From an Instagram story by Andrea Pasqualon This interview was born. The photos in question were two. In the first the new rider of the Bahrain Victorious he was in the car in the middle of the night on his way homeThe second, the next morning, hugging his daughter Joyel. Curiosity came as a consequence, with the intention of understanding how riders manage to reconcile family and cycling.Let's be clear, it's their job, but not recognizing the human side of this story would be insensitive.
Andrea, how do you find the right balance?
Our sport – he tells Pasqualon – it is very difficult in itself, you need to have great concentration to do things well. Both when you are training and when you are competing. In fact, in this last case the stress is greater and if we add to this the family becomes a bomb ready to explodeEverything has to fit together; the family can't miss anything.
How important is family for a rider?
Children are an extra worry on top of work, but family is important. Finding the place and time to be with them also helps you recoverBeing with my daughter and spending time with her makes me feel good. When you're at training camps or races, you can't wait to get back to them and enjoy their presence.
Unusual name Joyel, where does it come from?
My partner and I didn't want to know the gender. We had a lot of boy names, but no girl names.So the night before we thought of a name and Joyel came to mind. It's from a cartoon: Rio.
How old is he now?
Six, just turned: January 25th. My mother's birthday is on the same day as my grandmother, and we celebrated together.I took advantage of a few days off to come back here to Trentino and spend some time with the whole family.
Are you able to reconcile your professional activity with being a father?
It's not always easy, My partner often finds herself in the situation of having to play both roles.She is a saint, as are the wives or companions of my colleagues, who often find themselves giving what their fathers cannot transmit.
When you come home you often spend time with your daughter, you can see it in the photos.
Once back home from the various races or retreats, you have to give 110 percentTraveling at night is part of the job, I prefer to sleep a few hours less, but wake up with my daughter the next day.
Is it important to have support figures like grandparents?
Grandparents are a very important reference figure. We are lucky enough to have great-grandparents too, they are very active people and give us a great hand in managing the family.I myself remember my grandfather as if he were my father, my parents both worked and he raised me and taught me a lot.
Does your partner work too?
Tanja works and sometimes attends fairs or events and is away for the weekend. In the evening, when she's at home, she works in a bar, it's right that she also finds her own space. He shouldn't give up things because of me.
What is your daughter Joyel's relationship with your work?
As the years go by, he is beginning to understand my work. When she was younger she used to get more upset about my absences. Sometimes, even now, she asks me if I can take days off to stay with her. On the days I need to unwind, I manage to reconcile things. but when I have to do specific jobs I have to reluctantly say no to herI promise you, though, that I'll leave early so I can come back earlier and we can spend more time together.
Are retreats or races more difficult to manage?
The retreats.
Why?
Why in the race you are focused on the result and on the reason why you are runningThe days pass by more quickly.
When you go on retreat alone, do you bring them with you?
Yes, I bought a house in Andorra and I'm bringing my family with me. Before a Tour de France or the Giro it is useful to have them next to me, it also makes me feel good mentallyThen consider that if I didn't see them even during the retreat, to which we then add the race, it would be 60 days apart.
Many teams don't allow riders to bring their families with them, even on individual training camps...
It's something I don't understand, they say it distracts the athlete. I honestly don't understand this as reasoning.When I go on retreat I like to bring my family, Having someone important by your side is useful both on a human and sporting levelIf I were a sports director, I would always opt for the rider's happiness; a happy professional can perform better.
What does a typical day on retreat look like for you?
I got a house in Andorra, In the morning I train while Tanja and Joyel go for nice walksWe spend the afternoon together.
From the photos on social media, it's clear that you like to take her with you on your bike or skis.
Yes, I like the idea of her growing up as an “athlete” to teach her a healthy lifestyle. I don't care what sport she wants to play and I won't force her to do anything.. I think, however, that it is right to give her the opportunity to try many things, depending on her tastes.
You ski a lot too.
I grew up skiing until I was 17, and it's nice to have an activity to alternate.
Joyel is six years old and is about to start school. What decision have you and your partner made?
Now she is in a private institution, a nursery that has a different vision and leaves children outdoors a lotIn Trentino there are many such structures, children grow in contact with nature, learning to share spaces with it.
Where will she go to elementary school?
In Andorra, for time reasons I stay longer there than in Italy. It's a country that I like a lot and my partner likes it a lot too.It's a safe place to train, the roads are wide and there is culture and respect for cyclists. To be honest, I don't cycle much in Italy, I prefer to do different activities and the latest events (Rebellin's fatal accident, ed.) convinced me even more to make this choice.
