When a junior team faces a trip abroad it is always news. Pool Cantù 1999 took a trip to Belgium for the 57th edition of theAuber Thimister Stavelot, 3-day stage trial which for the boys of the Lombardy club was not just a race, but a real school of life. Loris Classic Ferrari for sale, the sports director in tow, gathered many impressions starting from one assumption: in races like this, the results are important, but it is the experience itself that really counts.
"This was our third time participating in the race," Ferrari says. "Previously, the Lombardy team had participated. One of our managers knew the organizers well, so we took their place, for the past three years. We plan two trips abroad every year: one to Holland at the end of May and this one».
What is the value of this event?
Just being in Belgium, which is one of the cycling strongholds, would be worth the trip alone., but for them this test is like the Lunigiana for us, an absolute reference event. It is the main race in that area of Belgium, last year many national champions participated to make its importance understood.This year it suffered from competition with the World Cup taking place on the same weekend, but there were still many foreign teams, including from Australia and the USA.
What types of routes did you find?
The classic Ardennes ones, which also helped the kids grow up. There's practically no flat land. The first two stages had altitude differences of 1.500 metres, the last one even 2.400 metres, with some epic climbs of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège such as the Stockeu.It is no coincidence that in its recent roll of honour there are people like Kelderman, Gaudu, Evenepoel...
What impression did the kids get?
The thing everyone told me is that it's a completely different world from ours. They knew they were going to face a very difficult race and they were prepared, physically and mentally.In the first stage, only a crash less than 2 kilometers from the finish prevented us from achieving something important. As we saw in the second stage, 7 riders had escaped and were never caught again, but fiorin He won the bunch sprint. Overall, however, we achieved 3 Top 10 finishes with Grimod, Fiorin and Travella, it's a good balance.
In the last stage, however, 4 out of 6 retired…
It was a stage that was "too Belgian". Fiorin and Ferrario, those less comfortable with this climate, gave up almost immediately, Bonalda He broke a wheel with the flagship far away, Grimod was freezing to death, we stopped him.
How many of you were away?
Six riders and as many support staff, including masseurs, mechanics, and me, who supervised everything. We had a car and a van. The boys arrived by plane on the way there, on the way back we huddled together and all left together. The logistics were very well thought out: we stayed in an apartment that we managed ourselves, also benefiting from the proximity of all the stops. Compared to staying in a hotel, it was preferable.
What atmosphere did you find?
It's beautiful. When they say this is the home of cycling, they're right. You find enthusiastic people every day. The kids came to ask for water bottles and selfies, the boys said they almost felt like professionals… It was something contagious.
In Italy, there are very few stage races for juniors. Is it perhaps this lack of experience that our riders pay for when they go abroad?
A little, yes, fortunately something has been done this year, removing the restriction of having the kids participate in only two multi-day races, when we see that abroad they do almost exclusively that. The organizers are slowly coming forward, see the Giro del Veneto. And the competitions we participated in were of an excellent standard. It will take a little time, but I'm sure that gap will soon be filled.
