OLIVA (Spain) – Erica Magnaldi is a doctor and an athlete. In fact, she is currently an athlete who studied to become a doctor and in the end chose to pursue her childhood dream of winning the five ringsAt first the tool to reach them was cross-country skiing, today it has the shape of a curved handlebar atop two thin, fast wheels. Unfortunately the path of Paris 2024 It doesn't suit her very well, even if she will never be the one to opt outIn the meantime, however, she's set her sights on the World Championships in Zurich, which will feature much more climbs. And she says with a smile that if the 2028 course is tough and she's still in good shape, she'll think about it again.
Erica Magnaldi is in fact a climber, she has the look and the frankness. The climber looks far away, to see the trace of the road on the side of the mountain and understand how much effort it will take to reach the summit. Erica has never been afraid of effort. On the contrary, his trainer Dario Giovine he says that the more the efforts are added together, the better the Piedmontese isWhat perhaps wasn't well considered this year was that there were only three weeks between the efforts of the Giro and the Tour: not enough to say they were completely worked off. So for next year, while still wanting to try again, the idea will be to finish the overall in one and focus on the team and the stages in the other. In both cases, There are two monsters that look at her with a malevolent yet seductive eye. The Block Haus in Italy, the Alpe d'Huez in France..
Do you think your degree helps you play sports in any way?
Certainly, partly also in the way of facing challenges and competition. Having spent so many years studying and therefore having understood that without effort, without daily commitment and organization you achieve nothing, it's something that I then also transferred to the sports environment. And then let's say that sometimes it allows me to understand some aspects of training and nutrition in more depth and continue my training in this area as wellIf, while I was a medical student, someone had told me that one day I would aim to rank highly in the Tour de France, I wouldn't have even laughed; I probably simply wouldn't have believed it.
Block Haus and Alpe d'Huez, Giro and Tour: what if you could choose based on taste or fantasy?
When the Tour route has been revealed, they immediately attracted me, also because they were located quite close to where I live. I've been dreaming about them since last year, I was hoping that this year the Tour would reach the Alps and so it was. So definitely on the Alpe d'Huez stage I put a nice red circle on it. Once I went to watch my brother race and I cut a piece of it, while we finished the rest in the car. But we will definitely study it carefully..
Giro, Tour, and everything else. Given all this busy schedule, what kind of winter are you having?
For now, I don't feel too much pressure. I'm just trying to approach training as best I can. following the loads gradually, working day by day, week by week, without anticipating the season's commitments. I already know it will be a busy year, because before the Grand Tours I'll be competing in some important races.
When is a workout successful?
When I come home and I feel like I've worked hard, I'm tired. Maybe my legs are a little sore, but I managed to do the watts and numbers requested by the coach., doing the hours and intensity required by my schedule. When that's the case, I'm satisfied. I tend to be quite precise, sometimes almost obsessive/compulsive (laughs, ed.). If I come back and I have two minutes less, maybe I'll walk around the house until I reach the set timeUsually, if I can, I work a few more minutes, never less. Otherwise, I don't feel satisfied.
What does it mean to find yourself climbing a mountain alone?
I really love cycling uphill, I often train alone at home and it doesn't bother me. On the contrary. It's those few hours a day when I'm completely disconnected from my phone and computer.I also have a way of just talking to myself and thinking. I often don't even use music, I really like to take these moments to reflect, to think or even just to appreciate the places where I'm pedaling. The climbs are definitely the parts I appreciate the most of the route. Making an effort, arriving at a point with a beautiful view, then enjoying the descent is something that in the small everyday life gives me great satisfaction.
Does thinking disappear or transform when you're competing?
During a race, of course, you think, you think a lot. You try to stay focused at all timesI, in particular, precisely because I wasn't born into the group as a young girl, never feel completely relaxed. I tend to always be very focused and always careful to avoid potential risks or understand when it's time to move forward. There are certainly many thoughts, but they are different from those of trainingIn general, I always try to force myself to think positively, to believe in my abilities. I encourage myself, and very often I find myself telling myself things like, "You can do it." These are things that help me cope with the fatigue..
What does it feel like when you're going full steam ahead and suddenly everyone else is left behind?
It doesn't happen too often, but it has happened a few times and It's probably one of the most beautiful moments in our sport. One of those things you work hard for and, when it actually happens, it repays you for all the effort you put in.
Do you ever feel like giving up?
Sometimes you are suffering so much, which simply makes you want to say: "Enough, I give up, I quit". If instead at that moment you have the mental strength to suffer for another kilometer, for another five minutes, which can often make the difference between a victory and a place outside the podium.
Have you ever given up and then kicked yourself because there was so little left?
Yes, more than once after the race I found myself thinking that if I had gritted my teeth just a little longer, maybe I would have made it. In hindsight it's always easy to think that 10 more seconds would have been enough, that it was enough to hold on a little harder when I was really suffering, with burning legsBut once you're in it, moving on isn't as easy as talking about it.
Should the climber enjoy the effort more than others?
Laughing, I always say that In another life I would have liked to be born a sprinter, because the life of a climber is really hard.I'm not at all belittling the work, skills and ability that a sprinter must have, in fact I admire them very much. But certainly The opportunities we have are fewer and to seize them we must push ourselves to the limit every time. and often overcome it. Very often when fighting on a hill, regardless of the forces in play, It's a struggle to cope with the pain and strain.It's pushing yourself a little further and it's something you have to have inside. I think that climbers are born: beyond physical characteristics, it is a mental characteristic. to be able to bear the pain and grit your teeth a little more than others.
