PINEROLO – You think of Pinerolo and epic stages of the Giro d'Italia come to mind and, view Tadej Pogacar's recent move on Tuesday, also on Tour de FranceWe're in a magical cycling land, where Fausto Coppi triumphed in 1949 after a legendary solo breakaway wearing the indelible white and blue jersey. Just above San Secondo di Pinerolo, Simone Avondetto awaits us, astride his inseparable Wilier.
His star-studded shirt of overall European champion, a jersey that no Italian had ever worn in the history of mountain biking, catches our eye. A brief greeting and then the twenty-four year old who had already hit the mark among the under 23s the continental and world title combination, he begins to tell us how it all began, thanks also to the encouragement of his older brother Gabriele, who continued to clock up the miles on his ice trike (three-wheeled bike) even after a serious illness.
A dream that takes on even clearer contours now that the twenty-four year old from Wilier Triestina–Pirelli Factory Team will wear the blue jersey of the national team at the Olympics Paris 2024The confirmation came just today in the press conference organized by CONI and the Cycling Federation at the CONI Council Hall.
Simone, how does it feel to see your name on the list of players called up for the Games?
The Olympics are the biggest sporting event in the world: it's an honor for me to be able to go thereWhen you're little, you dream of getting there, to the Games. It's a dream come true, and I'm very excited to have made it come true.
When did you start mountain biking?
Since I was little, I played in all the youth categories. I started competing in my first races when I was 6 years old.
Why this sport?
My parents rode bikes, and that's how I started. My dad still occasionally competes in amateur races, but never at a high level. Then my older brother Gabriele, who competed until a few years agoWe always trained together and went to competitions together, so it was nice to grow together in this environment. The bike is not only two-wheeled, but also three-wheeled and I'm happy to train often here around home with it, between roads and paths that can also be traveled with a trike or handbike.
Does the European champion's jersey weigh on you or is it an extra boost?
For me, nothing changes. The European Championship was a goal, I achieved that, but the season isn't over there and there are others to achieve.Wearing or not wearing this jersey makes no difference to me, in the sense that everything is the same as before and it hasn't affected me in the run-up to the Olympics in Paris.
But do you think about when it seemed like just a distant dream?
Yes, I have to admit it. I was feeling good at the European Championships, so I was aiming to have a good race., even though I didn't expect to win. Instead, I did it and I'm proud of it.
What do you think of the Paris route?
It's a little different from the ones we're used to facing in the World Cup because it's all artificial, with a very compact and fast terrainEven though it's not one of my favorites, I know they put a lot of effort into making it as beautiful as possible, so I'm sure we'll have fun.
Have you already discussed tactics with coach Mirko Celestino?
We'll see how to manage the race. Mirko and I have a great relationship, we get along well., he is now a veteran as he should be in his eighth year as coachAs for the Italian movement, however, there is still much to be done to ensure its growth and expansion from the grassroots. Other countries like France, Denmark and Switzerland have huge youth academies and you notice it when you go to the competitions.In the end, someone strong always emerges from the crowd.
You've won hands down in the cold, how do you cope in the heat?
We'll see, I don't know (smiles, ed.). Luckily, we're quite far north in Paris, so we hope the temperatures aren't too high. and that this factor does not have an impact.
Many road stars are also cross-country tightrope walkers. From Olympian Tom Pidcock to champion Mathieu Van der Poel: what do you think of this trend?
It's good for our world and they certainly bring in some audiences and get the crowds excited. Plus, raise the bar from a technical point of view of the races, so I see only positives from this. They're all role models, they express pure talent, and I'm convinced there's always something to learn from them. Van der Poel has said he's retiring from mountain biking, so I think we won't see him in competitions for a while after Paris. pidcock instead he continues to divide his time between road and mountain biking.
What would you steal from the British ace?
Pidcock probably gets everything, because if he's always up there in front it means he's doing much better than everyone else. If I could have her legs, that would be amazing.
Have you ever thought about going the other way and trying the road?
Honestly, no. I like what I do and I don't think I would change.I train about 20 hours a week and am fortunate enough to have turned my passion into my job. It's true, sometimes you have to be away from home for a long time, but I always enjoy it.
Do you have any idols who inspire you?
Nino Schurter above all. Then Absalon and Kulhavy. I grew up a bit during that era. Nino never stops racing, so I always find him there even in the World CupI remember the emotion of seeing myself next to him the first few times and it's impressive that he's still competitive at the highest level at 38 years old and always fighting for victory, rarely making mistakes.
If you hadn't mountain biked, would you have tried any other sports?
I don't know, why? I've always done this at a competitive level since I was a kidI really like cross-country skiing or biathlon, so who knows. This year the snow is a bit scarce, but When I could, I went skiing last winter too, usually in Pragelato.
And are you thinking about the World Cup at the end of August in Andorra?
It's a beautiful track, where they also held the World Cup so that's also definitely on the seasonal goals list.
