Almost like a Giro: 18 days of racing out of 23. It's "the other Giro", the one born in the mind of Francesco Frassi, sports director of Team CorratecA stimulating, different, and perhaps even fun idea, but with specific technical implications.
Corratec, even if continental, has a mentality aimed more at the pros rather than the U23 world. The boys of Parsani and Frassi raced extensively abroad. They sought out races with more professionals. And they also performed admirably.
If you consider that the team was born in a hurry on the heels of 2021, Today they have 12 victories and are the third continental for successes achieved.
Almost a great Giro
«Cycling Tour of Venezuela e Guadeloupe tour there were 18 stages in total, eight in the first race and ten in the second, so I thought of combining them in some way and making it almost a grand Giro – says Frassi – We have a professional mentality, even if we are a continental team and a grand Giro is a bit of a school. As they say, it fuels you, it makes you grow. That's where the rider really develops, both physically and mentally.".
"Clearly I know I'm talking about two non-top-level events and that it's not the same as doing a real grand Giro, but it was close. I tried to get the kids to do something different and stimulating, especially if set up with this perspective."
The transfers of personnel (six riders, a sports director, two mechanics and two masseurs) were a real logistical undertaking. The Venezuelan organization provided a car and a bus (mixed), but thanks to local contacts Corratec had an extra vehicle
The transfers of personnel (six riders, a sports director, two mechanics and two masseurs) were a real logistical undertaking. The Venezuelan organization provided a car and a bus (mixed), but thanks to local contacts Corratec had an extra vehicle
“Tetris” Logistics
Frassi and the team then got to work. The logistics were perhaps the most complicated part.
«A job I did, I went crazy! It's something like 24 flights, 104 boarding passes with the guys leaving from different airports, packing the bags. But in the end we succeeded."
Another significant logistical issue was bike transportation. Usually, for these races, when there are time trials, the organizers require a standard bike precisely for transportation reasons for those arriving from outside. This sometimes happens with top-tier races, let alone these smaller ones, but this time the choice was free: they could use their time trial bike.
«And so – says Frassi – we brought three time trial bikes for our top athletes: Dusan Rajovic, Stefano Gandín e Veljko Stojnik. In addition to the six bikes for the six riders, four spares. Plus the large refrigerators for supplies, in which we packed condiments, bars, gels, water bottles, and breakfast items at the boarding gate. A real undertaking, believe me! And also a significant expense.
Rajovic won two stages in Venezuela Stojnic on the top step of the podium in the fourth round in Goyave, Guadeloupe Stefano Gandin triumphs in Puerto d'Ordaz, the first stage of Venezuela. He was forced to retire in Guadeloupe due to a crash.
Rajovic won two stages in Venezuela Stojnic on the top step of the podium in the fourth round in Goyave, Guadeloupe Gandin triumphed in Puerto d'Ordaz. However, he was forced to retire in Guadeloupe due to the after-effects of a crash in Venezuela.
Six victories
At the Tour de Guadalupe, which is still underway, Veljko Stojnic won the fourth stage. The level there is still decent. In Guadalupe, a French territory, there are several teams that occasionally appear in Europe. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, climbers were popping up everywhere.
In the end, from this away match, they have brought home, so far, six victories, two each for Stojnic, Gandin and Rajovic. The lineup was almost the same: the three of them, plus 19-year-old Panamanian Jose Pitti and Giulio Masotto. The only change was between Marco Murgano and Davide Baldaccini. the first ran in Venezuela, the second in Guadeloupe.
«There were four days between the two races – says Frassi – the initial idea was to have the guys do a couple of long rides to connect the two races and better simulate our big Giro, but the logistics were against us.
"Even though Venezuela and Guadeloupe are close, there are no direct flights, and the unexpected was just around the corner. We took three flights. One was canceled, and the boys spent a night in Santo Domingo. The result: they couldn't train for two days."
In Venezuela always a beautiful crowd On the French island there was a great brawl and a lot of wind.
In Venezuela always a beautiful crowd On the French island there was a great brawl and a lot of wind.
From the Andes to the Caribbean
They certainly didn't recover well, especially since they came from the "cooler" climates of Venezuela to the warmer, more humid ones of the Caribbean island.
But experiences like this also help us get to know the kids better and reveal their true characters. Races, roads, hotels... they're not always comfortable, quite the opposite.
"In Venezuela," Frassi continues, "we often had impossible transfers. Transfers that were made possible by minibuses provided by the race. The roads were often in bad condition and the hotels weren't the best… You had to be good at keeping them calm, making them laugh. In Guadeloupe, however, things are a little better, there seems to be more enthusiasm in general."
Night in a tent
Enthusiasm, yes, but as Frassi said, character emerges and is measured even in these circumstances. After a sleepless night at the airport, the first stage of the Guadalupe was a time trial. A time trial that took place on a smaller island in the French archipelago.
«All the athletes slept in tents. You read that right... like camping. They had set up camp with a tent and a sleeping mat for each person. The toilets were chemical ones, and there was a bit of a queue.
But this was also an experience, a team experience. It's almost a mission. You see who complains the most, who's more inclined to adapt, who rolls up their sleeves, who takes charge of the situation... And certain things are reflected in the race as well. Leaders are revealed in these circumstances too.
"I realize that when you run, moments like this can be stressful, but in the future, certain stories will be shared with pleasure."
Two Garibaldi-style trials, but in Venezuela (pictured) with six circuits and two straight stages it was even harder to control the race… A little better in Guadeloupe, where the ride is slightly more linear
Two Garibaldi-style trials, but in Venezuela (pictured) with six circuits and two straight stages it was even harder to control the race… A little better in Guadeloupe, where the ride is slightly more linear
The technical aspect
Okay, the adventure, but there is also the technical aspect to evaluate and Frassi, as a good sports director, makes a comparison between the two races.
«In Venezuela – explains Frassi – the altimetry was very tough and we were running a bit madly. A more French way of racing, with little control from the teamsThe leader or whoever was aiming for the general classification had to be alert to the breakaways and anticipate them.
"For example, two stages that could have been for sprinters ended up being won by the breakaway. It's not like the Vuelta al Tachira, where the routes are more linear. At the Vuelta a Venezuela, there were more circuits, more ups and downs."
«In Guadeloupe – concludes Frassi – instead the situation is a little more regular. Here too, there's no team controlling the race, but the routes are tougher, with plenty of long climbs. However, the French-style crazy race mentality remains. Even in this case, the rider must be alert.
