'll start from Het Nieuwsblad, without doing the Valenciana. Then Strade Bianche and il Binda Trophy in Cittiglio, which will be my first goalI've been selected for the Tour of Flanders, while I'm waiting to do a reconnaissance to see if I'll race the Roubaix. I've never raced on those cobblestones, so I don't know what to expect, even though the team would like to take me.
World Cup or Olympics?
The World Championships is my first goal. I reached my Zen mindset about Tokyo. I was in Rio, the highlight of my career. Everyone told me how spectacular it was to participate, and at the time I thought so. The reality is that if I look back, I discover that what matters is the medal. So my goal will be go fast and then I will be consideredIt would also be nice to go and see the route, because some say it's very tough and others say it's easier...
And in the meantime, Cecchini and Viviani's lives unfold between Friuli and Monaco?
Exact. We spent the holidays in Italy and now we are in MonacoWe're organizing our life and work schedules, even though we'll be staying here for a while now, with Nice airport nearby, which is very convenient, and the climate better. But I don't know if I'll want to continue like this when I stop. For now, I'm enjoying my new life, and later on, we'll see.
