What kind of season has the youth team had? What's the state of health of the youngest Italian cyclists, on the verge of entering the junior category and a real leap in quality in the management of their activity? Talking about this topic is always a delicate one. We risk slipping into a frantic pursuit of results at all costs., raising the competitive aspect beyond what is necessary given that we are still talking about kids. Aside from the fact that the activity at that level must still maintain a playful aspect, it must be taken into account that we are faced with physicists who are completely under construction. So what is valid today at 15 years old could be completely overturned even just two or three years later.
It is also true, however, that We can give an overall view, but we do it differently than the various prosecutors. Essi they now look towards the students with ever-increasing attention, in search of premature talent. The season has already highlighted Alessio Magagnotti: everyone has talked about him (even us...) given his exploits in Italy with the conquest of the Gold Cup (opening photo) among more than 10 victories in total, but also abroad with second place at Eye of.
Behind the talented Trentino player, there's a truly solid movement. We analyzed all the season's finishers, noting that There are 523 riders who have achieved at least one top 10 finish. A huge number, also quite geographically scattered. Among them, 15 repeated themselves at least 20 times, while 114 obtained at least 10. Comparing this number with the total, we notice that we are facing a movement where there is undoubtedly qualityWe'll just need to work hard in the years to come, especially to keep up our passion and our desire to try our hand at road cycling and beyond.
All lovers of multidiscipline
This is an important aspect. Many of those who shone during the road season, we have already found them in cross, battling at the Giro d'Italia and beyond.. James Serangeli, teammate at DP66 of that Stefano Viezzi who is bringing Italian cyclocross back into fashion abroad, has worthily replaced him on the pink throne, but he is also part of that select elite with over 20 placings. The same can be said for Mattia Agostinacchio, Mattia Proietti Gagliardoni, and Francesco BaruzziAll of them have moved up a category and want to demonstrate in 2024 that they are capable of continuing to grow.
Multidisciplinary learning is a fundamental principle for these kids. Viezzi himself has often said in his interviews that he does not want to be called upon to chooseMore than the kids, perhaps it will be the club leaders who will have to adapt to the new culture, and that would be a good thing.
The problems of Southern Italy
Looking at the season, there are other points worth considering. We mentioned earlier the geographical spread, which is almost complete, but it's also true that there continues to be a disproportion in activity between North and South. The situation in the South deserves reflection: in regions like Sicily and Sardinia the calendar is quite full. Perhaps even beyond the actual capabilities of the regional movement, so much so that it's not uncommon to find races with fewer than 10 finishers. In other regions (Calabria and Basilicata in particular, but also surprisingly Puglia, which is more present even in the top categories) the activity is truly lacking. There are very few opportunities for competition, and this penalizes the passion of those who truly believe in this activity.
Another aspect to consider is that of travel, with children and companies from the South often moving towards the central regions and beyondWe can only imagine how much this costs in terms of money and time (we're always talking about kids who are very busy with their studies). A striking example is that of Michele Pascarella, boy from Campania Team CesaroWe've seen him appear in the order of arrivals all over Italy, with a few victories to boot. Talent aside, there's no denying that there's a strong desire to emerge., even though it comes from a region that does not have such a strong and recent tradition.
A shoulder for Magagnotti
Another name that appears in the arrival orders of the students is that of Melsan Idris, a rider who combines Italian and Macedonian citizenship and who played in the CC Strong and Fast proving to be a splendid support for Magagnotti, who will follow in 2024 in his first year as a junior at Team Autozai Petrucci Contri.
Them, but not only them. In fact, there are many boys who have collected multiple victories, only time will tell if they will be able to confirm this, But those who have appeared sporadically in the arrival lists also have the same chances. It all depends on physical growth and passion.
There is a name to keep in mind…
But in conclusion we want to make a name, because the fact that a young girl repeatedly places herself among the boys is worthy of mention. Even because Sara TolaThe cyclist in question is from Sardinia, and is a rapidly evolving force. Her name, for the skills she demonstrated in such a unique context, deserves to be noted in our notebook.
