Sometimes, in the typical scrolling of social media, we stumble upon something that catches our attention, that captures it. One winter afternoon, we happen to see the starting list for the 1979 Giro della Bassa Lunigiana shared. In that great succession of names that then wrote the history of that cycling there was that of Davide CassaniIn the late 70s, he was in his second year as a junior, on the cusp of becoming a professional cyclist. It was the fifth edition of what has now become the current Tour of Lunigiana, but already at the time it deserved the nickname Race of Future Champions.
«I've run the Giro della Bassa Lunigiana, as it was called at the time – says Cassani – twice. The first in 1978, the second in the following year: 1979I remember that it was my first experience in a stage race and I had the feeling of having grown up. In one stage I even came in third, behind Bontempi and Ciuti».
Growing up
46 years have passed since that first time, but the atmosphere at the Giro della Bassa Lunigiana was already one of important cycling. Even if we were far from feeling like we had arrived there was a long way to go before seeing your name among the professionals.
«It was a first taste of what it meant to take part in a major race. – continues Davide Cassani – because we were sleeping outside, we had masseurs in tow. In short, it was a truly important event. It was the benchmark stage race in the category, as it is nowThe main emotion that moved us was the pride of wearing the jersey of the regional representative, in my case of Emilia-Romagna. For a 17 or 18 year old boy it was the best. Also because not everyone, including me, was able to wear the national team jersey. There were starting to be important events, like the Peace Race and the World Cup, but there were certainly not as many as there are now."
What feelings did a boy feel when he took part in the Giro della Bassa Lunigiana?
Being on the right path, rushing to certain appointments allowed you to smell the scent of a dream. For me, taking part in that race was a goal, you knew you had a good chance of making it as an amateur. That year (1979, ed.) I was riding for one of the strongest teams and had won nine races. Even as a representative of Emilia-Romagna we were among the favouritesGiardini and Federico Longo ran with me. Two true champions of the time.
Did you feel the attention around you growing?
Yes. Also because the first year I participated (1978, ed.) he called us, at the beginning of the season, the head of the Regional Committee to give us a sort of agenda to fill inWe had to write down the kilometers we'd covered and send them back to the Committee at the end of the year. It was our first contact with the Federation's top brass.
In short, you understood the importance of the moment…
You felt like you were being watched, but at 17 or 18 you start to understand what you can do when you grow up. However, already at that time, going strong among the juniors was a good sign..
What do you remember about the race?
We had a great team. We also had a Lombard with us: Maurizio Conti, known as "Garibaldi." He was part of our regional team, but for the rest of the year he was an opponent. We clashed with him and He often managed to win. I also remember that the final stage of that edition, a time trial on Monte Marcello, was almost cancelled due to a fire. They managed to do it, but in some areas the liquid used to put out the flames was still on the road.
Even back then, did the Giro della Lunigiana open up a window of opportunity for professional cycling?
It was unthinkable for a junior to turn professional, the workloads were far different. Now this happens with more frequency because the boys are trained much more preparedSome of them, like Bardiani, have a good under-23 schedule. However, I think that certain choices must be made carefully.. The I have to team up They are a valuable resource, but they do not automatically open the doors to professionalism.
You have to weigh the choice carefully…
Especially since our first year as under-23s coincides with our last year of school. This is also a factor to take into consideration when deciding what to do at the end of the junior category. Maybe it could be useful to land in a I have to team up in the year following graduation.
