Yesterday morning on the Adriatic there was finally time to talkWe were discussing the teams and the races with a member of the group, far from the barriers and the unpleasant stewardess, while the riders slowly made their way to the sign-in sheet.
«So many things have changed – he said – from the way the riders are, to the time dedicated to themYesterday, listening to the radio, I thought a rider had dropped out because he couldn't take it anymore, but in the evening I saw the sports director furious and I understood that he dropped out because he got distracted. They're distracted. They have a GPS the size of a TV and an earpiece on their handlebars, and yet they're distracted.Many people find motivation only in big races, without realizing that important results come gradually. The first step is finishing them, then you build on that. Maybe money takes away hunger, but in this cycling, without motivation you don't go anywhere».
Runners emptied
At this point you will want to know the name of our interlocutor, but when things are said in confidence, it is right to keep the commitmentBut the theme we've often touted remains: The rider gets distracted in the decisive stage: It won't be because he has the earphone and that screen on the handlebars?
«This is the speech you make as a cycling enthusiast and that I would make too – he said – but then you pass by here and you understand that If you applied this way of thinking, you would have to cut 30 percent of the team staffIt is convenient for the rider to be empty and not to think, so that he can maintain some professional figures who are useful, but not indispensableIf, on the other hand, you become indispensable, you've achieved your goal. And if in 20 years you manage to save a nice sum, what do you care about riders? If one quits, you find another. Coaches, nutritionists, and psychologists are incredibly helpful; it's unthinkable to do high-level activities without them. However, On race day, only what the rider says should countWhat's the point of a half-hour pre-race meeting that feels more like a scientific seminar?
Boomerang progress
Progress is fast and voracious and relies on athletes. Let's leave aside Pogacar, Van Aert, Roglic and those with more personalityLet's leave aside the more experienced ones, who saw this change coming and found a way to avoid being overwhelmed by it. Not everyone lets themselves be emptied, some fortunately found the way to live with it. But let's think about the young people who enter the big circus and they think this is the only possible habitat. What comes to mind is whether one perceives that there is a limit beyond which so much pursuit of perfection becomes a boomerang.
«Runners have a name – he used to say – and it is important to recognize their humanityEven if they say no, they need the human connection. You have to look beyond the facade. Many coaches spend their time looking at files and not the eyes of the riders, but they could do the same things from home too.. Only if you stay at home I'll pay you 40 thousand euros and not 250. Psychologists have master's degrees at the highest levels, but If you have no cycling experience and don't know what riders really experience, What's the point of being super prepared if you don't have the basics? The organizers set the times, give you a hotel three hours from the finish line, and probably ignore everything else. And in the end, it turns out that the evening is all about running. Masseurs have less and less time, dinner is served in a hurry and sports directors no longer make the rounds of the roomsOne because he has to handle the logistics, another because he doesn't always find the time. With Pogacar, everything's fine now, but what would happen if there were a real hitch? Huge staffs are fine, but would there be anyone who could talk to us?
Everyone to Sanremo
Then the last stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico It left carrying with it thoughts and suggestions and leaving us there to ponder what was said. Bauhaus won the stage, Tadej Pogacar the rankingThe group flies, sometimes haste and speed are the perfect excuse for not stopping to do analysisWe're setting sail for Sanremo, and then it'll be time to head back North.
