Put a very young sports director into the proven engine of a junior team and you are even more ready for your journey. Il Team Nordest Villadose Angelo Gomme It is a historic reality of the category that this season wants to continue its journey to return to being a reference at a national level also thanks to new additions.
In the technical sector this year in the province of Rovigo Mattia Garzara has arrived, born in 2002 with a recent past as an U23 in the CTF and a very fresh experience as sports director of the students at UC Mirano, which was also his former team as an athlete. We asked him, a newcomer with a knack for eloquence, clarity, and preparation, to open the doors of Team Nordest for us and let us get to know him better.
Mattia, what's a guy your age already doing in the flagship?
It's easy to say. I stopped running in 2022 because I had lost the desire to work hard (he says smiling, ed.) and because I had fallen behind in my studies. In fact I recovered and in July I graduated in labor consultancy, which is a branch of law at the University of Padua. However, I didn't want to leave cycling because I still wanted to give something back in another way. I had already given the third level as sport director in 2020 and it has been useful to me in the last two years. Beyond my case, I believe that we need young sports directors to bring about a generational change in cycling..
How did you get to Team Northeast?
It all happened a bit by chance. The first contact was in August and I initially said no, mostly because I was having a difficult time personally and professionally. Then In October they came forward again and I accepted, also because I consider the juniors to be a category closer and more suitable to me. It's a matter of age and direct contact with riders. I'm telling the truth, knowing it might be a limitation of mine that needs addressing, but I struggle with overly intrusive parents. Students still have to deal with this type of interference..
How was the integration into the new team?
It was easy, I immediately felt at ease. There are three of us sport directors and each of us deals with different tasks, even if we then study the race tactics together a few days before racing. Here the historical director of Villadose is Carlo ChiarionI already knew him when I was running and he had spoken very highly of him to me. Matteo Berti, who was my sports director when I was racing in the Work Service juniors. Carlo was one of the reasons why I agreed to come hereHe takes care of race registrations and travel arrangements.
Who is the other sports director?
Then there is Lucio Tasinato, another experienced personHe takes care of the vehicles and the bike park, staying in contact with the mechanic Gianmarco Mazzucato. Instead I try to manage relationships with the kids. I'm the output of the technical side.We rotate at the competitions, while still having permanent roles. Both Lucio and Carlo are people who enjoy working with young people, as are the rest of the staff. I'm happy to work with them.
Do you have other figures?
Certainly. Our team manager is Fabrizio Zambello, who is a manager at the Nordest company (which manages a pool of agricultural companies in the Veneto region, ed.). He handles corporate matters and relies on us, the sports directors, for the technical and tactical aspects. As athletic trainer we have Stefano Nardelli and as nutritionist we have Nicholas Maria Moschetti (of Bahrain-Victorius, ed.) Then, of course, there are many other people in the organization. Our team is very well organized.
What kind of athletes do you have instead?
We started with ten men, but we're down to eight. We're missing the sprinter because Christian Quaglio (who last year had won the only race of the Team Nordest, ed.) has decided to leave the road to dedicate himself completely to the track in speed and play his chances in the national team. Our team is made up of guys who are all suited to rough and rather tough routes..
So you also named a certain type of calendar?
Yes, exactly. For now, we've set it up to do just one activity per weekend, except for the international events where five of us will race and we'll send the other three to other races. We'll be doing the Abruzzo, Friuli, and Valdera stage races. The choice was to focus on a quality calendar with important races also to give our boys a lot of experienceAlso because the level of juniors has risen exponentially and is practically becoming the antechamber category for the pros through their dedicated teams. I'd like to add one thing.
Please…
Over the past few months, we've been in touch with Florio Santin, a Belgian cycling enthusiast originally from Caneva, who put us in touch with the organizers of several international races in the North. We had applied to participate in the Philippe Gilbert Juniors in October, but we arrived a little late and it will be very difficult to be at the start.. However, we would like to organize ourselves to go to Belgium as early as next year. Speaking of experience, our guys would gain a lot of it and see a totally different way of racing. from what we see in Italy.
Is there a name we should follow that Mattia Garzara suggests?
Let's say our top rider could be Daniele ForlinHe's a rouleur-climber who holds his own on medium-short climbs, and has the characteristics of a hill climber. Last year, he made his mark on a few places where he stuck his neck out. We hope that this year he can be the revelation.
What is the relationship between a 23-year-old sports director and his athletes?
I'd say it's very good and I get the impression that I've established a good connection with them. They listen a lot and maybe I'm seeing more and more that in the youth categories they tend to listen to those who are closer to their ageHowever, it takes a great balance between being a sports director and a friend. You have to be current and stay on top of things with them because they change a lot from year to year. Personally, I don't give the guys too much trust, but I try to indulge them in certain things when we can afford it. I have always thought that dialogue achieves much more than an authoritarian approach.
Has Team Nordest Villadose Angelo Gomme set any goals for 2025?
The desire is to grow, perhaps even with a view to the future. This year we don't have any great individual talents, but we know that by running as a team we can do well and achieve some success. We don't have high expectations. We want to get noticed and always liven up the racesGiven our schedule and our staff, we have every opportunity to do so.
