With the technical commissioner of the Italian national mountain bike team, Mirko Celestine, we left off in May. At that time the coach expected some important calls from the boys and girls he would bring to Paris. Up until then they hadn't seen each other much, but right after that interview the answers Celestino was waiting for arrived.
Answers that, in the races won by Ferrand Prevot and Pidcock, turned out to be a good five-ring competition on the part of the boys, with a bronze just missed by Luke Braidot. Or perhaps saved by bad luck. The fact is that the Friulian, Simone Avondetto, Martina Berta and Clare Teocchi, some more than others, have done well.
Mirko, let's start with Braidot: not bad in the end, considering how things were going. Even if the medal was "wooden."
Given everything Luca did to get there, we left with a bitter taste in our mouths. In the end, we accept these things too. We know that mountain biking is a sport that frequently involves these problems, punctures or mechanical failures. And sometimes, in addition to performance, a pinch of luck is needed.
What kind of puncture was it? Remember that Braidot punctured his front tire on the second lap…
It stems from a mistake on his part. Which is understandable in certain circumstances. It happened in a "stupid" place. We were there, especially with the girls, all week. All the time saying, "Put your wheels there. Make this line here..." But no, if you didn't get in there properly, you were in trouble. And in fact, that rock "baptized" quite a few tires.
Of course, they were coming very strong, there were still many of them and you don't always have the possibility to choose your own line...
Exactly. They were all still in line, the speed was very high, and it took very little for him to pinch the front wheel.
What happened then?
He arrived at the pits and I must say that the mechanics made a good change, and off we go.Credit to him because given the situation and the pace I really didn't think he would be able to react in that way. He came close to a medal again, and he was great for what he did. Especially since his puncture came at the worst possible time.
That?
Its At that moment, Pidcock was attacking. They told me, "Luca's flat," as Pidcock passed me with Koretzky right behind him. From there, the race heated up and I said, "Goodbye, this puncture will pay double." And instead, he pushed hard and got to within 7" of the podium. I could see him clenching his teeth on the last lap. Luca changed his face in the last lap: he was transfigured, but that's normal.He never managed to find a moment to breathe. But he couldn't do anything else. He told himself: "I'll go straight ahead, and if I jump, I'll jump..."
And what about the others, what can you tell us?
Avondetto He was very happy with the trip, but not with the race. It was not a path suited to his characteristics, Because it was a course, as they say in cycling jargon, for those with full legs. While he prefers more tortuous and technical loops, he finished with his head held high. I really liked his reaction at the end because, despite it being his first Olympics, and despite the fact that he earned his place without stealing anything from anyone, he had a sad look on his face at the finish line. I asked him, "Simo, are you disappointed?" and he simply replied yes. A firm yes, without saying anything else or making excuses. And that's a winning mentality. Both he and Luca were two wonderful guys. I know Luca better, I've been working with him for many years now, but you could see in his eyes what he wanted to do. In eight years as a technical commissioner, I'd never seen him like that. He had the nastiness in his eyes, the determination. Every now and then we'd go down to the garage where the bikes were, and he'd be there alone, looking at his. He'd check it. He'd think. Then he'd go back to his room. And back down again.
Olympic stories…
Truly a beautiful, intense attitude. That was the victory for me. I like seeing athletes like this. That's what I want.
And the girls?
Da Clare Teocchi in the end, you couldn't expect much. She sometimes pulls a rabbit out of the hat, as is seen in Brazil for example, but she has done her part. I thought she'd finish in the top 10, but she finished eleventh. We're there. She fought hard. There is a little more disappointment for Martina Berta, But we forgive her because she's young. In reality, I thought she'd be able to do something more this whole season.
She finished 14th. Did you realistically see her on the podium, or would a top 5 have been more within her reach?
From the signs she'd given in the Cup, if she'd finished in the top five, it would have been a victory. But then again, she's young. Martina had a great start, but then she paid for it lap after lap. We hope these important competitions benefit the girls and that they can arrive at the event with the same determination as the men. These days, you have to go to the Olympics and World Championships to win, not to compete. Three years ago in Tokyo, you could feel it in the air that something was wrong. They all seemed satisfied just by being there.
This time, in short, it was different…
One of the beautiful things Luca said to me months ago was: "Mirko, if I don't have the energy to compete at a high level at the Olympics, I'll give up my place to someone else. I don't want to go home like I did in Tokyo because it was one of the worst defeats of my career."
Last question, Mirko, which is more out of curiosity: was this the right course for an Olympics? Many thought it was too fast. However, the values on the field were respected...
The strongest won, Koretzky second, Hatherly third. You know what? This morning I was going to the race course with the other staff members and I said to them, "Now that we're away from the guys, let's make our predictions." I gave my opinion: Pidcock, Koretzky, Hatherly, and Luca in the top five.
I need to point out…
This is to say that although the majority of the students (not only Italians, ed.) didn't like the course, the values were respected. In fact it looked more like an endless pump track very smooth, with all the supports and very fast.
