MEZZOLOMBARDO – Drawing a line and starting from scratch, this is what Alessandro Fancellu did with JCL Team UKYO. The Japanese continental team has become a nest in the last two years from which some riders have been able to relaunch themselvesThe 2025 edition represents the second participation of this formation in the Tour of the Alps, a sign of a high-level calendar despite the continental ranks. Il JCL Team UKYO took part in several major stage races, with the figure of in the car Manuel BoaroThe role of sports director suits his personality particularly well. He laughs and jokes with the boys, but his ideas are clear. And so is the work to be done.
In the right place
Fancellu's talent seemed destined for a different world, with a destiny written in the major stage races and a career yet to be written. Unfortunately, some steps in his journey were missing., after the years with Eolo-Kometa, now Polti VisitMalta, it was thought that change air could be useful. The experience at Q36.5, duration just one season, did not bring the desired results. Despite the promising start at the Tour of Antalya the results did not arrive.
«When you come from a WorldTour, a professional one as in the case of Fancellu and you "fall" down you understand that maybe it's the last resort"Boaro speaks from the small square where buses gather before departure. "He's probably also been unlucky throughout his career. Here we know that there isn't that pressure.It's true that we set out to win, but sometimes we forget that young riders need to be listened to and supported. In our own small way, we work well, like a WorldTour team, because we're very good at planning, nutrition, and training. We're also not lacking in results. However, last year we had Malucelli, Carboni and Pesenti in the teamThe first is now in the World Tour, the second in a professional and Pesenti in I have to team up of Soudal».
Those who arrive know they have a good chance to relaunch themselves…
A few riders are thinking of coming here and throwing themselves back into the fray. The three I mentioned earlier came here motivated and eager to do well. Fancellu himself is proving to be good, also because we have built a program suited to its characteristics.
What did you do with Fancellu as soon as you arrived?
Alberto (Volpi, ed.) had been talking to us for a few months, then Q36.5 didn't confirm it and it came to passFrom that moment on, we tried to understand his needs and ambitions. He's a climber, so we focused on races that were close to his characteristics. As in every team, it happens that a sacrifice is asked of you.. Now he was at the Tour of the Alps, however, he was coming from the Giro d'Abruzzo and could have been tired.
Do you need some peace of mind after a few difficult seasons?
All athletes need peace of mind. A rider also needs guaranteesWe often see players whose contracts are expiring deliver monstrous performances. We should try not to add stress to the work.
How do you see this season for Fancellu?
It must be a transition. He has the numbers and characteristics to race in a professional or WorldTour teamHere he needs to find the impetus to get back up.
What is the intermediate step that this team can give him?
When you hit rock bottom, you realize that after this opportunity, you'll have to work. Then you start thinking about what you really want. Fancellu is working hard and is behaving like a true professional. I think he understood what he had to do. Maybe he got a little lost in other teamsHe suffered a lot from the pressure after Remco (Evenepoel, ed.) because at that timejunior international he had finished third.
Pressure is not easy to handle.
Maybe he took it a little badly because he also has expectations of himself. He's a guy who gets down easily, the thing to understand is that in cycling one day you're fine and the next something can happen. Here too at Tour of the Alps We knew it would be difficult since he was coming from the Giro d'Abruzzo. None of us expected the result.
At JCL Team UKYO found a role model like you…
The first day I looked at Fancellu and said: «I am here». I am available every day and every hourIt's not just about training and hard work, but also about the relationship with the boy. They need to open up and know that everything can be resolved.
A more mental than performance factor?
Cycling is like this now, they are monitored and followed 100 percent. But you need human support, like going to the room and making a joke or even at the tableThis is the team goal when you go to the races. Being away from home is difficult, and it's important to have a peaceful environment. My "old guys" told me this, and I tell them this: "Career goes by quickly and when you get off the bike the world changes"We are lucky to do this job and we have to make it last as long as possible and enjoy it.
