A track race in Germany, a points race. A wheel burst in the group ahead of her who was returning from another lap gained and In a moment Martina Alzini found herself on the ground with a terrible pain in her shoulder (In the opening, she is wearing the brace that immobilizes her.) Anita Baima fell like her, with deep marks but nothing broken. Instagram photos deserve a closer look, this year nothing is going as it shouldThe Milanese athlete is at home on the Brescia side of Lake Garda, trying to cope with the limitations of her injury. In addition to a broken rib and various abrasions, A fractured scapula is the hardest pill to swallow.
«I had to make that post – he smiles the world champion 2022 team pursuit – mostly because many people asked me why I wasn't racing. Some knew about the crash, but not what actually happened.. In short, it was a competition with the national team. It was me, the Guazzini and the two young Anita Baima and the Sara Fiorin. For our calendar it was a period without road commitments and it was also good to get some points».
And what happened?
It was going well, we were having fun. The day before, “Guazza” had arrived first in the omnium, while on the second day I won the race in which I fell.There were only a few laps left and I had taken three, so the standings couldn't change. By the way they even held the awards ceremony with one arm in a slingI swear, I've never seen anything like this in my life. I'm 28 years old...
Where were you running?
In Singen, Germany, a class 1 raceI was returning from my tour, so I was in that usual moment of confusion. From what I understand, A Malaysian girl, who was in the middle of the group, had her front wheel explode, also involving her in the fall. Anita Baima who injured her face. I also heard from her yesterday, she has a deep wound on her knee too, but nothing broken. Anyway, I found myself in the middle and I couldn't do anything about itSo we chose to return to Italy. The first visits to the hospital didn't reveal anything broken, but initially I only had x-rays. However The next day I had an MRI because my shoulder hurt too much.
It wasn't the usual after-effects of the blow, after all?
In 28 years I had never broken anything and I understood that it was a pain I had never felt before, that it wasn't just a matter of beatings. At first they talked about a micro fracture. But the orthopedist looked at everything carefully and he spoke of a more serious fractureI posted the photo of the x-ray to make it clear that it's not a minor issue and that I'll be out for a while. Ironically, if I'd had the surgery right away, I would have done it quicker.
How did the team take it?
Personally, that's exactly what I thought at first. I had to leave for a run, I was afraid they'd make a fuss, but instead I keep repeating that this team is becoming more and more important to me a familyI like my role and I held a meeting with all the technicians. I preferred to speak clearly. I told him not to think that the track is bad for the road., but Magnus (Backstedt, ed.), who is also one of the best sporting directors I've ever worked with, replied: "Marti, injuries happen even in training. You could have come out of the shower, tripped on the step and broken your ankle." He commented like this. He talked about the risks of the profession and added that he has two daughters who ride bicycles and you know what we were talking aboutThey're leaving me alone, but that doesn't take away the fact that it's been an unlucky season.
How long will you have to stay still?
I will have the guardian for the next 15 days and They told me that it's already a bit at the limit, because a normal person would keep it for a monthWe'll then see how it progresses with the various therapies, to understand what I can do. But I can't move my shoulder, I have to wait for the bone to heal.I thought 2024 would be the most difficult year (laughs bitterly, ed.), but it can always get worse.
The program didn't include the Giro or even the Tour, right?
The team isn't competing in the Giro. I had just finished the Vuelta and wasn't planning on competing in the Tour. But anyway, there are really a lot of competitions now.I would have done the Baloise, the new WorldTour race in Copenhagen and the others in Belgium. Then there would have been the Italian championships which I don't think I will do. I usually work towards objectives and Unfortunately, as of today, I cannot and would not know what objective to indicate on the calendar, other than that of healing.
How do your days go?
I decided to stay here in Brescia because my life is here. I live alone, but I'm very lucky because there are many people who are close to me and have understood the situation.. In short, even from these moments you can see who loves you and who doesn't. The cat is attached to me like a clam, and for now I'm taking it philosophically. If it normally takes me 10 minutes to hang out my clothes or cook for myself, with just one arm it takes me half an hour.My mom is making sacrifices at work to be around me as much as possible, so I don't feel like saying I'm having a bad time: maybe because I'm old? I'm an old lady (she smiles with a hint of irony, ed.), so I've seen it all and I'm not making a drama out of it...
