There is no doubt that for Rino De Candido the end of 2021 brought a profound change in his profession, but also in his life because What emerges from his words is the feeling of a new man, almost mentally freed from those tensions that, especially in recent times, had characterised his experience among the juniors.. De Candido has moved to the sector paraclean, discovering a whole new world.
Even though he had been involved in youth cycling for many years, De Candido did not feel the impact, indeed he threw himself into his new role with renewed enthusiasm: «We have already had several meetings with athletes and clubs, we made an initial contact in Verona at the beginning of the year and a training camp of almost a week in Montichiari for the track. Well, the track sector is precisely what the federation placed emphasis on when I was appointed, it had been left aside a bit».
Actually to Tokyo 2020, despite great victories and medals on the road, we were not there on the track, and yet so many medals were awarded…
In fact, the matter hadn't gone unnoticed, and it was understood that it needed to be addressed again, with the aim of strengthening the sector. we will be present at all the major events, then we'll see if anyone will also be able to get a ticket for Paris 2024There's very little time available, but who knows, that's the goal.
You find yourself facing a very big job, precisely because you entered at the beginning of an Olympic four-year period that is not such.
Time was tight, so there was no room for hesitation. We will have a meeting every month until the Track World Championships in October in Roubaix and during the year I will also have the opportunity to understand this beautiful world.. However, I have already formed an idea: beyond the many victories achieved, we must raise the bar, get closer to the examples we find abroad, where there are continental teams dedicated to paracycling, tandems with ex-pro riders, athletes who make cycling almost a profession, with mental coaches, nutritionists, trainersIf we want to keep up, we have to adapt; it's no longer a promotional sector.
Do you think we can get there in Italy?
The interest of Bardiani It's a starting point; he'll collaborate with a paracycling company. This is the right path. We need to make this sector almost professional because the athletes already are. I have met boys with frightening determination, exceptional boys who were not at all limited by their accidents and disabilities. I've met examples of people who immediately clicked. A term often used when referring to these kids is "normality": I can assure you that they are perfectly normal kids, who face the challenges of their situation with incredible determination. That's why I have a project in mind...
What?
I would like the boys to train together with the able-bodied ones from the national team.I'm convinced that proximity would benefit both groups and be a great boost. We're talking about it.
How healthy is the movement? While we're certainly at the forefront in terms of our champions, how are we doing at the grassroots level?
There are so many clubs, and this fact impressed me. I was also used to seeing paracycling from the outside, knowing a few people, but once you immerse yourself in the environment, the perception is different. We are certainly very well placed in handcycling, a little less so in Paralympic cycling.I reiterate, however, that it's time to take a further step forward, to create a different, more professional mentality; there are every possibility.
What environment did you find?
Very handsome, cheerful, free from the limitations imposed by obvious physical problems that one would expect. I won't deny that, when they first brought the idea to me, I hesitated a bit, but all things considered, I'm happy with the choice. They live the sport without pressure, yet they have incredible determination, an extraordinary desire to succeed. I'll say one thing: if in other categories they put only half their determination to emerge, we would be full of champions...
What will be the main commitments of the season?
A very rich year awaits us, with first the World Cup trials in Holland and Germany, the European Championships in May in Austria, then another World Cup stage and the World Championships in Canada and finally the Track World Championships in France. Not to mention the regular schedule, with races practically every Sunday. There'll be a lot of traveling to follow the activity, but I wish it was covered more by the media, who only remember these guys when they bring home Olympic medals. But that's an old story...
It is also true that up to now Paralympic cycling has stood out above all for its victories and personalities starting with Alex Zanardi...
It's true, but the federation Now it's really moving forward, it's included Paralympic cycling in all sectors, both on and off-road. There's a lot to do, I know that, and I won't back down.
