Giacomo Fantoni will be the only Italian BMX athlete in Tokyo, then he will retire. We had about him spoke with coach Tommaso Lupi, drawing the sensation (already felt when we met them on the track in Montichiari) that the specialty matters only to those who practice it and a few others. It's not nice to train every single day and make it to the Olympics, thinking that out there nobody knows you exist.Because in the end the Olympics are the same for everyone and the gold of the medals is melted in the same crucible. Whether you're Justin Gatlin, precisely, or Giacomo Fantoni. So let's go and see what the Veronese from Zevio, born in 1991, is doing and how he is preparing, given that Tokyo is now very close.
The appointment is for 8:30 in the morning, along the way from home to the gym. He says he wouldn't find any other gaps.
What are you doing these days?
We're doing a small remake of what we did this winter. A strength cycle to push in the right way and to adapt to the track, which will be long and unusualThere is not the slightest difference in altitude, which sometimes helps. The race of the Test Event in 2019 lasted 42 seconds, almost 7 seconds longer than usual. You risk reaching 45 seconds. It seems like a short time, but it isn't..
You're like track sprinters, after all, so extending a race by 7 seconds isn't that trivial...
Exact. Track speed is the specialty of classic cycling that comes closest to ours.Not so much individual speed, but rather Team Sprint. The sprinter who does the launch lap has the same type of commitment or at least a very similar oneWe have a higher pedaling frequency and for us too the start is a decisive phase.
In the World Cup in Bogota, he scored points on two consecutive days. In action in Bogota. The Tokyo runway is longer.
In the World Cup in Bogota, he scored points on two consecutive days. In action in Bogota. The Tokyo runway is longer.
Forgive the seemingly naive question, but… is the position on the BMX comfortable?
It's one of the most uncomfortable things there isYou can't sit still and when standing you're not as centered as on a road bike. But it's perfect for what we need to do.Even in terms of materials, we are not at the level of road bikes or mountain bikes, but on the other hand We work a lot on individual technique. Jumps, starts, turns, physical contact....
Physical contact?
No other cycling discipline has this. The shoulder and the push are part of the game, but depending on the intensity they can be worth a disqualificationYou work shoulder and elbow at 55 miles an hour, on dirt humps. The nervous system rejects certain things, but if you don't adapt, they pass over you.You have to be mean and ready, because the race is so short that if you start thinking about it, it's already over.
How are your bikes made?
We work hard. Now the challenge is between carbon and aluminum frames, but in the end it's a very personal choice, it depends on how you ride. Carbon is more performing. For the wheels we have sealed bearings, as standard. I always do my own tuning, but for the Olympics we will make a special one with the help of my coach Francesco Gargaglia.
Are you a downhill skier and need to memorize the route?
I have a good photographic memory, so whenever possible I take a ride with the GoPro on my helmet and then I watch the video over and over again in the roomWhen I get to the race, I have to already have it in my head. And since I didn't participate in the Tokyo race in 2019, these days I've been watching all the videos of those who were there.
How did you get started running?
My first sport was snowboarding, and I got my first bike when I was 6. My mother had raced mountain bikes and One day by chance we arrived at the Montorio Veronese trackIt was love at first sight, a classic. The child sees the humps and curves and falls in love.
How come you only reach the Olympics at 30?
It's been a very long journey. I wanted to get there sooner, but I wasn't in a position to do it.I tried in 2016, but I didn't work hard enough. I've been chasing it and dreaming about it for many years, but I know now is the right time. Before, I wouldn't have had the shape and the head, now I'm at my peak..
And how do you experience it?
It's a dream, I'm too happy.
Another naive question: do you make money being a BMX athlete?
Not naive at all, I get asked this question often and the answer is that My job is something else. I coach my team.Last Sunday our Leonardo Cantiero won the junior championship in Padua. BMX doesn't make a living and there are no military bodies interestedThere were some approaches, but the answer never came. I can't do anything about it, so this is my last year. Not having a salary, I can't start a family and at 30 the time has come to make a change.
How strict is the discipline during the preparation phase?
Back from the World Cup in Colombia, My life is full of training and I do practically nothing else. A monastic life, in short. Luckily, we've been slowing down a couple of days now, and I'm starting to rest to get the proper recovery time. But we're working on our clothing, our bike...
When are you leaving?
On July 21st, for compete on the 29th and 30th.
How does it feel to think you're going to the Olympics?
I'm still not entirely sure what's happening to me. It still seems like a fairytale. Qualifying in Colombia was out of the ordinary.. First time in a World Cup final, in the last available event and for two days in a row. And in the end, we earned the Olympic ticket. A lifetime of dreams in just one weekend. It's hard to believe that it's all true and all in all I like it that way...
