Le Cioni's last words They brought us back to the World Cup in Wollongong. Over there Ganna felt growing the spirit of revenge from the many criticisms, drawing inspiration from them to move towards the Hour with the necessary determination (Pippo in the opening image Ineos Grenadiers/Cauld Photo).
There was a feeling of two parallel trains, waiting for the switch that would bring them onto the same trackIf everything had gone well, the amalgamation would have been perfect. On the one hand, the great organization Ineos Grenadiers, on the other the man on whose shoulders the entire project rested. Cioni, in the middle, would have led the performance staff and trained the championIf the mechanism had jammed, there would have been a risk of derailment. Of the coffee there is only the memory, the conversation has been going on for more than half an hour.
In hindsight, was the World Cup really a bad day?
I think so and it could have had several reasons, from adjusting to the time zone, to the temperature difference between where Italy had its hotel and the race area. It went from 5 degrees above sea level to 20 degrees in Wollongong. Certainly, Pippo was really keen on the World Cup. It would have been his third: no small feat.. The approach was all in line, we had good references. The only thing that can be said is that he never loved that path.Not because of a technical issue, but because of the bumpy asphalt and the excessive vibrations. At the third intermediate point, he knew he was fighting for nothing, and at that point even the desire to grit his teeth disappeared. In proportion, he digested the harshness of the Tokyo route better..
Back to the Ora. You mentioned a short time to test: we're worried about the saddle issues that slowed him down in the last 10 minutes...
If we decided to do it again, that would be the first aspect. The material is good, but there are some details that could be explored further.. In short, it's not necessarily the saddle. This is why, in his ideal world, Bigham had an advantage. Having no other calendar obligations, he was able to do all his testsDo two or three tests It allows you to train your muscles, really adapting to the type of effort and to identify critical issues.
In the meantime, the UCI has changed the technical regulations, allowing larger athletes to raise their time trial handlebars, closing their hands and head more tightly.
And this is one of the reasons why the record had to be made in 2022. The talk of the change came up after the Tour and at that point the date had been set. We could have decided to postpone, but we didn't know if the new position would be more profitable.It was necessary to restart all the tests in the tunnel. Furthermore, it would have meant nullifying Pinarello's work. We also went straight out of respect., but this meant sparking controversy for the day. In the end, however, it seems the plan worked.
What did the Hour mean for the Ineos Grenadiers?
We went to Grenchen with an unusual staff. There was a significant marketing component, but they never interfered with the technical area. I coordinated the performance part, between Ineos, Team Italia and FilippoWe were 3-4. Italy had Villa, plus Giovanni Carini, Fred Morini, and Piero Baffi in the middle. It's the team that chose Goofy.
When did he do it?
A year ago we asked him who he would have wanted by his side. He immediately spoke about Villa on the trackside and a mechanic from the national teamDiego Costa himself, a mechanic at Ineos, had said that it would have been better to have someone who was an expert on the track. Our performance staff had worked with Bigham before and knew what to expect.. Here too, Bigham's experience was important, having played 4-5 official Ore and at least 3 in training. We were in complete darkness.
Were there any unexpected events?
Someone who doesn't even know Goofy (smiles, ed.). One of the guys from the performance took the bike that same day to check that everything was okay and he came back saying that there was a little noise in the movement boxThey started taking it all apart and were going crazy, when they realized that it was due to a plastic cap on the cranksetIt was a check done on purpose: It's better that it happened to him than to Pippo during the attempt...
If you hadn't broken the record on your first attempt or there had been a technical problem, would you have tried again the next day?
We didn't even think about it. The record was set that day in Grenchen, no doubt about that.
We've read about the many precautions you should take when it comes to chain and sprockets.
The chain had also turned the day before. As for the sprocket, however, Muc-Off said the treatment only lasts for an hour and 15 minutesStarting with the sponsors, everyone did their part. Pippo was directly involved in the choice of relationshipsEverything would be decided in Friday's test. The question was between 65 and 66. Which would be best for that speed?
What do you think?
The 65 he raced with perhaps saved him in the moment of crisis. The 66 might have allowed him to maintain a more constant speedOf course, Pippo wasn't flawless in pacing. But it could be that having pain, in the end he was unable to express himself.
It seems that from this Hour you have learned what is needed to do the next…
It's impossible that you learn nothing from the first time. It's an extreme experience in a controlled environment, where you are forced to maintain a fixed position that you cannot simulate on the road. From this Hour we have identified a series of points where improvement could be made.
What kind of experience was it for you?
As a coach it wasn't easy. There were a thousand questions and everyone was nervous, while I was super sure.If Filippo had said he wanted to do it, being a rider for whom the head counts a lot, for me it was the guarantee that he would set the recordI've always said, I would have signed it sooner. Then maybe it will be beaten, but Anyone who decides to try it will have to invest a lot of time and resources..
Who do you see having a good chance?
There is a lot of talk about Kung, I also see ethan hayter, who has that kind of attitude. Evenepoel and Van Aert would have to sacrifice a lot of their preparation, because maybe they have the power, but not the technical adaptation to the track. And then above all, whoever the rider is, he should have a team behind you that believes in youNot many would do what Pinarello did for us. One thing is certain: there was nothing remedied or adapted. Ganna had top material, with wheels even built for that frame.
How important is track adaptation?
A lot. In the final part, even Ganna who is a specialist has become a bit disunited and has lost some of his lineI imagine that if someone doesn't have this attitude, it's a moment before they become disunited and run 200 meters more.
We get up as it's starting to get dark. The notebook is full of notes. Not that we'd ever thought so, but from Cioni's story... It is clear that Ganna's journey into the Hour was much longer than those 60 minutes.And that the many controversies over the date weren't based on knowledge of the facts, but rather on simply browsing the calendar. As if it really meant spending an hour between races...
The first part
The first part of the interview with Cioni on Filippo Ganna's Hour record was published on November 16th and can be consulted at this link.
