Alessandro's engagement Perracchione by the Novo Nordisk It took many by surprise. The very young Piedmontese player turns professional, skipping the U23 category entirely. Yet he wasn't among those who showed off the most this year. Looking deeper into the matter, we discover that This transition does not come out of nowhere. Instead, it is the evolution of a contact that began a long time ago.
Massimo Podenzana, sport director of the American team that for years has enabled riders with type 1 diabetes to participate in high-level activities, explains how Alessandro has been in the team's sights practically forever.
«We have been following him closely since he was a student. Fu Elena to report it to me, telling me his story as a boy struggling with diabetes since he was 2 years old. He participated in at least a couple of our training sessions (in the opening photo, ed.), we saw that he has a good motor. Sincerely we valued that more than the results».
The Year of Mononucleosis
Perracchione actually didn't have a great season, but the reason is easily explained: «His year was marked by mononucleosis. It basically prevented him from getting results for the entire first part of the year.In the second half, things continued to improve, except that the victory, the important one, came only in extremis, in the last classic of the season.
Alessandro is a talented boy who just needs to grow up calmly, without stress. We've carefully considered his choice, and we've even discussed it with his parents. We've agreed that school comes first. Alessandro must finish my studies in 2024 and then we will make an appropriate calendar to allow him to concentrate on his exams."
A fast pacer
What kind of person is Alessandro, both as a person and as a rider? "A quiet guy, even a little shy, who is maturing in every way. Technically he is a fast-rolling rider, who finds his ideal dimension by entering the small groups that compete for the race.. So he really has some good cards in his favor. But it's clear he still has a lot to learn."
Yet Perracchione, despite the difficulties encountered this year, had truly stood out, so much so that it wasn't just the American team following him.
«Other teams had also contacted me – says the 2005-born rider – but honestly I had already chosen since the beginning of the yearWe have known Podenzana for a long time, I even took part in the last training camp where there were 25 of us. If I got here I have to say thanks to him and to Fabrizio Tacchino, my trainer who has been following me practically forever».
Diabetes and friendly technology
Mononucleosis, however, had a strong influence on its evolution: «I can't deny that it alarmed me a little. I saw that I wasn't getting results and I wasn't getting out of it, raising some doubts.I had a very good winter, I wanted to reap the benefits, but I wasn't in good form until August and I have to admit that was a real blow."
In all of this talk diabetes is like an outside spectatorYet it has had an impact on his entire life, even in his decision to follow the path traced by Novo Nordisk, which has always welcomed athletes with this particular pathology into its group.
"I've lived with it for as long as I can remember," he explains. "The constraints it imposes are part of me, part of my life. It can't be denied that giant steps have been made since I was born. When I started competing, for example, there was still The need to take fingersticks to check your blood glucose levels using a droplet. And you certainly couldn't carry everything you needed on the run... Now with apps, everything is easier, you have constant updates on your smartphone or a heart rate monitor on your wrist. Technological evolution is fundamental."
Time to grow up
Podenzana, for his part, is clear about how to continue his relationship with Perracchione. How to help him mature in the right time: "I say he has the resources, but he needs to be kept calm. In many ways, he reminds me of another rider who is part of our team, Matyas. Kopecky, Czech athlete fifth at the last European U23. If you give them time to grow, they will bring results.».
It's also true, however, that jumping up a category isn't easy if you're not the Evenepoel of the moment: "It's not easy to settle in, that's clear, and that's why we'll have to work really hard. In the first year, he'll be shuttling between the first team and the continental team. In the first part of the year he will have a balanced schedule and then gradually, putting aside his school commitments, he will gain more and more experiences also at a higher level.».
It starts in November
For the La Spezia-born coach, Perracchione is a natural and thoughtful choice, one of the few new additions to the team: "We've also promoted four riders from Team Devo to the first team. We've had a season that I consider positive, even if we haven't achieved any wins, but when you manage to place your riders in the top 10 even in a few Belgian classics, it means the quality is there and you're working hard. When you compete with WorldTour teams it's tough, they have resources at their disposal that we can only dream of and for this reason even the placings have their value.In Spain, at the end of November, we will lay the foundations for the new year, and I am sure that what was missing this year will come."
