MILAN – «Sorry Federica, what are you doing here, if tomorrow there is the cyclo-cross world cup in Belgium? Venturelli widens his eyes and hesitates for a moment. Then he realizes it's a joke and smiles. But in the meantime the girl with a thousand talents, on the bike and in the study, he had to put one aside and paid the price for it, precisely the crossThe move to the under-23 road race requires a winter of greater concentration and better distribution of effort, and so one of the strongest Italian riders has hung up her bike.
«It was a good question anyway – he reflects – and the answer is that I decided to take a break after the road season and take my timeIt's going to be a very busy winter with both road and track preparation, so I had to make a choice and put cyclocross aside for a bit. This doesn't mean I'm abandoning it completely, but... scale down the calendar and the number of races».
A difficult choice? It was in the air, but until now it had only been theories...
Very difficult. I've always liked cross-country skiing, it's the discipline that gives me the most fun.It has always allowed me to switch off even in winter, which for others is a period of preparation only, and to give myself short-term goals to try to achieve. But I've reached the point where you can't do everything anymore as in previous years, so the decision was inevitable.
People talk about you as a perfectionist in everything you do. Are you giving up cross-country because you couldn't do it at your best?
Unfortunately, in recent years I have had to learn to detach myself from the opinions of others. I'm not a machine and I have to set limits for myself.This is my human side that comes out when it comes to choices. I'm at university now and so I also have this kind of commitment which is equally new, so I'm trying to balance everythingI started lessons in mid-October, and my first exams will be in January and February.
You received an award from President Mattarella as a Standard Bearer of Labor. You graduated high school with honors, and you're a great cyclist. Perhaps the pursuit of perfection is truly your thing?
They are I'm a fairly organized girl, I know how to manage time. Then it's the mind that counts, the awareness of having to do everything in the best way, so even when I'm tired, I continue to the end. I never considered quitting my studies to just become an athlete., even if it may have meant sacrificing social life. But given certain results, it's a sacrifice worth making.
Why do you expect a very busy winter?
Having moved up to the under-23 level and therefore having to race with the elite, the preparation will be different. I definitely need to have more depth, but I also need to focus on my strength training.There is a high number of withdrawals, while last year I was able to dedicate myself to cyclocross, preparing for the road at the end of February. Now I have to start and so the difference is evident from the point of view of preparation. And I guess I'll have to work differently in the gym too, but I just started cycling again and I still don't know anything about the specific preparation required by the team. But I think I'll know everything soon.
