Silvia Parietti he raced on the roads of the Giro, the World Championships and the classics. In 2005, when he was in the SS Lazio Cycling She even did it while wearing the Italian flag. Today, this tenacious and friendly mother accompanies cyclists through her Tuscany.
Those outings with Bettini
"I ended my career in 2008," Parietti says, "and it was more of a question of motivation. I was 30, and it was the age for a woman to start a family. At a certain point, you even think about a different life."
And she's managed to start a family. She has a partner, Alessio, and is the mother of Alice and Edoardo.
«Maybe things have changed a bit for girls today, but in my day there was a lot of uncertainty both about reconfirming your position and finding a team.
«I stopped together with betti – says Silvia – I know Paolo well. He lives about ten kilometers from me. When we were both at home, we'd go out to training together. It was nice to meet up, but there weren't many of us in Livorno who were professionals. Given that I wasn't officially a professional either, and the girls still aren't, let's just say there were very few of us who were top-level cyclists in our area!
For Silvia, cycling is a cornerstone of life. She used to be an athlete, now she escorts cyclists from all over the world through the streets of her home town, However, he continued to follow the races, even if not live.
«I saw them on TV, on social media – Parietti continues – but last year I was at Line of Business in the Grossetto stage. Seeing familiar faces and new ones was a great feeling. I must say that I saw very structured teams. I think of the Movistar, at Canyon.
Would I like to be an athlete now? Why not! The way of cycling, the commitment it requires, are the same, I suppose. What we put in was no less professional."
The bike teaches
Silvia was a pretty complete cyclist. She wasn't the fastest, nor was she a pure climber, but she was tough. A woman who loved tough trails. Perhaps it's because her area isn't just home to the gentle coast, but also the rugged hills of the hinterland. And in fact, joking with her, it emerged that it was almost a given that her "fellow countryman" Bettini would go strong in Liège with all those hills.
"True! It's incredibly long to get to his house, and in fact I was saying to him: 'Oh my God, Paolo, how do you manage when you get home and you're tired? Anyway, yes, I loved the tough courses. When I won the Italian Championship, the circuit was basically half uphill and half downhill.
«Aside from the beautiful Italian Championship, my memory of cycling was wearing the blue jersey. Those moments when you're at the start wearing the Italy jersey... they're a real satisfaction. But in general, I'd say cycling has given me some personal values. I started when I was very young, and I've carried certain things with me into my normal life. For example, my dad (who's fine now) was ill. Well, I always thought I shouldn't give up, that I had to react, that I had to think positively... just like when I was an athlete. And this also applies to positive moments, perhaps trying to be more enthusiastic.
Cyclist tourists, call out!
The same enthusiasm that has been putting into action for several years Tuscany Love Bike, the association with which he leads cycle tourists to discover his land.
"This idea," Parietti explains, "came to me right after I stopped racing. I was contacted by the hoteliers of the time. At that time, many teams came here to the Livorno coast for winter training camps, and so they wanted to expand their offerings not only to pros, but also to amateurs. Imagine, the first person to take tourists around was Andrew Hampsten. It took an American!
I organize and lead tours along the Etruscan coast and the Cecina Valley, as well as outside the region. The international appeal of the Chianti region, inland, is exploited to some extent. But then I plan the routes on secondary roads, cycle paths, and country roads to discover lesser-known villages. I also spend a lot of time on social media for promotion and dissemination."
Fortunately, there is no shortage of support from local governments.
«And we are also well-received by the population, which I have discovered is not so obvious. Even a teacher from the course for companions told me that FedercyclingCycle tourism can lend a hand to those small and medium-sized businesses or local agricultural companies that are not very large but that work with love and quality to produce their products."
