On January 4, 2021, Francesco Ceci declared that a good way for young people to choose the fast disciplines of the track, giving up the road, was find a competent technician and a working method. The last Italian sprinter to come close to qualifying for the Olympics (in that piece the dynamics of the singular exclusion are also explained) he thought of to give its contribution to the speed sector which was still struggling.
A few weeks after that interview, Ceci received an email with which she Blue Flames they informed him of his exclusion from the sports groupThe same communication reached Rossella Ratto and Simona Frapporti, who even received it during an international race right at the Ascoli Piceno velodrome. The man from the Marche region passed through the offices of the Marino del Tronto prison, at the gates of the capital. At the end of the season, however, Ivan Quaranta he was charged with following the speed and, as we all know and as Ceci had suggested, the sector was reborn.
Surprise return
It seemed closed there, instead a few weeks ago in Dalmine, Ceci came second in the Italian speed championship, beaten by that young phenomenon Mattia Predomo. Following instead he won the standing kilometre title in Fiorenzuola, ahead of Lamon and Boscaro, both colleagues of the Fiamme Azzurre. In the meantime, he had started training again with a completely new goal. We heard from him at 7:45 pm a day like any other, made up of office work and training.
«In quotation marks – he smiles – I'm an amateur. I'm a prison police officer, I work in an office and I put my bicycle aside for a while.In 2021 I competed in the Amsterdam International and In May I broke the Italian record in the 200 meters in Moscow, then I decided to stop because the conditions were no longer there. What I'm doing now is in some ways crazy, because I work out after work and always finish around this time…».
But in 2021 you also ran in the Italian championships, right?
True. They were there in September and I told myself to give it a try. I won the sprint and came second in the keirin. Then I stopped.
Meanwhile, the velodrome in Ascoli has been demolished…
We knew this was going to happen, the football pitch inside had to be regulation size so that they could play there up to Serie D. It seemed that the Monticelli team could be promoted, but it didn't happen. There was talk of creating a multipurpose facility using the skating rink, instead There are now funds allocated to build a new velodrome in the industrial areaThe project is ready, the contract has been awarded, and we're waiting for the work to begin.
How did the idea for the tandem come about?
Last year I didn't compete, I was inactive. In January 2023 instead The Federation contacted me through the Paralympic sector for the tandem guide, so Silvano Perusini and Pierpaolo Addesi. They gave me this idea, asking me to try. So In January I got back on my bike for a 2-3 day mini retreat in Montichiari.
Do you have a goal?
The World Championships in Glasgow, in tandem with Stefano Meroni. We'll compete in the sprint, the kilometer, and the mixed team sprint. Then there's the World Championships in Rio in March, and from there the Olympics. The two World Cups are the basis for qualification, but more than the specialties, the country will have to be qualified. The only problem is that I'm now continuing to go on holiday, which will end sooner or later..
How does your week work?
I work Monday and Tuesday until from 7,55 to 17,30 and then I trainOn other days I work until 2:30 pm and train in the afternoon. Gym and street. There is practically no free time left, there is no day of restThe last time I had a retreat from Friday to Sunday, I went to the office on Monday. Same story the day after winning the Italian championship, while it would have been nice to rest.
Why also make the individual tricolour?
The news came out that they were going to do it in Fiorenzuola. There was plenty of time to prepare it and I thought I'd go. However, at a certain point the Federation made a change. Since points were needed for the world qualification in speed, The Italian championships for this specialty were brought forward by two weeks and were held in Dalmine.
And you?
It had been over a year since I had been on a single-wheeled bike, so I started looking for a track to tryI made a few calls around and the only ones who gave me availability to shoot over the weekend were Fiorenzuola and Pordenone, thanks to Valentina Alessio. She gave me complete availability, she let my brother Davide ride the motorcycle for me. It was perfect.
What is it like to ride a tandem?
Something to try. The difference is even more noticeable now than it was a few years ago, because Single bikes have developed to an exaggerated level, tandems on the other hand have not changed that much.Ours is made of aluminum, Bonetti makes it in Padua. The first time it was traumatic, I found myself on this very long bicycle with a person behind it.
Not easy…
You have to understand how to move and get out of the saddle, even if for obvious reasons we don't get up very muchDo you understand how strange it was to change bikes in the last 10 days, to prepare for the Italian elite championship? At first I didn't react correctly, then I started to get used to it again.ie the automatic systems returned, even though I had done the last race in September 2021.
And how did you find it?
On the last day of the retreat in Montichiari, we did a 500-meter test to see how good I was. Then I went from Montichiari to Dalmine, to run on WednesdayThere was a bit of skepticism, but instead I showed up with my best time in Dalmine. And in the end I came in second, because Mattia Predomo has absolute qualities, very high skillsIf he continues to grow as he is, he will reach the top. At that point, I returned to the track in Montichiari with the Paralympic national team.
And how did the tricolor of the kilometer arrive?
I knew I was fine and I told Perusini that I would have liked to try a kilometer bike that I had seen in MontichiariHe gave it to me, on Sunday I did a test on the 500 meters and when I got off I said I would go to Fiorenzuola to winBut now I'm going back to my tandem. I don't know if under normal circumstances I would have accepted the proposal, but There is a good program and it is worth investing in.
Do you think the Fiamme Azzurre might reconsider their position?
Nothing has happened yet, I have no idea what will happen. I know I'll be back in the office on Monday and have my things to do.It's my life, take it or leave it. See you on the track in Glasgow, okay? Or maybe we'll see each other in Ascoli when they start building the velodrome...
