The rain falls incessantly and silently on the roofs of the houses, Riccardo Verza answers on the other end of the line. The rider of Zalf Euromobil Désirée Fior He exchanges a few quick words about the bad weather and begins to tell his story. On Saturday, in Acqui Terme, he won a beautiful race, arriving at the finish line together with his companion, and friend, Simone RaccaniRiccardo was born in 1997, and will turn 25 on August 22nd. If you think about the times we're used to, it's strange to see a boy his age among the elite.
A divided victory
«We are a category at risk of extinction – says Riccardo with a half smile – We are really just a few of the elite in the groupMany teams are happy to do without him; the current trend is to seek out promising young players to immediately bring to the professional ranks. It is also for this reason that on Saturday, going towards the finish line together with Raccani, I actually told him that I would have preferred him to win.It's 2001, a third year, I knew how important it would be for him to win. It would definitely have been more important for him than for me, he has a better chance of turning professionalAt the same time, however, he insisted on letting me go first. So we decided to stop pedaling and leave the final decision to fate."
A matter of the heart
The story of the victory cheers him up, but at the same time Riccardo's voice becomes a bit heavy. So, given his words, one might ask: with what spirit I can train and run at my best, knowing that the doors to professionalism now seem almost closed.
«At the end of last season I was thinking of quitting – he reveals to us – I had achieved good results but no call-ups. I was hoping for a bit, and the team was also convinced that something would happen.. Instead, nothing, dead calm. I had gone fast. Three wins and from June to October I never left the top tenI spoke at length with Gianni Faresin and he convinced me to try again, for one last time. He believes a lot in me, and Zalf is one of the few teams that still focuses on the elite category; there are four of us on the team. Gianni takes us into great consideration and we also have an important role in the race, we often make decisions when the situation requires it."
Experience matters
«I still believe I can get through, I'm convinced I can do well, I saw at Tour of Sicily that the leg is there after allWe worked a lot there for Raccani who managed to place 14th in the general classification, a good result for a continental rider. During the race, I had to stay close to him, guide him, remind him to eat, which isn't easy when you're at full speed and super focused on the race. I don't see the level of professionals as being that far from mine., then it's obvious that winning the Giro di Sicilia is a difficult if not impossible thing. But I'm good in a group, I get in the breakaways, then constantly racing with the pros makes you grow a lot if you're mature enough."
An open glimmer of hope
There are many elite riders who are going strong but for one reason or another are unable to pass, it comes to mind Lucca, Zurlo, Riccardo's teammate. But one question is legitimate, Was there ever a time when Verza was close to turning professional??
«The year I was closest to realizing my dream was when I was in the continental Kometa, In 2020, there was talk that the professional would be done, but unfortunately I didn't manage to get in.Last year I did well, but it's also true that Vini Zabù closed, so there were fewer places to progress to the pros. This year the corratec she will probably become a professional and then there's the idea of Cassani's team, about which, however, nothing is known."
Solidarity among elites
The elite, as we were saying, are few and far between and every year they decrease, and even with good results there is no concrete chance of advancing.
We talk to each other, through social media or even when we meet at the races. We're friends, but if we don't even support each other, it gets really tough.In Italy there is also a certain consideration that you can only race with continental bikes when you are young.. Instead, abroad there is a more open mentality, I think of Fortin that runs with the Maloja Pushbikers which is a continental. But here a 30 year old rider who runs among the amateurs would be seen in a bad light.I think that, especially abroad, there are opportunities to run and to to show off even in smaller races such as the Tour of Rhodes. On the other hand, there's no point in complaining. If a rider wants to become a professional, sooner or later he has to race with older people and learn."
