In the storm that overwhelmed and closed the Drone Hopper by Gianni Savio, he also found himself Edward GrosuThe Romanian rider, who had raced in Italy for many years, suddenly lost the certainties that surrounded him. The last two years have been a downward spiral, but this tenacious rider has not let himself be discouraged and has started again. With the hope of reversing this negative trend with well-placed pedal strokes.
Dashed hopes
Listening to Grosu talk about the last few months, it's hard to believe. The sad thing is that what we're about to write about actually happened...
"I'm fine," he says from his home in Romania. I finally managed to find the team for 2023. It's about the Mazowsze Serce Polski, a Polish continentalI had to wait until the new year because during the last months of 2022 I had signed a contract with an Irish continental team, EvoPro Racing. I signed with them because a big Romanian sponsor was supposed to come in and the team would take affiliation in my country.I had been involved in all the negotiations, and we had already reached extremely advanced stages. EvoPro manager Morgan Fox had come to Romania and already had the contract to supply the bikes.
«At a certain point – Grosu continues to say – when theUCI He asked the Romanian sponsor for guarantees, but he disappeared and no longer responded to emails or phone calls.The worst thing is that, since we were moving to a Romanian affiliation, I had contacted some guys from my country to have them come and race in this new team. Once the sponsor disappeared we were all left stranded, from the Romanian guys to EvoPro, which had to close the team."
On foot again
In 2022, Drone Hopper had closed down and with the unfortunate EvoPro episode, things had gotten dark for Grosu. Mazowsze Serce Polski has put things back in order and is trying to rebuild something for 2023, with the hope of turning fortune in the right direction.
«The Drone Hopper – explains the Romanian sprinter – It should have remained open, at least from what my agents, the Careras, had told me after the Giro di Romania (It was still the first half of September, ed.). In the meantime, I had come into contact with a few foreign professionals, but with the situation that arose with the EvoPro, those leads then cooled down. The calendar that Mazowsze Serce Polski offers me is goodWe will do the Tour of Hungary and the Tour of Denmark plus some races in Belgium and France.
«The important thing is to have opportunities, I think that if I know how to take advantage of them I will be able to return to a professional team. I'm not one to give up, I don't let myself get down, I take things as they come and always try to make the most of them.If the offers come in, good, otherwise it will mean I have no market and I'll do something else."
The Drone Hopper Situation
We had told you about the moods of the Italian riders of the Drone Hopper a few months ago. Even for Grosu the period was not easy but he did his best to try to save the situation..
"I still keep in touch with my former teammates," he says. "I've stayed in good contact with them. During the most difficult times, I also tried to save the situation myself, looking for sponsors. I know the Romanian Minister of Sport very well: Edward Novak, former Paralympic athlete, but we could not find a solution. I have remained in contact with Gianni Savio, however. He is a truly good man, with whom I got along very well, and I wish him all the best."
Déjà vu with Giuliani
Starting from a continental Grosu finds a situation that seems similar to the past, like a deja vu. The last time the sprinter raced in a continental team was in 2014 and he was at Vini Fantini Nippo. His sporting director was Stefano Giuliani. Given the words of From the Valley Regarding his relationship with the latter, we ask Grosu what memories he has of him. And we try to understand how Stefano creates the harmony that helps his riders regain momentum.
“The first time we met,” he says, pausing for a moment to remember better, “was in 2013. We were at the Tour of Romania, in July, and I asked him if there was a free spot on his team because I wanted to move up. After some time, it must have been December, he called me to tell me that he would have done the continental and I I would have been part of the teamGiuliani is a great person, with a huge heart, who has always been close to me. For two years I lived in his house, he would give you his soul if he couldHe has always managed to bring out the best in his riders, he goes to great lengths to ensure they don't miss anything, I think this is his secret, he shows you firsthand how much he cares."
Cycling in Romania
Grosu speaks willingly and answers questions kindly, and so we also end up talking about the cycling in RomaniaThe land where he was born and where, as he tells us, he returned to live in 2019.
«I came back to live here after I stopped racing at Nippo Vini Fantini (he says, ed.). In Zarnesti, three kilometers from Dracula's CastleI like it here and I feel very good here. Cycling in Romania is on the rise. If I think back five years ago, I remember we only had the Sibiu Tour. There are now 17 UCI racing days in our territory: between Sibiu tour, Tour Szeklerland, Tour of Romania and some one-day races. The credit also goes to Vlad Dascalu who races MTB in the Trek team and in 2019 he was the under 23 world champion. When an athlete reaches a goal like that it creates interest in the discipline, whatever it is."
