The “pasillo de honor” that her teammates and colleagues reserved for her at the Tour de Ardeche is the deserved tribute she has earned over the years of her careerOn the roads of a race that saw it victorious and protagonist in 2023 in an attempt to relaunch itself, Marta Cavalli has said goodbye to cycling as we could have understood after having it met at the Italian Bike Festival of Misano.
We can only imagine how much it cost Marta to make a similar decision in terms of feelings related to her sport and, we would add, also in terms of results taken away after the accident she suffered at Tour Femmes 2022. The physical and mental blows resulting from that ugly episode were his “revolving doors”. There is a great before and a complicated after of that afternoon spent in the middle of the countryside a few kilometers from Provins.
But now there is a present, or rather there will be a whole new future for the 27-year-old from San Bassano, Cremona, as reported in a sentence from her farewell message published on social media: "It's time to discover the world from a different perspective and live a more "normal" life.".
Sangalli's worry
The one who knew her well and was never able to call her up for various contingencies is the former city manager Paul SangalliWe asked thecurrent sports director of Lidl-Trek to trace a portrait of Cavalli's career.
«In the three seasons as a city – he says – My biggest regret was never having had Marta available for the European or World CupShe had started 2022 incredibly well with a splendid spring, winning Amstel, Flèche Wallonne, and the classic summit race on Mont Ventoux. She was a star in the Giro Donne, finishing second behind Van Vleuten. All those tests had largely convinced me to take her to the World Championship in Wollongong. In my initial plans, she and Longo Borghini were the two points on which to race.
«I had followed her closely at the Giro – continues Sangalli – and I knew, I hoped that she would do well at the Giro too Tour Femmes. Then At the second stage comes what for me was more of an attack than an accidentAustralian Frain did not brake and overwhelmed Marta who was restarting from a standstill after avoiding a crash. Looking back at the footage, it still gives me chills. Compared to the blow she took, she was lucky, I've always said so. That was Marta's year zero.».
Desire not to give up
If 2022 had proved to be the pinnacle, the path to reaching that level had gone through difficult phases from which Cavalli had always emerged.
«I have known Marta – recalls Sangalli, who was for a long time the deputy of the former coach Salvoldi – since she was a student and she has always been a girl that I really liked, both on and off the bikeI've always had a good relationship with his parents, also because we always found each other in difficult moments. Already In her second year as a junior, Marta was able to overcome the consequences of a bad fall on the track which had kept her still for six months (and more than twenty days in hospital, ed.).
«In 2018, just two years after that day – he continues – and therefore in the second year as an elite, he was able to win the Italian championship with a finishing stroke in the final metres, beating Bertizzolo, Bronzini and Bastianelli in order who were ready for the general sprint. It was a performance worthy of a great athlete. This is the fondest memory, precisely because she had shown great character after the accident on the track. Of course, we must admit that Marta has been very unlucky throughout her career."
Wrong times
Sangalli is right, Cavalli's chances of success are truly high. And naturally, all of this would have undermined the mental strength of anyone, even those not necessarily athletes.
«After the accident at the 2022 Tour – continues the Milanese coach – It seemed like he was on the road to recovery, but instead a real ordeal began because new problems and complications would arise with a certain frequency. Despite everything, Marta in 2023 she managed to find a good level by winning four races, which were not at all easy (stage and overall at both the Tour des Pyrénées and the Ardeche, ed.), reaching the podium at the Italian championships time trial and road race and competing in both the Giro and the Tour. Last year, however, a couple of days before the Giro Women's cycling, she was hit by a driver and ended up in hospital.
«It's obvious – says Sangalli bitterly – that all these circumstances destabilize you, in light of the current cyclingMarta was a complete rider, but she always had to chase the best condition from 2022 onwards. I would say, if you'll allow me a pun, that Marta's great misfortune was to be unlucky at the wrong timeIn cycling these days, it's very difficult to recover well and quickly from any injury, especially a serious one. I'm also thinking of Elisa Balsamo, for example. It takes time to get back to a really high level and now you can't run to prepare.. You have to be ready already."
A treasure not to be missed
When a person retires from being an athlete early, the goal might be to not squander everything they have learned and have to teach to younger generations.
"Marta is extremely intelligent and well-prepared," Sangalli emphasizes, "and will be able to do whatever she wants away from racing. Let's take into account that being a member of the Fiamme Oro, therefore with the State Police, I am sure that she will be able to carry out a certain roleThis is why her retirement from racing makes me feel at peace and happy for her. She's been able to overcome some very serious problems as a rider, and for this reason I think her life will be easier.
"Maybe," Sangalli concludes, making a heartfelt wish, "she'll turn her mother's passion for cooking and baking into a career (smiles, ed.). Jokes aside, I wish Marta the best, but above all, I would like it to be taken as an example for the youth female categoriesI remember that during national team training camps and after races, I often discussed her vision with her. She was a role model in this regard, too. I don't know if anyone will want to involve her in the future, but her experience must not be wasted.».
