«I have to be honest – says Bennati after a short pause – not to belittle the European, but what I felt when I got on the team car at the world championship, when I passed kilometre zero, was truly something else entirelyEmotionally, I felt it much more. It was a strange sensation, which I still live it even now when I tell itAt that moment, I said: “Wow, I’m really leading the Italian national team!” I felt proud».
It's passed a month since the World Cup in Wollongong and almost a year since Bennati's appointment at the helm of the Italian team car (at the beginning, the Tuscan follows the passages between a screen and the barrier, unable to communicate with the riders via radio). Last night Daniele spoke for almost an hour in a video conference with the University of Medellin, in Colombia, during a meeting called "The Italian experience in cycling". The Colombians turned to the CONI and from here the ball passed to the Federation who asked the Italian coach if he was available. And Bennati, strong from his years at Movistar, he told his experience in excellent Spanish.
Balance time
The season is over. Yesterday was the Tour de France presented, for once late compared to the Line of Business. And while the riders recover from the fatigue of the season, Taking stock with Bennati is a good way to dot the i's and, if anything, get a few things off your chest.Like when they wrote that he was on the verge of resigning or highlighted his absence from the record-breaking Ganna Hour, for the pleasure of inventing scoops that then rightly boomerang back at you.
It's time to take stock: what kind of year has it been for you?
It was an intense year, because it was the first experience. Ultimately, if I rewind, nothing's missing. Basically, I'm happy. In short, you work for a year to go to the world championship, which was the most important event. Let's say that I went through the European appetizer, which unfortunately had a plan and a path that had little to do with us.
You talked about the sensations of being at kilometer zero…
The World Cup is the World Cup, it really is the emblem, the essence of this professionOf course, there's also the Olympics, of course. There's also the European Championships, but the World Cup, that's how I felt about it. From a personal point of view, it's something that I will always carry inside me..
A season that began with the Gazprom boys racing in blue.
Regardless of the reasons that led to making that type of calendar, From a personal and technical point of view it was really useful to meI was able to guide the boys with the radio. You train and work all year using them, then at the World Championships you no longer have them. These were important steps, because one thing is get straight to the World Cup or the European Championship without ever having had a meeting or a tactic beforehand, Another is having been able to gain experience in these races. Fine-tuning what I later implemented in Australia, trying to make as few mistakes as possible.
Does your experience as a World Championship rider have anything in common with that of a coach?
You put yourself completely on the other side and children must feel the authority of those above themIt wasn't easy at first, because most riders still see me as one of them. For my part, In some ways I feel close to them in age, even if there is a 20 year difference between them., which is why it wasn't easy to create this kind of detachment. Let's just say I found them all very intelligent kids.
Your predecessors have always spoken about the difficulty of making choices…
It's clear that when that moment came, It wasn't easy to go to Sobrero and Zana and tell them that they wouldn't run. Personally, I feel sorry, because I know what it means. But at least they were in Australia, it's hard to say they were excluded. While when I made the phone call to tell Pasqualon, Oldani or Albanese that were not part of my plans, I knew exactly what they were feelingHearing those words, but also saying them. That step is perhaps the most difficult aspect of my job. I remember my relationship with Franco (Ballerini, ed.) was one of friendship; he had been my best man at my wedding. I remember when he called me at the 2007 Vuelta and said: "Look, Daniele, I'd rather take my liver out than tell you I can't take you."Let's say I've had experiences, both good and bad, that have made me understand how one should behave or what approach one should have.
Did you choose on a first-come, first-served basis?
If you build your team this way, you'll never have a group that makes sense. You must have a team idea. Then it's clear that the arrival orders matter, because they are the thermometer to understand the condition of the riders. I certainly considered many other aspects, not only the technical or physical ones, but above all the human side of each of them.
A moment ago you mentioned not being able to use radios while racing.
I said it right away, then some people noticed and some didn't. Last year I warned that the only negative aspect of this job is the fact that prepare for a year, then go to the world championship and disappear the moment they lower the flagMy job ends when the race starts, because you can still give directions during the race, you make the blackboards and you try to cover the route with as many men as possible, but It's never easy to communicate, while the riders go by at 50 miles an hour. Having the radio, our race would have changed.
In what?
I am absolutely convinced that Remco would not have detached Rota, due to the legs he had. When the Evenepoel action was born, I tried to have it written on all the blackboards and on all the walls that Rota should not have let go of his wheel, instead when Remco left, he was somewhere else. With the little radio I would have pissed him off so much that he wouldn't have lost his position. And also in the end, together with the other technicians I would have told him on the radio collaborate up to 300 meters and then do the sprintThere were two medals up for grabs, and one could have been ours.
Regrets?
We were a national team that moved well. We always got involved in the plays that mattered and always had two or three men in every attempt.They were excellent; they were there in every situation we anticipated. I'm sorry we missed out on the medal. In my opinion, we wouldn't have stolen anything from anyone. If we had done medal with Rota, it would have been a real bingoWe would have really brought out the best in this national team.
Also because you started out amidst criticism…
They gave us up for missing, it would have been really nice, but this doesn't change the good we've done. Personally for me, for everything that has been done for this World Cup, having managed to build a group and having some boys who really ran together and above all demonstrated that they have a very strong attachment to the blue jersey, that's the most important thing. Certain incessant criticisms have been a nuisance, but at the same time they become a great motivation. Because in the end, what comes is truly all gain.
The evening after the race, you got together. Beyond the things you said, which are your own business, what was the atmosphere like?
It was a very peaceful meeting and among other things for me the greatest satisfaction, one could even say, was when Matteo took the floor (Trentino, ed.), who is the point of reference for the boys and for the national team in general. And he is ahead of everyone, Scirea and Velo among the others, He complimented me because I managed this group very well.. By the way, it was a very young group, if not the youngest ever, it was certainly one of the youngest national teams ever. And he said that it was absolutely not easy to create such a cohesive group. He complimented me in front of the others and for me, well, this was already a medal for me.
There have been days of tension due to some criticisms that have emerged in the media, especially regarding Ganna…
We live in an age where the criticisms are a little more gratuitous than in the pastThey come from all sides. Some athletes are affected more, others less. In Ganna's specific case, it's clear that when you've won two world championships, everyone expects a third. I also had the perception that it is felt bad about something he read, but I think this is normal. However, Pippo is a type of athlete, a man who doesn't get discouraged by one more criticism. On the contrary, he knew how to take criticism and put it aside with facts.
But you didn't go to Grenchen...
It's funny. We talked about it a few hours after the hoax came out. When he jokingly said that next time he would show the medical certificate for the flu that had forced him to stay at home. As well as for the presumed and never even hypothesized resignation, which surfaced somewhere while he was at Bettiol's house discussing the World Cup. If we were to make history according to certain sources, what a twisted world we would be living in? But now it's time to go. The appointment is for a generic next time.Benna will also take a few days off with Chiara and Francesco, perhaps during the Christmas holidays when schools are closed. And then it will be a matter of starting over again. The national team, as well as the next season, is built in the winter.
