All he needs is nail biting. Assist Iván Basso following his boys from the team bus is an intense experience. The involvement of the former pink jersey, now team manager of the Eolo-Kometa, Is it contagious.
Ivan gets up and sits back down. On the monitor, he points out his guys: where they are and where they should be. What that rider can do and what another can do. And again, what is he telling them? Zanatta, the sports director in the flagship, on the radio. The nice thing is that a handful of seconds after his words, the Eolo-Kometa shirts are positioned exactly where he had said.
It's a glimpse into modern cycling, an insider's view of cycling. For the record, the race in question is the Veneto Classic.
Already in the 2023
With Basso we talked in depth about the team, his guys, the Italian movement, the commitment of Eolo and Luca Spada, A true enthusiast in person. The Celeste team's training camp ends today in Jesolo. It's the first of 2023, if you like. The 14 confirmed athletes plus the six gathered (maybe seven) arriving. Programs, interviews, updates with the staff, tests...
"And then," says Basso, "there'll be a break. About twenty days of complete rest. We needed it. It's been a long season. We started well, then in the middle, especially at Tour of Italy, something was missing. And again we finished well.
«At the Giro, after a good start, I saw several things I didn't like, wrong attitudes. But maybe I was wrong too. I kept asking the kids for things they didn't have in their legs. For example one day on the run there was Fortunato, but there was no one else to help him. I got angry, but with a cool head I understand that it wasn't easy."
From Lonardi to Piganzoli
Eolo-Kometa had started off great: first race, first victory. The signature had been Lonardi, who, however, has been a bit lost since the spring. "We expect a lot from 'Lona'. He's a boy with good legs and great potential. He'll be with us next year too."
And then there's the chapter Albanian whom Ivan cares deeply about. How many times has he pulled his ears? "Alba can win much more. He's become unaccustomed to winning. In the summer he returned to success and was often in front."
But Basso isn't the type to dwell on the past. He looks ahead. He has a pragmatism that you wouldn't expect from such a young team manager. He recalls when, for two years, he followed the Trek-Segafredo, covering all the roles, travelling in the minibuses with the masseurs… officially he was an assistant to GuercilenaA sort of "do-it-yourself" master's degree. He doesn't stand still. He continues his journey. He found the sponsors himself. He has a mad desire to grow.
«The most beautiful thing – Ivan reiterates – was being managed to keep Piganzoli e Third. Bringing the fruits of our youth development to the first team. And I can assure you it was no small feat. Each of them had at least ten WorldTour teams on board. I didn't want it to go the way it did with Mas, Oldani, Carlos Rodriguez and Juan Pedro Lopez.
«I spoke with Piga in the last few days. He's a talent. The future is entirely in his hands. Italian time trial champion, top ten at the Giro d'Italia, top five at the Avenir. I told him: “From now on for the next 15 years, whatever you do, you have to do it with the bike in mind.”
Italian teams…
And this discussion by Piganzoli and Tercero is also linked to another topic touched on with Basso: young Italians and the presence of a WorldTour team in Italy. His analysis is profound and well-rounded.
"It makes me laugh a little," Basso continues. "Every year around this time, the topic of missing Italian teams and young players comes up. In the spring, the topic of safety comes up. I don't think young people aren't there, I think they need to be found and helped to emerge. But not just in cycling.An article in the Corriere della Sera stated that in Slovenia, physical education hours in schools are much more than in ours. And above all, they're high-quality. Kids try out a variety of sports. Then, between the ages of 13 and 15, they choose the ones they're best at or are most passionate about. Here they are still there waving their arms.
«We're missing a WorldTour team, okay… but instead of talking and criticizing, come and find out how a team works, what it takes, what difficulties there are. To start, you need €80 million guaranteed for four years, €20 million per season... to build a decent team. It's not an easy thing.
«When there is a breakaway, you happen to see an athlete from a team like ours who with his basic salary ofUCI He earns a salary that's even 400 times lower than a WorldTour champion... We need to make these assessments before speaking. In certain situations, we know that the most we can aim for is a placing. It was the last time a professional rider had won a stage at the Giro since 2018. Fortunato succeeded last year."
Sword Effect
Desire to do, to grow, but not to bite off more than you can chew. Enthusiasm and pragmatism. Luca Spada, Eolo's president, is an added boost for the team. He's an entrepreneur. He overcomes challenges with hard work and determination, but above all with the ability... the ability to see things through, even in the toughest moments.
"Things," Basso says, "were not going well in 2020 with the advent of Covid. The then-Kometa had an agreement with Eolo for the following year. One day I went to Luca and said: “Luca, it would require a greater commitment than expected.” He looks at me and says, “How much greater?” “Ten times as much.” He looks at me, pauses, and says, “Okay, let’s go.”
Spada, at our side, smiles with satisfaction as we recount this memory. There's no shortage of projects to pursue. The next one is Dynamo, the high-quality natural supplement brand he's launching, and other exclusive cycling-related activities. Who knows, maybe one day the team will be called that...
