The hundred years of the Strong and Fast of Trento they couldn't get through with the words of the statement and the photos of the party. It was 1925 when the team was founded, how is he still here churning out riders like the Bais brothers, Samuele Rivi, Magagnotti and Fedrizzi? In the middle there is the history of cycling, which is also that of Italy.And so, when we realized that there is still someone at work who knew the original founders, we couldn't resist the temptation to immerse ourselves in a story that will be in black and white for many pages. His name is Fulvio Valle, currently honorary president of the team, he is 81 years old (in the opening photo he is with the current president Alessandro Groff).
«I have been with this company for 57 years – he says – and when the fortieth anniversary was celebrated in 1965, in that photo taken in Piazza Duomo there were perhaps all the founders from 1925. I joined three years later, but I got to know them. One who did the Giro d'Italia, Guido Janeselli who was born in 1902. The same Dario Widmann, who was born in 1905. Yet I am proud to say that today's spirit, although completely different in concepts, reflects the spirit of the foundation».
The epochal turning point of 2019
He says he joined the Forti e Veloci at 24 years old in 1968, the year of birth of the writer of this article, and this gives an even greater sense of the depth of the story. He says he saw three presidents pass by before his turn came, and then had to do it again when Silvano Dusevich died. And then, laughing, he adds that You can't tell a hundred years of history in a few minutes: years of impressive results and also of difficulties and poor feedback.
«The company is very active – he says – basically it is always the same. In April 2019, my president, Silvano Dusevich, who was a true philanthropist, passed away. He was a person who enjoyed giving back to the company, in the truest sense. They were one and the same. At that moment, we met again and looked around. The board of directors included some historic figures, but... it was clear that the time had come to make a change of directionLet's say that those wise men from back then are still around today, when you need to lend a hand in organizing a race. But that day was a turning point, because young people came in, highly trained people, even professionals who gave a completely modern imprint».
The obstacles of the present
The new board is made up of a variety of people who have enabled the change. They came two consecutive victories at Gold Cup with Magagnotti e Brandon FedrizziEdoardo Caresia won the Italian championship in Boario.
«And yet all of them – Valle specifies – believe in the team colors. Not so much the red and blue that have always distinguished us, I'm talking about the values which from 1925 to today have allowed us to keep the company afloat, even though cycling today, even at a youth level, is anything but easy. Bureaucracy and financial commitments are causing many companies to close downWe can beat around the bush as much as we want, but there are striking examples from Zalf Fior to the GiorgiDo we realize that something isn't working anymore? We try to persevere, and maybe the kids don't understand this. They can't fully grasp the values, they see that there are prepared sporting directors. We have Claudio Caldonazzi, the student sports director for the last 30 years, who is well-known and respected throughout Italy.
«The kids see that there is this activity and maybe they don't ask themselves why they have to go running outside the region more and more oftenThe fact is that in Trentino there is no calendar anymore, whereas up until ten years ago, there was a fight over who could include their own student competition. Thanks to the organization we have put in place, we are able to cope well with the situation, while still maintaining the initial spirit."
Victory isn't everything
There is one passage in Fulvio Valle's story that leaves more of a mark than others. Forti e Veloci Trento wins, but victory isn't everything and it would be profoundly wrong to support it by dealing with children up to the level of students.
"Winning the Coppa d'Oro," he says, "is the best. 400 riders start from Borgo, then the first climb after Levico halves them, and the finale is wonderful. We won it, we placed, but I don't want these words of mine to suggest that you have to win to stay afloat. Absolutely not! We've been through periods where things were really going downhill, and at that point it was probably the strength of the company that kept us going. And that strength is still there now with Alessandro Groff as president, who has given us further impetus. All with the same constructive spirit in the sense of belonging to the social colorsMaybe that's why we've been around for a hundred years..."
