Among the many winners of world titles in Italian cycling, Mirko Gualdi plays a particular role, at least these days, because He won his title (then among amateurs) in 1990 in Utsunomiya, far away JapanThe country where in just a few days the Olympic title will be played, that is, the entrance into legend. Many years have passed and Gualdi's life, since that day, has passed through a thousand vicissitudes, but some details of that race are very clear in his memory and can also be a good baggage of experiences for Cassani & VS.
If asked what he remembers initially, the Lombard has no doubts: «Ithe heat… we raced in temperatures between 35 and 38 degrees with 85 percent humidity. I especially remember a reconnaissance of the hardest climb in the previous days. At the top I took off my shirt, wrung it out, and water was dripping as if it had been pulled out of the washing machine without the spin cycle… ».
How did you protect yourselves from that oppressive heat?
Bottles of water and salts as if it were raining, but above all it is important to think about what you will find, keeping in mind that the climate will be a factor as it was for us.
Did the time zone have an impact?
Not a little. We chose to start early, considering the studies that indicate a recovery of one hour per dayOthers chose different paths; the Dutch, for example, left two days early so as not to change the metabolic cycle, with the result that they all retreated… It would take at least 10 days to find the right setup.
What was the route like?
Very tough. I don't know the Olympic one, but I know that won't be easy either. We worked a lot on the track, Zenos He had studied it in great detail. On that occasion, I learned that correlating preparation and results pays off, and I know that Cassani, who was competing in Utsunomiya among the pros, does the same.
The environment?
Those were different times from today, where with smartphones you are always connected to the world and therefore to home. We all stayed together in hotels, the only diversion was the evening phone call, the difficult part was being alone in the roomThe contribution of psychologist Sergio Rota was fundamental.
What do you remember about the race?
There were 6 of us, in the first part the aim was to place a couple of riders in each breakaway, otherwise we would have worked for the final sprint Baldato. A breakaway of 12 riders formed with me and Roberto Caruso insideOn the climb, there were only four of us left, Roberto still with me, and then I tried to break away and saw that I was alone. There were 65 kilometers to go to the finish line: it was the longest winning breakaway of the World Cuponly Soukhoroutchenkov had completed a superior action at the Moscow Games '80.
Your professional career lasted only seven years, from 1993 to 2000, with a few flashes of brilliance but a lot of bad luck. What happened?
The first 3 years were marked by a lot of physical problems: bronchitis that wouldn't go away, then a broken shoulder, and in '95 a back operation.My first real race was the '96 Tour, where I achieved a 2nd and 3rd place finish. In '98 I was 3rd in the Italian time trial and rode a great Vuelta, finishing 21st, but seeing victory slip away from me three times within a kilometer of the finish line. In 2000 I was 3rd in Milan in the final stage of the Giro, Twenty days later I had an accident that cost me the full mobility of one wrist and I had to close down like thatThat problem has prevented me from riding my bike anymore; I can't hold the handlebars.
What has Mirco Gualdi done since then?
I stayed in the world of cycling. For many years I worked at White, but now I am the sales manager of the Brinke, a start-up born 7 years ago, based in Desenzano del Garda, a job that gives me great satisfaction because there is always the desire to grow.
As an outside observer who knows what the Azzurri are facing, are you confident?
Yes, for several reasons. First of all because Cassani knows what he's doing and if he chose those 5 men he surely has a suitable tactic in mindThen because I also think that a major stage race can give you a good workout, but interpreting it immediately after a major road race isn't the same; the speed peaks and the interpretation are different. The principle hasn't changed over the years: if you work on your preparation and performance, the results will come.
