Il Team Corratec it became a professional team. Not only that, but will also participate in the Tour of Italy and the Tirreno-Adriatico. Serge Parsani is the sporting director, but above all he is the team manager of this group. With the former Mapei we had already spoken of this possible leap from the continental to the higher category. We had done it in the fall, when the project was a dream… well-structured, yes, but still only words were in the air.
A few days ago, we visited the Tuscan team's headquarters in Montecatini, where they also have their headquarters. And the team was presented there. A press conference to reveal themselves to the world. In the front row are the three sports directors: Parsani, of course, Francesco Frassi e Fabiana Luperini.
A word from Parsani
"We started last year," Parsani says, "with the idea of being able to do well and grow. The real professional project began after the Giro di Lombardia. The team was there, we needed a manager. I thought about it for a week and at that point we said: okay, let's make a professional team."
«And this was possible thanks to corratec, who allowed us to improve and believed in us after the good 2022 season. Today we are a truly Italian team, affiliated in Italy and with Italian staff. It's not easy to find sponsors here and this is one more reason to thank Corratec.
We see it with the WorldTours. If they're on another planet, it's also because they have the ability to create, thanks to solid sponsorships, structures that will last over time. And this is our goal."
Parsani insists a lot on the financial possibility. And even when we press him on the difficulties of becoming a professional, he cuts us short.
«The difficulties exist because there is no money – he says bluntly – once Corratec believed in us, in our project, we were able to start the professional discussion».
Forward with the young people
In some ways it was more difficult to build the team last year when we were continental than it is this year. In the first case, in fact, to assemble a squad you have to juggle many parameters: number of foreigners, number of riders under 23, some with certain points, others without...
This year, however, there was the opposite “problem,” with many riders, even some of a certain caliber, knocking on the door. But the main line remained the same.
«We – says Parsani – We focus a lot on young people. We have taken Valerio Conti, who is the most experienced and representative rider for what he has done in his career, but he is only 29 years old. And he is the oldest of our squad, just think…».
«The average age is 24,7 years – Frassi intervenes – We also decided to keep some of the boys who were with us last year even though they didn't achieve great results, nor had they achieved them as under-23s. But we kept them because they showed good signs. So why not believe in them? Why not give them a chance? They're young, they're Italian, they're maturing, they were already with us: let's try to bring them forward."
It's already the future
The Corratec season is about to start. It will start in about 48 hours. Return to San Juan in Argentina, to then continue on to the Saudi Tour, where Fabiana Luperini will also be leading the boys. Not a laughing matter: a woman leading a men's team in an Arab country.
And then we will continue with the other races starting with the Italian ones.
«If we were to do the Giro – said Parsani just four days ago – we would clearly be happy, otherwise it wouldn't be a tragedy. We'll be ready and fully committed to other races, too. But the Giro is definitely a different story. The Giro changes everything."
And the Giro is there. During the Montecatini days, sports directors spoke with pride and even a modicum of legitimate concern about double and triple activity in some cases. In these situations, logistics also become complicated. You need resources, personnel, and a good number of riders. Twenty riders to date. As of today…
Nairo yes, Nairo no
And yes, because the market rumours say that Nairo Quintana He will join the Amaranto team. The Colombian, who wore the pink jersey in 2014, announced early on that he would race the Giro, and Corratec has not denied any contact.
But it is also true that Quintana comes out of the history of tramadol and Corratec has signed theMpcc precisely to be able to gain credibility in the first year of professional and to be able to access important competitions such as those of RCS and ASO above all.
In any case, we start again from last year's 12 victories and the many good placings.
"We are – concludes Parsani – A young group, as mentioned. Close-knit. Hungry. And full of enthusiasm. And it is on these foundations that we built the team.
«There are fast riders like Attilio Viviani, Tivani, From the Valley e Konychev. Smart and successful riders on mixed courses like Conti, Karel Vacek, Stojnic and Gandin, perhaps the biggest climber of the group. And real bets like Olivero, Iacchi and Amella. I expect a great commitment from everyone."
