The sun rises late from the mountains surrounding the Valtellina Trail, but when it does, it warms everything as if it were summer. Il 1st Total Lap organized by Ceratizite with the support of Kirolife takes us to Tirano and as a representative of the team Ceratizit WNT Pro Cycling there is Camilla AlessioThe Venetian athlete closed her first year with the German team: it was not an easy debut, but Camilla doesn't lose her smile and good moodDuring our ride we take the opportunity to talk a bit and she accepts. On the way back from Aquilone to Tirano, Camilla zigzags, jumps over obstacles and smilesYou can see through the black lenses of her sunglasses that her passion for cycling is deeply rooted in her.
There is no shortage of enthusiasm
The twenty-one-year-old from Veneto recently discovered her passion for cycling and doesn't seem to want to give it up. Thus, pedaling and sliding the bike through the curves and narrow passages of the Sentiero Valtellina, many interesting topics emerge.. It also talks about the "duel" between instinct and reason and how to learn to find the right balance between these two feelings.
«When I'm running I'm very instinctive – Camilla tells us – I don't like looking at numbers. Since I've been here at Ceratizit WNT, during the race, I only look at the route map on my computer.. Just to know when to get ahead at critical points on the course. In Northern races, you often race on very narrow roads, and it's better to know when to stay ahead."
On the way, the group passes us by, and so we find ourselves at the end, a bit distant from the guides but with the knowledgeable Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano behind us. "I'm usually not very good at looking at the roads," he jokes. If we manage to get back to the restaurant without directions, it will mean that I will have to rely even more on my instincts.».
The stop
Camilla's first season at Ceratizit WNT Pro Cycling started well, but then, due to the usual pain, she had to end it early. When you enter the world of cycling that counts, stopping is not easy and she tells us about it, aware that the strength to start again is there.
"It's a problem (acid reflux, ed.) that I've had for many years," says Camilla Alessio. "It's not easy to live with. It's something that limits me greatly when it comes to exercising. All Strade Bianche I always stayed in front, but I couldn't eat during the whole raceAt the Tour of Flanders I suffered so much that I almost doubted my participation in the race. After that hellish day in the hell of the North – jokes Camilla – I stopped to understand what the problem is».
in July 1987
in July 1987
There is no lack of confidence
Those who passed from April to October These have certainly not been easy months., but Camilla doesn't lose her smile. In fact, that's exactly what surprises us: her serenity.
«I want to understand my problem and be able to defeat it – he continues – the team has always been very close to me and this helps to face challenges with the right motivationOne of my great passions is writing, so the team suggested that I try to take this path in the next few months, with the promise that as soon as I'm able to train they'll let me return to the groupOn Friday (October 14, ed.) I'll be traveling to Germany, living there, and working with the team's communications office. I'll be involved in organizing and running events like these, while I wait to get back on my bike as soon as possible."
The companions
The enthusiasm of young people is often like the engine of a luxury car, it revs up when it warms up, when it finds a clear path. And so, when a young athlete finds space to express herself and talk, she tends to tell her story fully.. So it is right for those who listen to him to take in all the information, with the awareness that certain things should remain in the echoes of this valley.
We still ask Camilla one thing, though: what were her feelings and emotions about becoming a professional in such an important team?
«The team was really happy with my first part of the season (Camilla tells us while sitting on a wooden bench enjoying the summer temperatures of this October, ed.). They made me feel understood and understood regarding my disorder., something you can't see but it hurts. This first part of my experience was wonderful; since I was little, I've always wanted to become a professional. Going from the “top player” side and being in the room with champions like Katie Archibald is strangeThe first day I was all nervous, the first few months were like being in Toyland.
«Being with girls of that level, like Brennauer or “Confa” (Maria Giulia Confalonieri, ed.) is something indescribable. It's nice to have an experience like this because you get to know many different traditions, religions and cultures and this makes you grow.. Speaking of settling in with Lach Marta, I noticed a difference in culture, things that make you smile but at the same time reflect on how important it is to understand those around you."
