"What a surprise! We were hoping for it a little; the route was right for him." Marco Taddeo is the president of the Treviglio Cycling, the Bergamo company (from Treviglio, precisely) which for two years was the one of Lorenzo Milesi, fresh winner of the under 23 time trial world championship, who will also run the road race this morning.
Italian champion
With that team, Lorenzo won the Italian championship in the specialty in Orsago, junior category (At the top, on the podium with his teammate Piganzoli, who came in third; image from photors.it). A fine calling card, but looking at the starting list in Glasgow, there was little room for him. An outsider, little more.
«For us who know him well instead – underlines Taddeo – that track could enhance its characteristics. Few curves, great speed, but above all that final steep climb that led to the finish line that would have highlighted his explosiveness and his climbing skills, also because of its origins in San Pellegrino».
Yes, Saint Pellegrino, his cradle and the family cradle, an oasis of well-being, the jewel in the crown of the Brembana Valley and a strategic base for tackling some of the most beautiful and challenging climbs in the Bergamo area. It is no coincidence that Ivan Gotti, winner of two Giro d'Italias, is from there.
Football and the ankle
In short, in Treviglio (a place where it is not difficult to cover kilometres on the plain), they knew it, but as good Bergamaschi they struggle to say it clearly and roundly. Even if, in hindsight, they have all the credentials to do so. Regardless of any predictions, it's always interesting to delve into a rider's apprenticeship by relying on those who watched him ride as a youngster.
«Our friends at Pedale Brembillese had pointed it out to us – recalls President Taddeo – and we took it as a gamble. We knew about his footballing career, which was interrupted by a serious ankle injury., but we had seen some numbers in him. In his first race he had placed twenty-fifth (it was the Gazzaniga-Onore, a pure climber's thing, ed.) then in the other three he ended up on the ground because he didn't know how to fit in a group yetBut from that moment on he learned and the results were important. He stayed with us for two years as a junior, between the ages of 17 and 18. In the first he had already shown good things and in the second he won the Italian championship which was an immense joy for us: the first tricolor shirt of our company».
Roubaix and Liège
A step forward, caressing the rainbow, to understand what kind of rider Lorenzo could become. "He's particularly good at time trials," Taddeo explains. He doesn't give up on climbs, he's a complete athleteI think he's a one-day racer. He really likes the idea of the Northern Classics, we talked about it often, dreaming, joking…».
It's impossible not to ask its former president which classic he could aim for: «A Paris-Roubaix – he hypothesizes – a Liège, races that he likes a lotI see him as suitable for modern cycling too, where you can attack at any moment. He has those numbers and Once he gets going, like a good time trialist, he knows how to maintain his own pace».
Important comparisons
Taddeo says this smiling, with the emotion and the shock still in his body. He can't believe he's talking about one of his former athletes, now world champion.He says that his story as a former footballer and as a promising young player is compared to that of Remco Evenepoel due to its similarities. He smiles, for don't put pressure on her ex-boyfriend and move on to the greetings.
«He's a really serious guy – she says – with his head on his shoulders, simple, well-liked by everyone and also very competitive. I hope this is just the beginning."
Watch out for Romele
But today is the road race, so we can't help but ask Taddeo what we should expect from Lorenzo. The youth team president's hand arrives promptly, trying to calm things down.
«Many people are asking me this after Wednesday's success. I think Lorenzo has already spent a lot in the time trial – admits the president of Ciclistica Trevigliese – so I would focus on others. While I'm at it, I'll name a name: Alessandro RomeleHe's another of our former students, I know he's worked hard for this World Cup, so we'll all be cheering for him. I'm not a technician, but I know my guys very well».
The sweet but confident look with which he provides the forecast is reassuring, like a water bottle passed from the flagship at the right moment. The president's word, you have to believe it.
