DARFO BOARIO TERME – Gaia Realini's smile never fails to shine, even during this difficult time that has seen her out of racing and the top spots for several months. A fractured elbow in training caused her many problems and a few more complications than expected., getting back on the bike was not easy at all. The steps to get back to being the athlete who had amazed so much last year before Giro d'Italia Women's cycling and then at the Tour de France Femmes they are long but not impossible. It takes patience and Gaia Realini he learned to arm himself with this too and not only with his tireless energyThe Abruzzese rider will miss the Giro d'Italia Women's cycling's race on Saturday, starting in Bergamo. It's a difficult but fair absence, as she aims to return to top form soon.
"I'm slowly recovering," she tells us a few hours before the Italian Women's cycling's Championship, "but I'm not rushing myself. We'll see how everything goes day by day. The elbow injury It turned out to be more complicated than expected and very long to treatI found myself having to slow down my training and workload considerably, it's as if I had lost all my winter preparation. Now I find myself with the other athletes who are in June, while for me it's like February.
You are back competing at high levels at Tour de Suisse Women's cycling, how did it go?
It was a first test, as if to say, "Let's get back into the fray." I made myself available to the team, and I think it showed. I was often up front, pulling when the breakaway started, or I'd go to the team car to get everyone's water bottles on the hottest days. For now it's what I can do and in view of a full recovery I'm enjoying doing this too..
What does it mean to stop and start practically from scratch?
That when the others were training, I was at home and couldn't do anything. I had to work a lot on my head, let's say it was a training for the mindI often told myself, "Okay, it's happened to you now, but you can recover calmly without any problems." I learned to handle everything with the right amount of serenity.
When did the hardest part come?
When they gave me the green light to start again, but due to the pain and some complications I had to stop again. But thanks to the medical staff and the whole team I found the right way to deal with the situation. and we will continue on this path.
Was getting back on the bike that difficult?
At first it was thought to be more of a simple injury, one thinks: «The What do you want your arm to be? You pedal with your legs anyway.». But then you realize that many things require arm strength and mobility, and starting again isn't easy, especially when you have to stand up on the pedals or make small movements that you think are trivial. In cycling, however, the upper body (the so-called core, ed.) is extremely important..
This season would you be happy if?
If I could find myself and find a good condition, even if I'm chasing. I hope to arrive in a few months and be even closer to the best, let's say we're at 80 percent.
Can we think of reaching that 80 percent already at the Tour?
In my opinion yes because anyway I'm an athlete who can give her best in the heat. So why not?
For the stages or for the ranking?
Stages, without a doubt.
