Imelda sprinted across the finish line in Atlanta with the exhausted look and the Olympic silver around his neckThose who were there remember that the Bergamo he didn't know whether to rejoice or punch the handlebarsLongo and her gold had always remained within reach, but there had been no way to catch her. In a sprint, it would almost certainly have been an Italian triumph, after the gold medals on the track of Martinello, Collinelli and Bellutti and the gold medal in mountain biking of Paola Pezzo.
25 years have passed, a film was also shot on Atlanta and that surreal climate of controls and anti-terrorism, while Imelda Chiappa is the mother of two childrenA big one, who never wanted to hear about sports. And a slightly smaller one, born at the end of his career, who has just passed away. professional at Team Bike Exchange: Kevin Colleoni.
Aren't you still curious to know how their cycling stories have intertwined with their family stories since Imelda passed the baton?
«Actually – she smiles – I never stoppedOutside of the strict maternity period, I was an athlete and I was in the gym until the seventh month. I've always played sportsI ran for seven years with my first child. When Kevin was born, I was a member of Edil Savino. I said I would run to see if I was still up to it, but I would have stopped if I had another child. And so it was. With the first one I realized how complicated it was to be a mother and also an athlete, so I decided to dedicate myself to my familyBut I have no regrets. In the following years I never participated in a Gran Fondo, but I go out every day, unless I have some commitment. I go with the usual friends and with the usual competitive spirit. If I see a man, I have to pull away. I don't go slow at all.... ".
Always so motivated?
I started late, at 16 years old, also due to an accident that cost me my tibia and fibula when I was a girl. I won 94 elite races, you can see I was born for this sport.But I didn't know there was cycling for women, too. I used to go to Roberta Bonanomi's bar with my dad, and she had already started. So I tried it too. Whatever sport I did, I was very competitive, always fighting with the boysAt the Youth Games, it was always a battle. There was never a day without sports. So when I started, I was already ready. I just had to learn to ride a bikeI was really clumsy. I'd take turns with the pedal down and fall. I used to ride a bike, but on a women's bike.
Is there any victory you remember more than others?
All beautiful, because I always earned them. I liked to attack. My sports director Sottocornola was playing tactics, but he realized that it was impossible to manage meWe still laugh about it. When I was with the national team, I always exaggerated. But it was a different kind of cycling. I used to train on my own, I didn't have cardio until the last two yearsWhen Broccardo arrived as a technician, he took us to Rome to Acqua Acetosa a few times to do some tests. I was a free spiritWith targeted preparations, I had two peaks a year and I was going strong, but they wore me out psychologically, because I always liked to go fast.
And how does Kevin do it?
He was born in this time, where everyone does it, so I guess you find it normalHe only recently started doing this as a job, as long as there was school, we trained just rightHe made his debut at the age of 6, after his brother Maurizio didn't want to hear about it.
Did you put it on the first bike?
Not really. There was an elderly gentleman who invited him to eat panettone every year. I suggested that he play other sports., one year I even suggested that we do dance and you should see the look on his face when he asked me if I had gone crazy. Kevin never wanted to do anything other than cycling., except for swimming, which I forced him to do for two years.
Did it go strong right away?
Indeed he was so small, like me. Then it started to grow and began to show that it was there. He was with me at Caluschese until he was a student., I trained him because I have the second level. We never expected him to win and no parent dared to scold the kids for their resultsUp to a certain point they have to mature, but as things are going today, If you don't pedal you won't even find a junior team. It's no coincidence that of all those who were Kevin's students, only he remains. But it's not about winning, but about proving you're there. My son has never been one to win races by the bucketload., as a junior he won just one time trial, beating Bagioli.
How much of your story were you able to tell him, or how much did he ask you?
It's not that he talks much, like me. He likes to be silent, to listenI have my shirts hanging up at home, but every time I tried to tell him something, he would shush me. He liked running, not watching cycling on TV. What I conveyed to him was that cycling is a commitment that must be kept, but he never went around bragging about his mother. If anything, it was others who told him so.
Do you still go out cycling together?
Ever since we were students, now he's unpleasant. He starts off at full speed right away and I'm already struggling, he has the pace of a pro. The children are good (laughs, ed.), but they have no respect for their mothers.
Did your husband Marco also run?
He arrived at the amateurs, we got engaged when I was 19 and when Kevin started, he didn't agree so much. In fact, he said, we never stopped chasing bikesAnd he's right. He works in Hungary and only comes home on weekends, so I'm at home to keep everything running. I've never worked, but I have a lot of work to do..
Do you ever miss the adrenaline rush of racing?
Now obviously not, in the first few years yes.
Was Atlanta a victory that just slipped away?
I've always thought so, but it's still a great memory.. Also because they didn't want to take us. Bonanomi and Cappellotto had qualified for the World Championships the year before, I came back at the end and it was really magnificent.
Would you have preferred Kevin to get a normal job?
Ma he's like me, he doesn't think about the futureHe was already happy with Androni, the WorldTour opening was unexpected. And then Even normal jobs these days, you have them today and they're gone tomorrowSo now he has the years ahead of him to prove he's worthy. And if he needs to get a job, he'll always have time. He's 21, has his hotel management diploma, and can always enroll in university.
He has a big chance and the team adores him.
My husband and I saw that They're already taking him to the UAE Tour and we wondered if it's too early, but it means they believe in it and that's nice.
What kind of rider will he be?
He's an atypical climber; he never gets up. He's even done a few time trials, and he's not bad. Physically, he's like me, in proportion, obviously... He has a 1,90 inseam despite being 1,80. He has very long levers.They don't overtake him on the flat, but he needs to gain experience. And in my opinion, he wouldn't be stopped even in a tight sprint. When I make certain arguments, the mother comes out and not the sports directorThey tell me I'm too good, even when I go out with the kids...
