Michele Bicelli he tried to blow the bank right at the last minute Tour of Friuli. And his feat in the final stage of the race reserved for juniors has aroused great interest not only in the race, but also in the Brescian standard-bearer of the Gs Aspiratori Otelli, a rider to keep an eye on because he could be the prototype of the new Italian junior. This is no longer a monotonous activity tied only to one-day races, but one that takes advantage of the freedom in using gears and the new calendar, richer in stage races, to mature faster and better.
Turn the rankings upside down
But let's get back to the Friulian race, which deserves a closer look, and Bicelli himself describes it in his own words: "After the first stage, the team time trial, was canceled due to bad weather, on Friday we faced a flat stage where my only concern was not to crash. On Saturday was the queen stage, towards Forni di Sopra, 110 kilometers. On the climbs, there was a great selection, and I stayed with the leaders until 3 kilometers from the top. Then I felt the fatigue, but on the descent I recovered a lot, finishing fifth at 31" from the winner Bessega.
«On Sunday we started with the intention of turning the tablesOn an almost classic course, with a 4-kilometer climb and two 1.5-kilometer walls, we entered every breakaway to make the race tough. Those ahead in the general classification controlled the race; a group of 18 riders formed, but only 5 or 6 of them were working. I knew I had to get ahead of the others so I attacked before the two final walls maintaining a good gap, but the Hungarian Takaks He kept a good watch, he was the only one who didn't lose ground, so I won the stage but finished 2nd in the standings."
The hardships of school
A story that expresses the character of a rider who doesn't like to be defensive. All these traits are borrowed from his personality and emerged early on in his cycling career: "I started at age 6, following in the footsteps of my father and uncle. I know there was another Michele Bicelli in the cycling world, who raced from 2011 to 2015. I discovered him on specialized websites and was intrigued, but he's not related to me. In my area, the Brescia side of Lake Garda, it's a very common surname. As a student, I raced in the Feralpi Monteclarense, of my area, then I found a place at Aspiratori Otelli and it was my luck, because it is a truly high-level team».
Michele's biggest challenge right now is balancing his sports career with school: "I attend the Itis Cerebotani, a vocational training course, and I won't deny that I struggle a bit, but I try to keep up in both areas."
Before Friuli Bicelli had triumphed at the Pistolesi Trophy, beating the Colombian Herreno (photo Rodella)
Stage racer
His results have proposed him as a specialist in stage races and at junior level this is not common in Italian junior cycling: «My first experience was at the Giro della Valdera last year. I immediately saw that I was doing well and, above all, that I was improving as the days went by. It was the same at the Giro del Veneto and Lunigiana. This year at the Eroica, I struggled the first two days, then I got going again, and I was disappointed they neutralized a stage because I could have done even better. In stage races I can manage myself well, I hope to progress in this type of competition."
We were saying that the rider from Lonato del Garda is a bit of an expression of a new cycling style, which has become aware of what is missing to get closer to the best foreign riders in the category: «We often talk about it with sports directors, it's clear that stage races give you something moreThey give you the habit of effort, both physical and mental, that you need to compete with anyone. Now the calendar is filling up with these tests, and that's a good thing. I need to be able to stand out from the start, to be able to deliver consistent performances rather than just increasing ones."
Not an easy choice
Like everyone else in his category, these are important weeks for Bicelli too, where he has to make a choice for the future and going abroad is a possibility: "If it happens, good, but I also think that compared to a few years ago, the level of those 2-3 reference Italian teams has improved to the point that it is a valid landing place. Of course, un I have to team up It's always very intriguing, but it's a gamble that you have to make knowing if there's really the possibility of growing, not of becoming one of the manyI know this choice is fundamental: if you make the wrong one, it's difficult to find the right path to continue in this profession."
A tricolour shirt would certainly be a good starting point for an important contract, which is also why the Brescian is looking atCasella appointment (GE) of June 30 with great attention: «I'm really counting on it and the races I'll do from now until then will all be aimed at finding the best form for the Ligurian race.I know there are observers who have noted my name in their notebooks, but if I want something to materialize, these are the important weeks."
