It takes a certain coherence to be Italian. And on the other hand world cycling is organized according to the same standard, so it was predictable that the men's problems would also reach the women. And here we are, on the eve of the selection of the teams for the Giro d'Italia Women's cyclingThe Italian movement is in turmoil. The calculation was made recently. the city Sangalli.
«22 teams will race at the Giro – he told us at the Gran Premio Liberazione – there are the 15 WorldTours, the first 2 continentals from last year and then another 5 placesThe Giro d'Italia is certainly a very high-level race and they will bring their best. Federation For years, she's been trying to protect the young players who are coming through. If it weren't for the Italian continental teams, so many girls who, perhaps at 18, aren't yet ready would be lost. They must be protected, but times change and we must also adapt.».
Bellino's phrase
Someone will be left out. And after years of everyone being inside, RCS Sport's choice (whatever it will be) will cause stomach aches. In the change of ownership, this was a factor to take into account. At the presentation of the Giro Next Gen, Paolo Bellino thanked the Federation for allowing him to unify the three organizations and (in light of the gaffe that went unnoticed) it was understood that the selection criteria will be consistent across the various areas.
Italy's women's team, like the men's team, has no WorldTour teams. Team Corratec will have to watch the Giro d'Italia on television: if the cap for the women's team remains at 22, two of the seven Italian continentals they risk suffering the same fate.
The Domination of the Squadrons
The discontent over the possible exclusion of women from the Giro will not be short-lived. Participation in the pink race is in fact (as for men) discriminatory for some sponsorships, but the worst is yet to come. If the UCI continues to create professional teams for women, too, what will happen to the Italian continental teams?
Sangalli is right. These teams are the only guarantee of presence on the territory and interception of talentWill they be able to find the resources to level up? Will they be able to form a common front, uniting and creating more solid groups? Will they be able to give up some individualism to form a common front? Or, like the men's continentals, they will find themselves in a no man's land with little money and at the mercy of the squads?
The proof of Nations' Cup Juniores raced by the national team in Holland, was dominated by girls already under contract with WorldTour teams. This is not about being a doomsayer, but about think about the future while there is still time to invent something.
The men's continentals
The situation among the men's continental teams is rather complex. As in every area of sport, money makes the differenceThere are the WorldTour teams that have a relatively easy life. The middle-of-the-road teams that rarely travel abroad and thrive in Italy thanks to the prestige of past victories. Finally, the little ones who struggle to make ends meet, due to the lack of sponsors and riders, rounded up by the top-level teams. Added to this the need to comply with the points system. The junior who moves up to a continental U23 team must have at least 10: a similar skill in the South can be acquired by participating in races without much competition or in cross-country races at the end of the season. In this way, Talented kids, who instead race in the North and therefore score fewer points, risk being left without a team.
If the women's team were to follow the same path, perhaps certain teams would not have the history and solidity to continue on. Unless we intervene at the federal level with a project that in one fell swoop protects or tries to protect the men's and women's continental championships.We need to revise the calendar and create a dedicated one that allows for grassroots national activity. This will avoid the excessive costs of an international program, which would then be the prerogative of the true continental teams, the professional teams, and possibly the national team. To do this, we need to have a vision and We regret to note that the current management, and in many respects the previous one as well, have been without it at the moment.
The military corps
Finally, to enrich the picture, there is the imminent expiry of the agreement desired and renewed by the former president Di Rocco between the military corps and the Federation. Already some girls over the last two years they came out preferring the path of professionalism. Others still do it part and the end of the agreement will make their position untenableWhile there should be no problems for specialist athletes, the advent of women's professionalism (in Italy, for now, that of football has been recognised) promises to bring a further turning point.
Why did we start talking about coherence? Because we continue to live on patches, according to the Italian style, without the courage to implement real reforms, but trying to please everyone with makeshift remedies that more closely resemble palliatives. Meanwhile, abroad they grow and take over our space. Raising the bar makes makeshift solutions less effectiveAnyone who wants to run for office in the next federal elections should know what awaits them. So far he's been making ends meet, but the more time passes, the less this will be possible.
