Guercilena sends them, all clear. Bramati and Tosatto, like Mourinho and Guardiola, are two of the most respected sporting directors in the world. The riders say it, and they don't compromise on certain things.Since we firmly believe that coincidences don't exist, we started to look back at their history to understand what made them so special. And frankly, we weren't surprised at all to find that the first common element of a certain importance was Luca GuercilenaBoth had him as their coach, and Bramati even shared the team car with him, after he left the saddle. Today they work in separate teams, but the path unites them, so it's truly enlightening. talk to the manager of the Trek-Segafredo of those two former riders who became so good as technicians.
Good morning Luca, is it possible to understand if a rider has the predisposition to become a coach?
In my opinion, yes. You can see it from how he relates to the great captainsIf he's objective in his reasoning and is able to make them understand, for example, that they're making mistakes tactically, but also in their behavior, then he's not afraid of anyone. You can tell by how he moves within the team.
That?
Has leadership in dealing with the riders and then reporting to the team manager What the team wants to say. The ability to mediate, in short. These are the characteristics that suggest the athlete has the potential to become a sports director. Whether he turns out to be good or not also depends heavily on the work.
Did the two of them give you these feelings?
Matteo has always been more thoughtful and taciturn, but he always said his piece without holding backBrama is more extroverted and playful, but he has always had his say. Furthermore, they have both been two highly experienced teammates, capable of always being available to the team.
Bramati was also a colleague at the beginning…
Exactly, we often ran together. I didn't think he'd get so good so quickly. He's always been a great friend and I saw his always being playful as a limitation. Instead it pleasantly surprised me, because within 2-3 years he managed to put the necessary distance between himself and the ridersAnd let's not forget that he immediately started guiding his roommates…
What about Toso?
Toso stopped at a more mature age (42 years old for the Venetian, against 38 for the Bergamo native, ed.) so the gap with the new generations was clearer and it was easier to establish relationships within the team, not having particular personal relationships.
What kind of person is Bramati the sporting director?
The most important quality I have always seen in him is the ability to motivate the whole groupWhen we were racing together, we complemented each other quite well. I was the scientific and more precise one, he was the braggart who gave the reasons.. Instead, with Tosatto I experienced my best day as sporting director.
Which day?
The victory of Morzine-Macon stage at the 2006 TourUp until that point, it had been a complex Tour. The day before, there had been the incredible feat of Landis, who was later removed from the standings. And Toso won with that breakaway, beating Moreni in the sprint. Unforgettable.
You've all been linked to Quick Step for years. Do you think working with Lefevere has shaped you in any way?
It's a good job working with Patrick, because beyond his very strong personality, he has great respect for the qualities of others. But Bramati and I come from Mapei and Tosatto from Fassa Bortolo and I think that the Italian one is truly a great school. We often cry over it, but given the way our training is set up and the teachers we have had, as well as the opportunity to mature in foreign teams, we have nothing to envy anyone.
Moscon said that Tosatto brought the Italian mentality to Ineos.
The Italian root must be defended, training is part of our culture And I hope this continues to evolve. We're the only country with a trade association where meetings are held to update our knowledge.
When you do the Segafredo-Trek, will you hire them to work with you?
I don't think this will happen (Guercilena laughs, ed.), but I would certainly be very happy to work with them. But I have the impression that they are both fine where they already are.
