Thirty years of stories, we open the album of "Checco" Villa

Between one thing and another, Francesco Villa and I started together in 1992. The writer, notebook in hand. He, with his mechanic's wrenches at Bugno's Gatorade.And now that winter is coming and his adventure in team cycling is about to end, A chat between… veterans is what we need to spend this decidedly chilly December 8th.

For those who do not know him, Having put aside his mechanic's clothes at the end of 2002, Francesco has been a bus driver since Team Bianchi with Ullrich, at Quick Step with Bettini, to Team Cervelo of Sastre and Hushovd, to the BMC of wonders, to Tinkoff of Sagan and Contador and lastly to Dimension Data, then NTT and now Qhubeka which, at least on the surface, is struggling to survive. Do you think we'll find something to tell?

First team?

Gatorade-Chateau d'Ax in 1992, with Bugno, Corti and Stanga. Carminati drove the busI stayed there until 1994, then I followed Gianni to MG-Technogym and from there I moved to Mapei. Always as a mechanic. Then I worked at Quick Step and, apart from one year with Vittoria, I was always with the teams…

Tell us about Bugno.

For us it was a reference. In 1992 I was 22 years old, I was his huge fan: working for him was a dreamThe boss was Giovanni Tonoli, his trusted mechanic. It was he who wanted me by his side, because the tradition was that the old men taught the trade to the "bocetti", the little boys.They didn't work well with others who were experienced, because they didn't have the time or inclination to discuss, but Tonoli was a brilliant teacher. Unfortunately, he died of a serious illness in 1993, at just 46 years old., and at that point Gianni wanted to take me with him. A champion we were fond of. I was there in 1992 when he finished third in the Tour and also when he won the Tour of Flanders in 1994..

Mechanic and bus driver: what's the difference?

As a mechanic you enter the heart of the race, you are on the flagship carThe bus gives you the most frequent contact with the rider. There are moments to keep quiet and moments to give him courage and some advice, especially to the younger ones. But for example Bettini's Liège from the flagship are unforgettable.

A parallel story to Carminati's, which we've already told. What do you remember about Mapei?

It was a family. Dr. Squinzi was present with his moral support, it didn't just give money. That team revolutionized cycling, also because of the technological investment we made with Colnago.

You were still a mechanic, who did you bond with the most?

Molto with Bartoli, I was in the team car behind him when he won the 1999 Fleche Wallonne in the snow. Then Bettini, it was immediately clear that he had great class. Paolo, like Gianni before him, I have to thank him because he created his group and thought about us first and then about himself.I'm talking about Bramati, Tonti, Zanini, the masseurs Cerea and Bignotti, and Fausto Oppici as another mechanic. He asked us if we were okay and then went to sign his contract.

You started out as a driver at Bianchi. Who taught you how to drive a bus?

Giacomo Carminati. He taught me to guide it, love it, and take care of it. He taught me a trade, that's why I consider him like an older brother..

What do you remember about Ullrich?

One of the greatest riders I've ever met, a very pleasant person. He too, like Bugno, was a bit too exploited by his entourage and unfortunately he didn't have a great personality either., as unfortunately has been seen in the following years. In 2003 he was very strong and the team car made him lose the Tour.He wanted to attack, especially having realized that Armstrong wasn't brilliant. Instead they kept telling him to wait., so Armstrong came back strong and won that time too.

Contador and Sagan's Tinkoff?

A team that Without Riis (the Dane was removed by Oleg Tinkoff in March 2015, ed.) it was clear it wouldn't have lasted.There was Contador's group, Sagan's group, the Italians... I bonded a lot with Alberto. He was unlucky in 2016, he was already in a decline, but he was still a great person. He didn't trust himself to leave his shoes on the bus, at most he would do it if I locked them in a lockerHe was afraid of sabotage, very suspicious. Initially, he only let his mechanic Faustino get close; I kept to myself. I'm not a flatterer, if they need anything they ask and in the end we became friends.

But you found Riis at NTT last year…

A very knowledgeable person, who was not understood. I was used to Ferretti and Stanga, I wasn't afraid of them and I worked well, The others struggled and in fact it didn't last. At the 2020 Tour he came to the bus and told me that from the next day he didn't want to see Coke and Fanta cans anymore, because the riders were fat. For me it was a correct observation, the others didn't understand it.

What is your relationship with the bus?

It's my house. I have to clean it, keep it tidy. I'm very jealous of it, I argue with riders who show no respectLuckily, champions help; they are always the most polite. Sastre was a role model. If Cavendish saw any disorder, he would scold his companions: "Are we in a stable?"A bus for a driver is like a repair truck for a mechanic: you need passion for your work, otherwise you'll neglect it.

What was your relationship with Cavendish?

Great, like with Bettini. At Dimension Data it was dying downHe did the right thing by leaving, and I was sure he would return. With Lefevere and Bramati at Deceuninck-Quick Step the only recipe is to pedal, I know that environmentI'm happy that he signed for another year, even with the clause that he won't do the Tour. And then I think they also say certain things to give him grit...

You chose to quit, are you sorry?

I will definitely miss him a lot. But we have two girls aged 11 and 7 and at a certain point you are forced to make choices.I couldn't do 180 days away anymore, there is a need for dad at homeMy wife never hindered me, but I saw that the effort to manage them was increasing. For 30 years I lived the life that any cycling fan would dream of., it's right that you now leave space for others.