Looking at the progress of international junior activity week after week, it is easy to notice how at the top of the major trials, both stage and one-day, there are two very popular teams. One is theEder Car which we have seen to be the emanation among the youngest of the Bora Hansgrohe. The history of the Cannibal Team, whose name alone seems to inspire terror, is quite different. A Belgian-born group, it's something much more: a true multinational of talents, with riders coming from 17 nations.
A team that makes originality its strong point and this is already clear from its unique history, told with infinite passion by its sporting director Francis From Mechelen.
«The idea was born about ten years ago to me and my wife, Erika Aliskeviciute – she explains – who ran and who is now the president of the team. We were in Lithuania at the time and wanted to give our children Vlad and Gloria the opportunity to go cycling., but we couldn't find a suitable team."
«So we thought about doing it ourselves, making a team only of our children's peers (Vlad was born in 2004, Gloria is two years older). They grew, they moved up in category and so did the team, raising with them other kids who came from all over the world, until reaching the current reality with 24 riders from 17 different countries".
Why did you choose this solution?
We initially chose young people from countries where cycling isn't a popular sport, to give them a chance to pursue their passion, but little by little, we grew in popularity, and the idea took hold with us. We live in Lithuania, my wife's home country, but the kids are in Belgium following the activity. We are very clear about what we want to do and what our kids want to do, we just need to put them in the best conditions to reach their limits. It's no coincidence that Vlad is the only Belgian on the team.
The peculiarity, given the historical moment, is that within it there are Russian, Ukrainian and American cyclists...
This is very important to us. The boys grew up together, they are friends and the war rained down on them. They are an example of how sport conveys very different messages from those we hear on the news. They are something to tell young people, to make people understand that sport is the right place to compete, fairly, as a community, while remaining friends. The Russian riders arrived many months ago, began training with the Ukrainians, and suffered the war just like their peers from the other side. They hate war just as much, they are victims like us because war has no winners, it only creates victims.
Among so many cyclists, there aren't any Italians. Have you thought about any local riders to contact?
Thank you for your question, as it allows me to highlight how difficult relations with Italian cycling and its federation are. Every time we participate in an Italian competition we always have to present a lot of documentsWhen you compete in Belgium, as in any other country, everything is much simpler. Over the years, even just a few weeks ago, we've received many requests from Italian riders, and we'd be happy to accept them, and we want to, but the obstacles the FCI poses are truly enormous. Let me give you an example...
Please…
At the beginning of the year my Vlad had come to Italy for the Spring Tour in San Vendemiano, They didn't want to let him go, luckily I found people at the Belgian federation who sent the requested documents on Saturday, so Vlad was able to race and finish second. Something needs to change in Italy; it's not possible to continue like this, both for racing and for encouraging exchanges, which ultimately represent an irreplaceable growth experience.
In this regard, how do they live together?
We have riders from countries like the US or Australia, who require a visa and can stay for three or four months. They're the ones who compete in the races, then leave and return later. The European ones have easier travel; they reach their base for a couple of weeks related to the event, then return home. We have a Team House attended by at least 6-7 kids every day: they do everything together, from household chores to recreational outings, from studying to training.They live like a real family, and this commonality also translates into the race, where they truly run as a united group.
Are you connected to any WorldTour teams?
Just in the last few hours we have established a relationship with a WorldTour team as a Development team, but they will announce it. Meanwhile, however, our boys have already signed agreements with U23 teams in the WorldTour area: my son and the Estonian Ragilo they will go to DSM Team, the American Schmidt atHagen's Berman Axeon, but others will move too.
Among them is also his son Vlad: has racing with so many foreigners helped him grow?
Hugely, and not just as a rider. We started racing our kids when they were 10-11 years old, they raced all over Europe, even to yours Gold CupThis has led them to compete in UCI junior races without stress, almost as if it were normal, and I must say that this mental attitude is also present in Italian riders, many of whom, for example, speak good English. I've seen Vlad mature a lot as a person, and this also helps in his competitive career, as was evident at the recent Giro della Lunigiana. Now he's already been called up for the World Championships, and we expect a lot.
Who are the most promising elements?
There are many who can do well even among the pros, but the best is probably Roman Ermakov e I am sincerely sorry that the UCI does not allow him to compete in the world championships, penalizing him only because of his passport, penalizing him for faults that were not his.. He will have a great future anyway.
Regarding these kids, what is your dream?
When the boys were little, the dream was to move them up through the categories. Now we want them to reach the WorldTour. In the meantime, we'll move forward, trying to take two or three boys from each country and help them grow together, not just in cycling. For example, our boys all learned English in three months at most. We're helping them grow together, live together, and become real men. Despite everything, we are also open to bringing some Italians to us.Anyone interested can write to us at cannibalcycling@gmail.com and introduce themselves with their resume. We'd love to...
