From the barren hills of sprint to the sea. A quick passage beneath the temples of Agrigento and towns that evoke the names of great writers. "They call it the Writers' Road – says Rosario Fina at the wheel – because connects the houses of Tomasi di Lampedusa, Camilleri, Pirandello, Sciascia, Rosso di San Secondo and Russell».
From Caltanissetta to San Leone for lunch and back. The 1993 Oslo World Champion in the One Hundred Kilometers welcomes us to Serradifalco, from where he left as a child to conquer the North. If today we fight over who wants turning professional at 18, it is worth remembering when an equally odious (but in its own way far-sighted) rule prevented young Sicilians from running outside the regionRosario faced her and defeated her. He arrived in Bergamo, winning a junior world championship in 1987, then one as an amateur in 1993, raced as a pro for three years, and then left at the end of his career.
Fina's presence in Oslo was dictated by the steep climb of the team time trial: there it made the difference After the 1987 Bergamo World Championships in the 70 km, Fina won the gold medal in the Cento in 1993
Fina's presence in Oslo was dictated by the steep climb of the team time trial: there it made the difference After the 1987 Bergamo World Championships in the 70 km, Fina won the gold medal in the Cento in 1993
«I came back home – he says – despite After 20 years in Bergamo, as an athlete and then as a national team coach, I could have built a life up thereSomeone told me that being born in Sicily is a misfortune, almost like a drug. Because we are immersed in such vivid colors, the call is so strong. It's impossible to escape. I never thought that being southern is a dishonor and so I came back».
Market man
Fine is one of the largest distributors of cycling brands in Central and Southern Italy, capable of making significant numbers with brands like DMT e BMC, after being Cannondale's strongman for years. With the first money he also bought a country house which today is a B&B named after Sicily Bike.
Today his career is on the verge of another great turning point: The purchase of a warehouse in the industrial area of the town will give the business a strong boostHe's renovating it with the support of his partner Cristiana, an accountant who lives in Piedmont and will be returning home in the next few days. When you're a rider, distances aren't scary. When you live next to a rider, you get used to understanding him..
Athlete and entrepreneur: are there points of contact?
So many. The fact of working on projects, the ability to manage a team and the tension of big appointmentsWhen we won the shed, I didn't know how many raises I could handle. I turned to Cristiana and seeing her with her thumb up, I had the feeling when I was at the limit on a climb and someone told me that there was a GPM around the bend. And so we won the auction.
World Championships as a junior and amateur, then three years as a pro…
I made my own the words of Franco Ballerini, when we were working for the World Cup in Varese (The two are together in the opening photo, right around those times, ed.) He was with the pros and I was with the U23s. When you're getting close to the call-ups, it's best not to sleep the night before. From the next day, however, you must be so sure of your choices that you sleep well and work better.I stopped, deciding to continue my activity, happy that my sporting merits are recognized. I made the decisive choice in 2005 when I resigned as women's coach., because I couldn't keep my feet in both camps. I was called up in 2008-2009 for the U23s, but it was just a brief spell.
In the warehouse under renovation: work is expected to be completed this summer. Here is the warehouse, of which he just got the keys: the company will move here The building has three levels: warehouses, offices, and a huge showroom on the third floor.
In the warehouse under renovation: work is expected to be completed this summer. Here is the warehouse, of which he just got the keys: the company will move here The building has three levels: warehouses, offices, and a huge showroom on the third floor.
Fina rider and Fina technician.
Two different worlds. The rider made the most of the gifts that Mother Nature had endowed him with.My drive was such that I could and should think about getting results. There were also moments of happiness, brief but beautiful. The Fina technician had great satisfaction because he was able to transmit his values to others.
What happened to the bike market with Covid?
We've been through moments of absolute madness. First, we were closed for a month and a half, convinced we would go bankrupt, wondering how to pay suppliers and how stores would pay usOn May 5, 2020, however, when we were allowed to reopen, something unthinkable happened. The rush to get to the bikes and the queues outside the shopsWe managed to cover our losses and close the year in the black. Then the goods ran out. China has closed and companies have run out of stocks and even today there is a shortage of goods in the shopsTimes are getting tough again, but we're blessed. I look at other sectors and I can't help but think the same.
What does it mean to do business around here?
Go against the wind, without infrastructure and far from the world of commerceTransportation costs are higher, and having fiber optics in offices is a pipe dream. It's difficult, you have to be used to shootingBut we've been holding on for 25 years and have even reached other regions.
The bed & breakfast is his… creation, detached from commercial society. Sicily Bile has a workshop and a bike storage: the surrounding roads are hilly Sicily Bike has five rooms, each named after a place in his career Serradifalco is located in a crucial position, along the Writers' Road (photo StradeAnas)
The bed & breakfast is his… creation, detached from commercial society. Sicily Bile has a workshop and a bike storage: the surrounding roads are hilly Sicily Bike has five rooms, each named after a place in his career Serradifalco is located in a crucial position, along the Strada degli Scrittori (photo StradeAnas)
How was Sicily Bike born?
It's the house that my father made me buy as an investment in 1992 when I was still an amateurWe kept it to make oil and fruit, but in my mind it could have become something. I stopped racing in 2006 and in 2012 I decided to transform it into a bed & breakfastIt was the period of the very high spread and knowing that my money was there was comforting. Then there were other restructurings and Today Sicily Bike has five rooms where tourists and workers stay during their downtime. The starting idea was also to create a structure for host teams on retreat and in fact the Top Girls have come down a couple of times, in addition to a Lazio junior team that has been coming for three years.
Why come here?
We have the sea and important monuments. We are in a crucial location, 20 minutes from everythingFrom Agrigento, Pirandello's home, to Caltanissetta and its castles, Sutera, and Delia. For those seeking tranquility and rolling hills, we're a wonderful destination.
Is it true that you want to recreate a youth team?
I think the time is ripe, I would like to create an academyI'll be there, but There will be especially Luigi Spitali, my cycling teacher who has already started studying again. The idea is to provide a point of reference for all those kids who want to make it a profession. I remember when my dad took me to the races. I was a kid, but he was already telling me it could become a career. I don't want their dreams to die just because they were born in Sicily..
Last question, then we'll leave you alone. Would that 7-year-old who dreamed of becoming a rider be proud of the Rosario you are today?
I think so (he remains silent for a moment, ed.). Much has been done in a more difficult context than nowWe'd drive up and come back for school on Mondays. It went on like that for years. I was lucky, because I found people who loved meZenoni, Spitali, and Fusi who contributed to creating the athlete and the man. For better or worse, I'm proud of what I've built..
