The troop of Punctual It never ceases to amaze: at every major international event, a new talent appears on the scene, achieving a podium finish that has a sweet taste of the future. In Namur, at the last World Cup race, it was Valentina Crows to add to the series, finishing third among the juniors behind winner Zoe Backstedt (GBR) and Leonie Bentveld (NED), that is, the two leading actresses in the category. The girl from Tirano's appointment with glory was one that we could say was already fixed: at the beginning of the season, a lot of hopes were placed on her., But the Venturelli had anticipated it in TaborNow the Lombard has finally closed the circle.
Her result isn't particularly surprising, as she's been talked about in the off-road scene for a while. A three-time Italian MTB champion, she's gone from second-year rookie to second-year junior, a hat-trick of consecutive victories, to which we must add: three European youth medals, always in mountain biking, two in the team relay and one individual, a silver, with which she presented herself on the threshold of landing among the juniors.
Tirano, off-road gym
On the other hand, Valentina's family is one that has dedicated itself entirely to two wheels: «I started running following in the footsteps of my brother Daniele: even though he is a year younger than me, he had already started competing and I started in the G2 category.My father never missed one of our races, he dedicated himself body and soul to us to the point that he became president of the local company, the Melavì Tirano Bike". A company, we might add, that over the years has achieved a wealth of results in the youth categories, becoming a valuable reservoir of off-road talent.
Have you ever considered road racing?
Yes, but I haven't had the opportunity to do so. To tell the truth, I hadn't thought about it until last year. I really like mountain biking, especially downhills, but then I started to feel the desire to test myself in another specialty.There wasn't the opportunity, but in 2022 I plan to do some tests there too.
Besides, in your area, mountain biking has a vast preponderance over road cycling…
That's true, but only up to a certain point. In the men's field, there are athletes from Valtellina who compete on the road, the most popular now is Alessio Martinelli, we've never trained together but I know him by sight. Among girls, however, mountain biking is definitely more popular.
Were you surprised by your result in Belgium?
I was hoping to have a good race, I felt it inside me since the rehearsals the day before because that is a path that suits me very well. Getting on the podium is really something great, I'm very satisfied.
You're not the first girl to achieve a great result this year. There's a lot of talk about the atmosphere Pontoni has created within the national team. Do you think this contributes to your success?
Certainly. I can't make comparisons with the past, having only joined the national team this year, but I can say that a compact group has been created, where there are moments of happiness and others where we are more focused.There are rules to follow, but it's for everyone's good.
Did you get any instructions from the manager during the race?
Daniele never stops, he looks for more points of the route to be able to give us directionsFor example, in Namur he studied the evolution of the race and showed me in the final how to overtake the Dutchman to get on the podium.
Tells…
There were two counter-slopes on the route. Daniele reached me at the beginning of the last lap telling me that I had to give it my all on the asphalt before the second, to face him in front of the opponentBy doing so, the Dutchman no longer had any chance to overtake me, it's also a sprint and I went away.
Do you think you're in top form?
I really hope not... I'm training for the Italian Championships, which is my seasonal goal. If I do well there, I hope to book my ticket to the World Cup in America. It would be a wonderful experience.
How is your relationship with Federica Venturelli?
On these trips we've gotten to know each other, there's a great bond, we tackle the challenges together and stop to compare our experiences, offering each other advice. We have different characteristics: I'm better on very technical courses, she prefers faster ones.
Do you have any free time between cyclocross and school?
Not much, but a little, yes... I attend the Scientific High School in Tirano and this shortens my travel time, so the rest of the day is dedicated to training and studying, but when I can, I always go out with friends.
Are you all friends of the cycling world?
No, they are old school friends or guys I've met over the years. I also have friends in cycling, of course, especially from my old club, my dad's.We still train together and continue to support each other as if we were wearing the same jersey…
