When Mirko Pirazzoli spoke about the other dayNibali's Cape Epic adventure, the South African stage race in March which is run in pairs, he made a veiled reference to his teammateThere has been a lot of speculation about who it will be and someone at a certain point spread the news that it was Aru, only to be promptly denied. In fact the honor and the burden will fall to Ivan “Santino” Santaromita, who, as soon as he found out, first broke out in a cold sweat and then rolled up his sleeves.
«I spoke to Vincenzo in July to explain our project to him – says the man from Varese – and he brought up this thing about Cape EpicIt's a beautiful adventure. And at that point my boss, Luigi Bergamo, suggested that we do it togetherBoth Italian champions, teammates at Liquigas and training partners, the same company…».
Test in Andalusia
A step back, to understand better. “Santino”, Italian champion in 2013 when he was still wearing the BMC jersey, is a key figure in the context of Q36.5, the South Tyrolean company of Luigi Bergamo that produces clothing and footwear for cycling and has among its first testimonials also Daniele bennati. From next year, the Bolzano brand will give its name to the professional team, led by Douglas Ryder, in which Nibali is a consultant.
"Everyone's commitment is being channeled into the team," Santaromita explains. "I'm focusing on the apparel front. We have taken the measures of the riders and at the same time we are supporting VincenzoI had also had the idea for the Cape Epic years ago. It was being discussed among friends, and as soon as the opportunity arose, I jumped at it. I'm 38, if I don't go now, when will I? The approach is to make less effort, but you will still have to commit. You don't go with the stress of winning, but you know Vincenzo, right? So now we are talking about doing the Andalucia Bike Race in February to find the right rhythm...".
At dawn on Etna
The two were spotted at impossible hours on the paths of Etna and around Sicily (photo Q36.5 at the beginning). Seeing Nibali in action at the crack of dawn is something unprecedented., in fact Santino smiles and jokes that this time too he is the one setting the pace, after years of setting the pace at the head of the group.
«After the Gazzetta awards in Palermo – he says – we were in Belpasso at the foot of Etna, then to Patti. We had to take photos for next season and in between, before Vincenzo left for Singapore (where he is competing on the Tour circuits, ed.), we even did some cycling on EtnaHe'll want to do well, especially since he's always been mountain biking. We will have Scott bikes, with the same setup as Nino SchurterAs for the uniforms, I don't know if we'll make special ones or if we'll use the team's ones. The staff is also yet to be determined. I don't know if Michele Pallini will follow us; that's all yet to be decided. On the technical front, we'll have assistance from Scott. There are five months to go and Considering I quit at the end of 2019, I have 150 days to make up three years».
The preparation begins
The two are the same age, both born in 1984, however Nibali has just stopped and still has an excellent levelCompetitive as he is and motivated by the off-road challenge, he could pour this into preparing for the Cape Epic the competitive spirit that he will end up missing in the first months of the year.
«In the meantime I'm moving forward – smiles Santaromita – I started training again during lunch breaks and on weekendsWe have a good connection, but running in pairs is another thing. Luckily, we live 20 kilometers apart, so we'll be able to train together. He's in Singapore now, but when he gets back, we'll have to talk about preparation. Also do upper body gymBecause we know about leg pain, but on a mountain bike the arms and back cause the greatest painOn the road, you can relax a bit on the descents, but here you'll have to double your concentration. It'll be eight days of racing, a new world for both of us. The spirit is there. That's why I prefer not to look too much at the route. There are stages over 100 kilometersStress or no stress, you'll have to sweat…».
