Da Elisa Balsamo leaves the Police Force It's a long step to imagine a similar future for athletes in police and military sports groups. The choice of the world champion is currently an exception, but the words of Nicola Assuntore, the head of the Fiamme Oro, pushed us to delve deeper into the topic. First with President Dagnoni and then with Marcello Tolu, general secretary of the Federation, who has an important delegation on this specific front.
New projects
Dagnoni does not want to imagine a future for Italian cycling without the support of the military corps and indeed confirms that the FCI is trying to broaden the terms and the ground for such collaboration.
«We have already made an agreement with the Army – he says – for the disciplines that until now had been underestimated. Track speed cycling, as well as MTB and BMX, could be included in the discussion.The support of these military bodies supports cycling where there is no professionalism and we know very well that in Italy at the moment it is unimaginable, for example, to be a track sprinter as a profession. Maybe one might think that since women now have a more substantial salary, the support of the Corps is less decisive.
«However, the reflection that needs to be made is that Thanks to this support, once they stop running, they will have a permanent jobThe salaries of the women's WorldTour team aren't a dream for everyone, so perhaps some might be better off keeping their job in the Police Force and staying on a continental team. Thanks to the Fiamme Azzurre, an athlete like Lamon was able to train, grow and become an Olympic championBut for this I delegated Marcello Tolu. He was the head of the Fiamme Azzurre, it was he who created the Sports Group..."
The floor to the secretary
Marcello Toluì, FCI general secretary, is open to questions, and it's clear he cares about the topic. Regardless of the political alignments and the hard-to-accept election results, it's necessary understand what the current federal management is doing on an issue that professionalism risks complicating.
Secretary, can you describe the situation to us?
Women's cycling's cycling has almost gone professional (in the opening Elia Viviani and his partner Elena Cecchini, both professionals, but with big differences, ed.). Almost because this status does not yet exist in Italy. Because it's one thing to have a deposited contract with a minimum wage and another is to be fully covered with contributions and insurance coverageTo be clear, we're within the parameters of amateur football, which still requires a minimum contract, but it's not professionalism. However, from next year some issues will need to be clarified., federation by federation, country by country. If women's professionalism is also in Italy equivalent to that provided by Law 91, then some problems might arise. Otherwise, things might remain as they are.
In what sense?
If the UCI considers professionalism to mean that there is a registered contract and insurance coverage, we can argue that these athletes already have a contract and all the guarantees of a position in the Public Administration. Therefore, one could imagine an exemption to be applied to the GS of the police or military forces. Clearly in the next few months we will delve deeper into the topic with theUCI. Therefore we respect Elisa Balsamo's choice, but We do not believe that it will have legal repercussions on the Italian Sports SystemLet's do some math…
You're welcome.
Taking into account the salary in the public sector, including the contribution part, with the exception of a few professionals who could live off their income in the future, without those sports groups, Italian competitive sport would disappearFor us they are lifeblood, for them they are life. How do you make a living from sports without an income? At the expense of families? It's not possible. Some would stop, that's why we're trying to structure four-year projects to support the Olympic preparation of environments that have so far been underestimatedSpeed, for example, off-road, BMX, where we're very good. I'll tell you one thing...
What?
Ours is a unique system in the worldThere was something similar in the former Soviet Union and something milder in Germany and Spain. Let's hold on to it, because thanks to a law, sport is recognized as having an immense social value..
Some people object that a public official cannot receive other salaries.
There is a law and the most beautiful thing is that everything is out in the openThe law provides for limitations and athletes and all sports groups are perfectly within it. Instead, let's work, as I was saying earlier, to to include in the Federation family the disciplines that for years have been left at the doorIt is no coincidence that in the press conference in Milan, in the presentation of all the technicians present for the first time, professionalism was kept last. Not because it is less important, but because it can help give visibility to the entire system.
A cultural change is needed…
I arrived when the elections were already over, but what I noticed is that in the past the Federation has not been able to intercept emerging demandsWe are trying and personally I experience it as a sort of rebellion. We need to get cycling out of the old ways of thinking., from opposing and closed parishes. But to do so, he needs the support of all those who love him.
