Passion. It's the key word for Giuseppe Martinelli, who, at 71, continues to get back into the gameHe's the one who feels the need to tell the story, and when "Martino calls," it's almost a moral duty to answer for us. As well as a pleasure. Longtime sports director of Astana, Mercatone Uno, Carrera... Today Martinelli leads a junior team, the Ecotech, in his Rovato, in the province of BresciaThe call comes as the boys are about to leave for Belgium, headed for the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne Juniors. Until a few days earlier, they had been in Spain, on the Valencian coast, where many pros train and where, until recently, Martinelli had ridden with XDS Astana.
«This category – says “Martino” immediately – that of the Juniors, we're making it bigger than it is. The kids feel like they're at university, but they're still in middle school. There's the push from the agent, the push from the team that always wants more, the pressure from the kids... And at a certain point, someone has to pull the strings." From here, a conversation begins that embraces the world of juniors but at the same time remains anchored to his Ecotek.
"I said never again..."
«You know – says Martinelli – that I stopped riding professionally after fifteen years with the same team. Taking a break from Astana was painful, but also liberating. I told myself: I want to live a normal life. Except that cycling keeps knocking. It's in my soul. But always being in the front row, pushed by everyone, at a certain point became a burden. When I told Vinokourov, from October 2024 onwards I had really disconnected».
But fate was ready to intervene, and in his hometown of Rovato, the Ecotek junior team was born. Martinelli knows President Luigi Braghini well. Not to mention that his nephew Claudio Martinelli is also part of this soon-to-be-formed team.
«They called me in March and asked me if I could help them? I immediately replied: “Not even dead!” (laughs, ed.) But then I went home and told him to give me ten days to think about it. And I thought: on Sundays I'm always at the rookie, youth, and junior races. And it's always been like that for me, even when I followed the pros. Maybe I'm missing something. In short, after a few days I said to him: OK, tell me what to do.
He dives in without labels. "I didn't want to be a traditional sporting director. Better to be a supervisor, an advisor." And indeed, in his first season, 2025, Martinelli had a less central role overall. But we know how certain things then follow their natural course. and if you have a sporting director with a past like that, what will come is inevitable.
Juniors: between apps and fragility
And so it happens that Giuseppe Martinelli is back in the flagship for all intents and purposes. Or rather, in the van, as he says!
It's an international category, full of regulations. But you're dealing with 16-18 year-olds, the toughest years. They arrive at 16 and leave some at 18. Today they have TrainingPeaks, VeloViewer, nutritionists, and trainers. It's like a small professional team. But they're not professionals. You have to take them for who they are and what they dream of.There are those who race for passion, those who want to become pros, and those who stop there. You have to make a soup and get something out of everyone to give to the others."
The greatest challenge, and what Martinelli wants to emphasize, is that his work is more human than technical. Perhaps this is his greatest challenge: understanding young people. And today, that's not easy at all, especially given the wide age range. It's fair to say.
«The first step – says Martinelli – is to understand them or try to understand them. I study the character even before the cycling skills, the technical characteristics. I have to find a connection, and that's not easy when you're a grandfather. To do that, I realized I have to talk about the present, not the past. That's not what they're interested in. Some people know my story, but I don't tell it to them. Unless they ask me. pantani, Simoni or Nibali. But he's not interested in cycling from the past. He's interested in the present. You have to talk about today. And not even too much about the future, if they don't want it.
I listen to their conversations in the van. I realize they know everything by hearsay. But the truth is difficult to tell: you risk destroying their dream. Sometimes I feel like turning around and saying: What the hell are you talking about! When at sixteen you already have a contract or an agent, you risk losing the dream of becoming a professionalBecause you already have the reality in your hands. I admit that this situation hasn't happened yet in my team. But at 17, for me, having a pro contract means anticipating too much. Unless the agent is really good and explains clearly what path lies ahead. It's not all easy, not everything is already achieved."
The retreat in Spain: method and freedom
As you can see, the discussion is broad and profound, and Martinelli is approaching this new dimension with great caution and humility, but with a wealth of experience. Even the idea of taking the juniors on a training camp in Spain is unusual for this category. But it brings a touch of enthusiasm and professionalism to both the boys and the team staff.
«The idea of the retreat was born in the autumn – explains Martinelli – I told the president that, to get off to a good start, I needed to have the boys for eight to ten days. To really get to know them and plan the program. Also because I'm not a pro, they don't have stage races, and I don't have the opportunity to spend much time there. In short, I wanted to get to know them better.
Junior races are real. They start at 90 kilometers and go up to 130. You need a solid foundation. I had planned a typical day along the lines of what I used to do with the pros. Up at eight, down to the bikes at nine. At ten we started with the track on the computer. Some even had a radio to avoid mistakes. I never let him do more than four hours, also because it's only useful up to a certain point.
«Then in the afternoon I left them free as much as possible – he continues – and then I noticed many things. I wanted to let them manage their time. Some stayed in their rooms, others socialized in the pool with other riders and... cyclists, because there were other teams in that hotel, the Cap Negret. But I only went down to count them, to make sure they were all there. That's how you get a sense of their personality, too."
Martinelli also allowed them this freedom at the table: a free buffet, without any reminders. "I might say, 'That slice of cake is beautiful... maybe I'd trade it for another.' But I let them have their way. And it was a test for me, too."
We start again from passion
Competitions abroad, training camps, a coach, a desire to teach, pass on, launch, and protect. For Martinelli, the juniors, as we've understood, are something very complex, but perhaps also simple.
«All this is possible – he says – thanks to Luigi and Claudio and Joe, without me having to mention their surnamesThey know it. They are the pillars of this team. And it's also thanks to the most experienced people that this team and much of amateur cycling is supported. Sometimes I hear criticism: some say there are too many old people in our environment. But let passionate people go and visit them, people who want to do things, to make themselves available, to stay out on Sundays... We had a jack-of-all-trades in the retreat who did a tremendous job. Without these people, how many games and how many teams would not exist."
And on a personal level, How is Martinelli dealing with this whole story? A question we asked him directly and to which he answered honestly.
«The passion I have inside came out – he replies – Cycling is in my soul, in my heart. I just have to make it happen with my family. My wife said to me, “I thought it was my turn, now that you’re retired. But I feel like you haven’t really retired.” Perhaps this interview is dedicated to her. But you can’t stop a man’s passion (and expertise).
