The interview with Mattia de Marchi and a comment under one of our posts on social media opened the gravel treasure chest. A discipline that was born to experience cycling in a different way, to adventure and that cycling has engulfed making it, in its world championship events, a branch of professionalism. Among those who have "converted" to gravel there is also Umberto MarengoAfter finishing his pro career in 2022 he began a new life, made of normal work and gravel.
«First – he explains to us during his lunch break – there was the mountain bike chapter, in 2023. It served as a transition year for me., where I learned to navigate off-road. Gravel is that fun mix of passion and a spirit of adventure and sharing. I was talking about it with the organizer of Monsterrato (renamed this year Monsterrando, ed.), the evolution of gravel racing is incredibleThere's a competitive atmosphere, but the spirit remains calm and peaceful. The passion for cycling remains at the core, far from the road and its many stresses."
How did you become passionate about this discipline?
It happened in my last year as a professional, in 2022, when I raced the Serenissima Gravel. I showed up at the start without knowing what it was and in the end I did well tooI finished eighth or ninth. I remember having a lot of fun and discovering a new discipline in the process. In 2023, once the Androni was over, I raced mountain bikes, but I still had a thing for gravel.
You got there this year…
Thanks to the place I've been working since November, a bike shop. They have a team, it's called MindBodyThey offered me a gravel calendar, and I immediately said yes. It was a change in mentality. When I go out on dirt roads, my mind clears, you're in your own world and you have fun. Of course there are technical and difficult passages, but it is a comparison that concerns oneself and one's own abilities.On the road, there's a driver who cuts you off or traffic, in short, you're more nervous. On gravel you don't argue with anyone (laughs, ed.), at most with yourself if you fall.
How do you balance work and preparation?
Working full time, my cycling hours are limited, but I manage to do it all. Most of the time, I ride during my lunch break or on weekends if I'm not racing.
The results are in, including fifth place at the Italian championships and seventh at the Monsterrando.
I had set myself the goal of going fast, or at least as fast as I could. I'm doing well and my dream would be to participate in the World Cup or the European ChampionshipI've earned the points to qualify for the world championship, so the dream continues. It would also be great considering how my road racing career has gone; it would be a moral boost.
With this professionalization of gravel, do you still see it as a possible goal?
Let's say that the dynamics of the call-up put me a little down to earth, so much so that I have never spoken directly with the city manager PontoniPriorities are shifting to other riders, so it's difficult to call up Marengo. However, it would be nice to have a few more riders who are part of this world at the World Championships or the European Championships.
Instead, the professionals arrive.
The national team is made up of those who get results. A professional rider has another leg Compared to me, who works eight hours a day and rides my bike when I can. But I think I've shown I'm strong. I'm not against professionals in gravel, but I think it should be an experience for both.The cyclist tries something new, while those who already race gravel have the chance to race alongside champions.
More space for those who practice this discipline all year round?
It would be nice, but this has to start with those who make the call-ups. Imagine having two professionals in the national team and the rest of the team doing gravel all year round at high levels.A mixed national team allows everyone to have a wonderful experience, in my opinion. But we need to protect those who do gravel as their primary discipline.
