The World Athletics Championships kicked off this morning in Budapest, and there's a cyclist who will not only be watching them with particular attention, but who could have competed in them. Francesca Tommasi was a middle-distance rider in the Army until last December, far from anonymous, then various physical vicissitudes led her to cycling (in the opening photo Ossola).
In his first competitive life, the 25 year old from Palazzolo di Sona in Verona was a promising athlete thanks to several Italian titles and a series of good results obtained with the national team. Now his current life is with the Mendel bacon and his determination goes beyond what might seem like a gamble. With the team of Renato Pirrone participated in the last Giro Donne where she joined the ranks of women coming from other sports. In that respect, Tommasi was in good company at the Giro d'Italia. Just to name a few, American Ewers (fourth overall) comes from soccer, while German Niedermaier (winner of the fifth stage in Ceres) comes from cross-country skiing. And so, after a training session around her hometown,, we wanted to get to know Francesca better, who, thanks to her medical studies, also has another point in common with several athletes in the group.
Let's start with the recent races. How did they go?
I'd say pretty good. Last Sunday in Vittorio Veneto, Tonetti won, and I finished eighth in his chasing group. It's a shame because when the decisive breakaway broke away, I wasn't ready to join in. Instead, At the end of July in Tarzo I achieved my first podium in the open races. I finished second, alone, behind Vigilia.The condition in which I left the Giro Donne is bearing some fruit.
What was the experience like at the Giro Donne?
First I never thought I could run it if I think about where I was and what I was doing until a few months ago before . Everything new, everything beautiful and stimulating. Just think that last year I went to Padua to see the last stage and I took a selfie with Mavi GarciaThis year, on one of the first days of the race, I went to her and showed her that photo, taking another one as a reminder of my change. Mavi comes from duathlon and talking about it together she also understood my state of mind of being in such an important raceThe level was definitely high. It was quite an experience to rub elbows with athletes I'd only seen on television. The seventh stage, in Alassio, was also a thrill.
You actually showed up there. Tell us about it…
We reached the top of the sanctuary of Alassio and it was perhaps the most feared stage of all, the one that decided the final podium. I was with the pink jersey group from the first climb despite having a problem with the chain at the beginningI had to make a real effort to get back and stay there. I dropped away on the penultimate ridge when the big names in the standings upped their pace. At that point, I began the final climb at my own pace and found a good rhythm again. It's true, I finished twenty-third but I'm still satisfied if I look at who preceded me and who came behind me.. Except for the Belgian (Ghekiere, ed.) from AG Insurance-Soudal QuickStep, which is almost a WorldTour team, I was basically the first from a continental team, especially a small one like ours. Renato (team manager Pirrone, ed.) was also very happy with my performance.
Who was Francesca Tommasi before becoming a cyclist?
I was into track and field, specifically middle-distance running. Before that, as a kid, I played basketball and volleyball, but I loved moving more. My favorite part of volleyball was the warm-up because we'd do several laps around the gym (laughs, ed.). At school during recess or physical education I liked to race against the boys and see who took the least time to go around the courtyard.Both my parents and teachers understood that I had to try athletics. I started in Bussolengo when I was in the first year of middle school and already at the age of fourteen I won the Italian cadet championshipThe first of eight Italian championships, both cross-country and track, up to the U23 category. Among my teammates was Nadia Battocletti, and among the boys was Yemen Crippa, two boys who are still Italian.
How did your growth in middle distance running develop?
Good even if from the first titles I started to have small bone injuries. Despite everything, I managed to participate in important events with the national teamThe EYOF in Holland in 2013 (the European Youth Olympic Festival, ed.), the European Cross Country Championships and the World Cross Country Championships in Uganda in 2017. At the end of that year I was registered in the Army as a junior. In 2019 in Venaria Reale I won the overall cross-country title, as well as the U23 one. In that season I then collected two fifth places in the 5000 meters at the European U23 Championships in Sweden and in the European Cup in Poland where we came fourth against Italy, just half a point away from the bronze medal.
Why the switch to cycling?
Mainly to protect my joints. Running is very traumatic for the lower limbs. Over the past few years I have been accumulating too many stress fractures which have deprived me of important goalsFirst, the one to my heel during the Tokyo 2020 qualifiers and finally the one to my femur last year while I was preparing for the European Cross Country Championships. Luckily, in the summer of 2022, I had gotten my first racing bike and was already doing a few laps to recover. At the beginning of the season I was discharged from the Army and since last December I have not run on foot anymore.I'm still smarting from those injuries, and I'm afraid of hurting myself again and compromising my cycling career.
What are you appreciating about this second life of yours as an athlete?
First of all I have to say that I really like cycling. I feel the benefit of having more powerful muscles and no longer having to live with the physical problems I had before.I also like that I was able to meet girls I admired for some things we have in common. For example Chabbey, who was in the breakaway for a long time at the World Championships, and Magnaldi they are doctors of medicine and surgery like I will soon beI'll graduate in October and then do my master's degree. During the flight that took us to Sardinia for the last stages of the Giro Donne, I went to sit next to Erica (Magnaldi, ed.) and we talked about this, about how to reconcile everything or what to prioritizeIt was an interesting and insightful conversation. My idea would be to specialize in sports medicineWe'll see how cycling goes first.
In the meantime, what are your goals now with cycling?
I started the season with Club Corridonia who then loaned me to Canturino for the Ponente in Rosa Trophy. I was noticed by Mendelspeck who signed me up. So, seeing this escalation, the intention is to continue to grow and learn a lot, everything. I'm getting better at being in a group and to better set the trajectories when cornering downhill. I'm trying to speed up the process when I go to the flagship to get the water bottleI'm careful about what I eat and drink on the run. I'm also learning tactics and how to read the race. One of my resources is my ability to recover from the effort, middle distance running has helped me a lot.. Many people always ask me if I miss athletics and what I could do. I answer that I'm finding my redemption in cycling and I have absolutely no regrets about it.
