Who leaves the Deceuninck-Quick Step He doesn't win anymore. That's what they say in the group: you know it, right? The riders tell you why, the professional malicious pretend to believe it. Yet the Belgian team is not an isolated caseEven those who leave Astana stop winning, have you noticed?
Nibali won the last major stage race of 2016 before moving to Team Bahrain-Merida, with whom he won a Giro d'Italia and the Sanremo. Passing in the UAE Team Emirates, Aru has stopped being the champion that everyone had fallen in love with and slowly it ended up dying outDiego Rosa, a great domestique who almost won the Lombardy, passed away after joining Team Sky. Landa like him, just a little better thanks to BahrainThe last case is that of Superman Lopez, switched to Movistar and quickly came back, before wasting any more time.
The secret weapon
There is a secret, it's called Giuseppe Martinelli. After all, if you think about it, Astana is what remains of Saeco and an Italian way of understanding cycling, which will also horrify English-speaking managers, but undoubtedly works.
“Martino” knows what he's doing and In his long career he has won major Tours with every type of rider: from highly celebrated champions to youngsters to be developedWith Pantani and Garzelli. With Cunego and Simoni. With Contador, Nibali, and Aru. The great Brescian has a clear idea of how to make the captain feel at the centre of operations, because he learned it at the school of Luciano Pezzi, himself a domestique for Coppi and a technician for Gimondi in his conquest of the Tour.
«Pantani is the captain – said Luciano at the end of 1996, presenting the new Mercatone Uno – Martinelli is the one in charge».
We had been without the Tour for thirty years and Pantani was not someone who easily accepted orders, and yet from that nucleus and that approach came Marco's Giro and Tour and in their wake Garzelli's Giro.
Not just for money
Vinokourov understood it and allowed Martinelli to build the team according to his ideas, with the more or less invasive imposition of… Kazakh aromas necessary for the team's survival. And when Aru decided to leave, "Wine" he said prophetic words what has recently repeated to our Filippo Lorenzon.
The Inselvini-Pallini massage duo will be reunited next year. 
Federico Borselli drives the bus and works as a psychologist. Gabriele Tosello, Possoni and a great team of mechanics
The Inselvini-Pallini massage duo will be reunited next year. 
Federico Borselli drives the bus and works as a psychologist. Gabriele Tosello, Possoni and a great team of mechanics
"Often, riders chase money," he said, "and that's important, yes, but it's not everything. It applies to all riders, not just Fabio, but you also have to look at where you are and whether you're comfortable. At Astana, we're like a family in the way we treat our riders. And it's also a very Italian team, with Martino and other staff.Riders always think they're better off on other teams, but then they find other opportunities. There are many who have left who were supposed to do who knows what things, I'm thinking of Rosa, Landa... They could have stayed with us and they could have won a great Giro. Safe".
Nibali and Moscon
Why this speech? Because in addition to Lopez, this year Astana will welcome Nibali back and MosconWe've already said that we shouldn't expect miracles from Vincenzo, while perhaps Gianni will find, in the right environment and in Stefano Zanini, the security he always lacked in his old home. The security of having people around him who look up to him as a family hero. You have to keep riders grounded, but you also have to make them feel important, because they thrive on challenges and self-esteem..
Taste of home
Zanini, a warrior. Borselli, who drives the bus and is unknowingly a psychologist. Inselvini and his old philosopher's massagesMazzoleni and his coaching staff. Erica Lombardi in charge of nutrition. Tosello and the other mechanics. Going to the races will always be like coming homeAnd Martino's gruff and priceless gaze will watch over everyone, with his gaze and voice that tremble when he speaks of Panta. Who is always one step behindCapable of devoting himself to each of his boys as when we were all younger and chasing enormous dreams. And perhaps, precisely looking at those unforgettable achievements, Nibali and Moscon could convince themselves once again that there are no impossible goals.
PS By the way, Maybe one day we'll do the same thing for Davide BramatiNot all teams have the right environment, Not all technicians are capable of creating it and managers have the wisdom to let them do it.Don't think that making riders go fast requires only money and secrets. The former are useful, the latter are often less mysterious than you might think.
