The state of our cycling changes depending on how you look at it. Those who have their sights set on the pros say it's missing something to compete with the world's greatest, and indeed it is. However, if we think of young people on the launch pad, or those who have already taken the plunge to take flight, the temperature drops and their state of health seems more solid.. Giulio Pellizzari he leads the revenge of the young people who are advancing, next to him there is Davide Piganzoli and behind many other guys from whom a lot is expected (rightly or wrongly).
The youth categories clearly demonstrate that there is no shortage of talent. Many of them will go from under 23 to professionals this year and will be called to the WorldTour test.Alessandro Borgo is perhaps the most prominent name among all, he is followed by Peter Mattius, Mattia Agostinacchio e Matthew Milan. If you look behind these athletes you see even younger profiles arriving, like that of Lorenzo Finn, reigning world champion under 23 (victorious in the opening in San Daniele del Friuli, Photors.it) or Roberto Capello.
Shallow foundations
However, the deeper you dig, the more cracks emerge at the base of a structure that is no longer so solid. The under 23 category is probably in its most difficult moment, teams started closing years ago and the problem is now spilling over into the junior category. Matteo Berti, sports director of the Team Vangi, he told us that he had more difficulties than in previous years in finding a team for his boysThe problem is that the search for talent has shifted the focus onto the youth movement, where the efforts made in the past are no longer enough to move forward and help their children emerge. For this reason some formations have closed, such as the Giorgi Brothers Team e the Otelli Aspirators.
Others have tried to join forces, Il Team Coratti He had gone to knock on the doors of Borgo Molino with the aim of expanding his international businessThe catchment area of world cycling is expanding, and if a few years ago our teams were capable of dictating the law, now they are subjected to it without any possibility of reply.
The short circuit of the continentals
The ripple effect began with the creation of continental teams, something strongly supported by the UCI. These were intended to be transitional teams, offering amateurs, or those under 23, the opportunity to test themselves against the professionals, with the goal of closing the gap between the two categories. In Italy these projects soon turned into a way to collect victories and sponsors' approval.The fact is that many continental teams (not all but a large majority) have never proposed an international activity aimed at developing young people. Furthermore, the concentration of resources and talent in a handful of teams has led to the closure of several under-23 teams..
The arrival of the I have to team up, continental teams that are effectively satellites of the WorldTour teams, has brought everything to a higher levelThese organizations now represent the true buffer between the youth categories and professionalism, with internationally renowned activities and virtually limitless budgets. For our organizations, competing with these teams has become difficult, if not impossible. Some of these have thrown in the towel and ceased their activity. (as the Zalf Euromobil) others instead had to reinvent themselves (like MBH Bank which will be from 2026 professional).
The age is getting lower
What's happening at the junior level is exactly the same as what we saw among the under-23s. The pursuit of young talent requires increasingly large resources and investments that are difficult for individual entrepreneurs or local businesses to carry forward.Those who can, push forward, leveraging their economic power. The others, however, are forced to join forces, and if by chance this doesn't happen, they carry on alone until they can.
It's clear that the economic power of the WorldTour teams has suffocated the youth movement, and so the question arises spontaneously. Why not put that money into youth cycling by creating strong partnerships with various teams? This way, the sphere of influence could be expanded and youth teams could do their job. If each of the WorldTour teams had the opportunity to support one or more continental teams, there would be a clear return on the movement., with constant dialogue, technicians could train new figures and allow these realities to progress.
