A team or a family? A question that perhaps the reader might also ask himself at the end of this article. Michele Bartoli Academy opens the doors for us, starting from those in his van, for a trip with them. From Saturday to Sunday, with the Tuscan team we went to the stage of the Giro d'Italia Cyclocross in Puglia.
A nice trip from Pisa to Mattinata (Foggia). A journey in which the word boredom did not exist. So, like in a diary, we'll try to tell you about these two days.
We leave, and the eldest, Filippo Cecchi, is studying. He's studying Aerospace Engineering. And from the smartphone you try to find out what's happening in Vittorio Veneto, another race course Once in Mattinata, Roberto, Mauro, Manuela (pictured) and Walter set up the stand With a journalist in tow, the boys also conduct interviews! Here are their impressions after the reconnaissance.
We leave, and the eldest, Filippo Cecchi, is studying. He's studying Aerospace Engineering. And from the smartphone you try to find out what's happening in Vittorio Veneto, another race course Once in Mattinata, Roberto, Mauro, Manuela (pictured) and Walter set up the stand With a journalist in tow, the boys also conduct interviews! Here are their impressions after the reconnaissance.
Between smartphones and books
Seven young people in all. Five students, one under 23, and one junior—this is the Tuscan army. The outward journey unfolds amidst memories, anecdotes, and even books.
Philip Cecchi, In fact, the U23 is enrolled in engineering and, like cross-country skiing, can't take it lightly. One of the funniest anecdotes concerns his start.
First laps with the wheel cross bike Mauro BartoliMauro teaches him the tricks of the trade. He tells him when and how to brake, even to break away from his opponents. Filippo follows the rules to the letter, and when Mauro lets him pass to see what he's learned, he gives him back his own back. A sudden stop and the student knocks the master to the ground!
And then there's the inevitable smartphone. It's become a bulge on our arm. And so we try to understand the Mattinata route and what's happening in Vittorio Veneto, another race of the weekend.
Phones on the table
Once you arrive in Mattinata, you take possession of the territory. A couple of laps to get comfortable with the circuit, and after setting up your stand, you head straight to the hotel.
At dinner, here's a good rule: all phones should be placed in the center of the table, on the side where your companions are seated. We talk, like we used to…
There is someone to keep them under control. Roberto Cecchi, a pillar of this team, together with Walter Bass e Manuela Landi, who have known the kids forever. They were their sports directors on other teams when they were really kids.
Roberto, Filippo's father, had scolded his parents for buying a sugary drink at the service station, but for dinner he doesn't skimp on pasta and potatoes. Especially at Giulio pavi Of the Innocents, hungry boys!
«Last week he even ate the bone from my steak», Cecchi says. Meanwhile, Giulio is cleaning his classmates' plates.
Day two, the races begin. The women are first to go, and Letizia Barra warms up on the rollers. The students also reach the competition field… Final checks on tyre pressure: for lightweights 1,2 bar was sufficient Filippo Cecchi (born 2002) in action…
Day two, the races begin. The women are first to go, and Letizia Barra warms up on the rollers. The students also reach the competition field… Final checks on tyre pressure: for lightweights 1,2 bar was sufficient Filippo Cecchi (born 2002) in action…
Two latecomers
On the morning of the start, you leave the hotel in shifts, depending on the departures. The first is Letizia Barra. A little tension, a few minutes on the rollers and the Elban does her race.
Then it's Filippo's turn. Cecchi is incredibly unlucky. First he gets a puncture and then he breaks a shoe. But he doesn't give up. It's part of the game. And in the end, he smiles anyway.
Two of the student group are late. They stayed in the room playing with their phones. Mauro and Roberto don't take it well and scold them. This is also what coaching kids is all about. You're a master. And certain trips, certain experiences, are also useful for this: to grow. It's a school. A sign that being a rider, should they one day become one, isn't just about getting on a bike. And we sometimes notice certain logistical shortcomings even in much older and more established riders.
The two "culprits" (whom we won't name!) at least seem to have their tails between their legs... Perhaps they've learned this lesson.
The students are leaving… And Mauro also "goes off", cheering his boys on as much as he can Alex Fratti, the "foreigner" of the group. He's from Modena, while the others are all Tuscan. The students put in an excellent team performance. The fastest? Danilo Bartoli, 4th.
The students are leaving… And Mauro also "goes off", cheering his boys on as much as he can Alex Fratti, "the outsider" of the group. He's from Modena, while the others are all Tuscan. The students put in an excellent team performance. The fastest? Danilo Bartoli, 4th.
Mauro show
The Michele Bartoli Academy is a team of young people, as mentioned. A school, an academy, as the name itself suggests. The kids are loaned from other teams specifically for the cross-country season, which is the discipline most loved by many of them. And perhaps even more so by Mauro.
When his "children" take pictures, he takes pictures too. We can hear his screams from the other side of the track. Shouts of encouragement. From someone who lives it with passion. Something tells us he did the same. Pope Graziano.
The boys listen to him. It's grit. It's advice. Mauro leaps from one ribbon to another like a Kenyan steeplechaser! And at the end, there's a pat on the back for everyone.
"And the things that didn't go well," says Roberto Cecchi, "are discussed at the right time. Not right away. One of our guys came back to the pits in tears. I told him to change, to stay calm, and that we'd talk about it... later."
Certain conversations should be made at the right time. Point out the mistakes, rewind the tape, analyze without creating confusion.
For example, the boys had to change their bikes, which were too muddy, but they didn't.
"At that age," says Filippo, almost like an assistant coach, "I didn't change either. Stopping only meant losing positions. But it takes time to understand certain things, and it's right that they make certain mistakes."
About 40 minutes and the van is loaded. We can move on. Siblings Christian and Letizia Barra are from Elba. They traveled in a camper van with their parents. During the break, there was also a look at the World Cup (won by Iserbyt) At the service station it's impossible to resist some "dirty" food! Finally, a group photo. Another wonderful adventure is in the bag.
About 40 minutes and the van is loaded. We can move on. Siblings Christian and Letizia Barra are from Elba. They traveled in a camper van with their parents. During the break, there was also a look at the World Cup (won by Iserbyt) At the service station it's impossible to resist some "dirty" food! Finally, a group photo. Another wonderful adventure is in the bag.
We go back home
It's Sunday afternoon. The races are over, and everything needs to be repacked. The journey ahead for the Michele Bartoli Academy is long.
But like a well-organized army that knows how to pack up its tents, in just over half an hour everything is on the vans.
The return journey brings with it the balance sheets and race reports. "I could have done more if..." "That passage was like this." "You saw how that went."
But there's also time to watch the Cyclocross World Cup and maybe even start thinking about the next race... You check the standings for this or that race. You think about the schedules you'll need to complete this week. In short: we're already in "Monday mode".
