KIGALI (Rwanda) – Eleonora Ciabocco arrives in the mixed zone and doesn't take off her glasses. She cried and wants to do it again. Not like you cry when you've lost a toy, but out of anger at having seen a medal that was within his reach slip away.Alone against the others. Intercepted by the two French women. Yet so cool as to wait and play for the medal in the finale. She'll say her most beautiful words when she reaches Marco Velo under the empty Italian box.
«I thought I had won the sprint – said the rider from the Marche, great protagonist at the Tour de l'Avenir – one meter after another and instead I saw it appear. I'd be lying if I said I don't get pissed off.If I hadn't made a move, the podium would have been gone. Instead, I made a move, I took a risk, and it went badly. Damn, I'm pissed off..."
It's not the boxes, but it's not good to always write everything down. Especially at the top of a a race that saw the only Italian in the race, astute and protagonistShe also managed to get back after a misstep and did what she had said she would do. Marco Velo Before the start: "To do well today, we have to take risks. Otherwise, we'll be in a sprint."
Bunel in the crosshairs
Eleonora speaks and tells her story. We had intercepted her in the morning, full of optimism and eager to fight. To warm up, she had left the fenced area and a soldier didn't want to let her back in. Even though he had the number and the chip on the bike, he hadn't taken the pass. Velo had to send it to him via WhatsApp, otherwise the race would have started and she would still be there trying to explain her right to pass.
«I cried because I was sorry – explains the athlete of Team PicNic PostNL – because he was getting it right. At the beginning I didn't feel great, then when the race got harder, I started to feel better.I saw Ferguson jump quite early, even though I thought she was unbeatable. I think I deserved a podiumIn the last few meters I went all out, I knew it was a risk, but I wanted to take it because I saw the podium nearby. If I had thought about it, we wouldn't have taken the lead. BunelWe only managed to do it at the end. It annoys me because every time it seems like the wheel turns only for the others and not for me. Everyone says there will be other opportunities, but this thing is starting to get on my nerves.».
Fourth place burns
A mere speck of nerves and muscles, with the same accent as Pellizzari who in the end had to withdraw, but was replaced by garofoli from which the provincial border divides it: one from Macerata, the other from Ancona. The presence of a U23 woman at the World Cup sounds like an economic effort by the Federation and at the same time (perhaps) a mockery. Maybe no one would have reached the final with Ciabocco, but are we sure?
"If you know how to run," she says, "you can move on your own. In fact, that's exactly why, when there were attacks, I said I couldn't throw a meter. Yesterday, I asked all the elite athletes what I could have done and how. But I'm disappointed, because earlier I made a huge effort to get back on track after losing a few meters on the steep climb. And then losing like this is really badWhy did I sprint sitting and Paula Blasi standing? It's not that I didn't have legs. She just kept up with me, and I just went full speed ahead.She did well, but no one wanted to move. And I said to myself: it's better to try to get Bunel, rather than do nothing. I did very well, I can't complain, I had a good season. But I think that fourth place is the worst possible result.».
It may seem like a cliché, but there's a lot of substance to it, and the big opportunity will come. Ciabocco dries himself, puts on a clean t-shirt and cycles back to the hotel.He'll have plenty of time to review the sprint and let off steam. Despite some saying that Italians miss the races but not the smile, Today we saw an athlete born to leave her markThe wheel turns and it's nice that she's the first one to be tired of hearing it.
