The third Masciarelli brother, the youngest: Francesco, born in 1986. Served a nephew as strong in cross-country as Lorenzo To reconnect with his Abruzzo family and discover that his father, Simone, the first of the dynasty, has moved the family to Belgium to be with his son. Andrea, the middle son, works in the bike shop. Meanwhile, Francesco, the talented climber who won the Giro del Lazio and tamed Mont Faron, has returned from America and is working as a bike trainer. His role, in fact, came out while talking with his brother Simone and with Engagement about Gaia Realini.
Masciarelli's Bar, a place for sports and entertainment Sports bar, cycling at the heart of everything Dozens of beers and that bike in the background His son Riccardo was two years old when the family moved to the USA A sporty selfie during Cassani's two-week visit An American toast with the father-in-law named Francesco This is the Swiss who brought him back to the sport Beauties at the bar: the brunette on the right is his wife Francesca This photo makes you want to leave
Masciarelli's Bar, a place for sports and entertainment Sports bar, cycling at the heart of everything Dozens of beers and that bike in the background A sporty selfie during Cassani's two-week visit His son Riccardo was two years old when the family moved to the USA An American toast with the father-in-law named Francesco This is the Swiss who brought him back to the sport Beauties at the bar: the brunette on the right is his wife Francesca This photo makes you want to leave
Escape to the USA
In short, the curiosity to have them tell us how much the two young Italians are worth is strong, but first there is his storyBecause Francesco was truly strong, but he stopped running in 2012, due to a small benign tumor that caused problems under stress. So, disappointed and furious, he hung up his bike and disappeared..
«I took my things and the money I had saved while running – he says – and left for California. I liked going there on holiday in the winter, but that time it was to never return.I was leaving cycling with regret for what my career could have been. It was an escape from disappointment».
What did you go to do?
I invested in a sports bar in Encinitas, a seaside town north of San Diego. Twenty-five degrees all year round, a paradise. I had a four year experience and it was worth it, even though it cost me a lot personally and financially. I didn't speak English. There were days when I feared I'd never make it, then suddenly the wheel turned.
What did sports bar mean and what was it called?
It was called QBR, GoodfellasThe television was always on with sports images. Bikes on the walls. Italian food, pizza, and lots of cycling.At first, no one knew I was a former athlete, also because I hadn't told anyone. Then word got around that I had run at Astana and I became an attraction.Until one day a Swiss man, a friend of Cancellara's, arrived. Perhaps he didn't believe I had run, because he started asking questions, but eventually we became friendsHe was the one who brought back my passion for training. I took courses at the University of San Diego, where they teach multi-discipline starting from surfing. And so I started training a small group of athletes.
Why did you come back?
Because the business was tied to the visa. I had to sell the businessI found myself going from entrepreneur to manager, from pizza chef to waiter, and I realized things couldn't work out. Plus, there had been some health problems in my wife's family, and we eventually returned. It was 2016.
Did you start training right away?
A bit with what I had studied there, a bit by doing Sports Sciences which I should finish by March and participating in the course ofUCI in Aigle. Before I relied on the family shop, now I have my own studioSome local pros are coming over and I continue to coach remotely with some Americans. Plus, there's Lorenzo, Gaia Realini and for a while there was also ciccone.
How much is your nephew Lorenzo worth?
He's growing up with the brakes on. It's like he's still playing. Quality is achieved without too much quantity, which will have to start soon. The world has changed. When I was a junior, in 2004, I used to train 12 hours a week, now I do even 20 and distances of 130-140 kilometersWe talked about it in Aigle.
What did you talk about?
It's as if they were crushing the U23s towards the juniors and eventually the category will disappear. It remains to be seen how long the current prevailing phenomena will last. You will become a professional from the juniorsThen there will always be someone who is an exception, like Valverde. I had the same trainer as him. He did 7,3 watts/kg from February to October, a champion.
Will Lorenzo race on the road with the same team?
Yes, with the risk of a poor calendar. They were supposed to do Ghent and Flanders Juniors, but apparently they won't organize them. It would have been nice if they had also played in the World Cup. The good thing about being in Belgium is that the continental championships up there aren't like ours, the few that remain, but are almost all satellites of big teams. So if you stand out as a junior, you'll almost certainly find a place in the sun.Here, on the other hand, if you spend two years as an U23, then it's hard to get out of it.
There was talk about Deceuninck-Quick Step.
He is now one of the De Clercq family, who has connections with everyone. If he proves his worth, he won't have any problems.Deceuninck doesn't care about cross, but it's also true that the real money is on the road. And it's also true that cross is now followed by many more people, thanks to VdP and Van Aert. Once upon a time, the World Championship was almost never broadcast live…
What talents does your nephew have?
He doesn't take after any of his three brothers, but rather his grandfather. An old-school cyclist, he still goes out on his bike even when it's cold, wrapped up properly, with a couple of inches of whiskey in his water bottle. Lorenzo is a good sprinter, he has a lot to say in time trials and he is good on climbs.
How well?
When Ciccone is in Abruzzo, we always do mass testingWe go to Passo Lanciano with a small group of 20 athletes, we do some work and then we take our time, because in Abruzzo that's the climb where you wring your neck. Being under 30 minutes is already a good time. Giulio did 26 minutes, Lorenzo is under 30 minutes. Gaia Realini and her 48 kilos did 33 minutes.As a junior, I never did Passo Lanciano, to give you an idea of how much the world has changed.
Is Gaia that strong?
Gaia is the most badass and determined athlete I knowShe says she's always fine, no matter what job you offer her, so much so that you have to be careful not to overtrain. She would never stop. She doesn't really like the road, but I'm convinced that he will show us his strength on the climb.
Will cross-country give you any advantages?
Multidiscipline works, paying attention to periodizationThey take more breaks during the season so they can recover. With women, you have to put the brakes on in training because they are hormonally particular. Instead, with men you have to give quality and quantity in the right measure, even at the cost of... Reverse the work phases. Quality over quantity, Sky-style..
Explains…
Lorenzo and I start to build the foundations of cross-country skiing with medium/long training sessions in July and August. In September-October we do the qualitative part and when you have to go on the road after the cross, the quality decreases and the quantity increasesSo, it's the opposite of road racers who train until December and then start doing specific work. The risk of overtraining is just around the corner, so they need to be monitored carefully.
Fidanza explained that Gaia will try to exploit her cross-country ability on the road…
Correct, then he will need a recovery period to prepare for the Giro d'ItaliaWorking with her and Giulio makes you understand that not everyone has the same drive.
About Giulio…
I started following him in 2017, but when he switched to Trek I had to stop And I've started studying again. The idea might be to join a team, trying to understand the constraints. I'll think about it after graduation.
And can you still play sports? Has that problem been overcome?
No, it's always there. But in the meantime I have participated in three IronmansI came in second overall in one, in England. In Cervia I won my category, after a couple of months of training, because I can't do more. For the rest, I look after my boys and never go to the racesI don't like to be too much in the middle.
