He really has a lot to do Joseph Archetti these days before leaving for Japan and the Olympics TokyoThe head mechanic for the Italian national team en route to Japan has a lot of work to do, with bikes leaving and arriving, and those racing this way and that. And then there are boxes, bags, and duffel bags...
And it's the "national master" himself who tells us how to prepare for an Olympics, especially one taking place on the other side of the Earth. "And I just follow the road!" Archetti exclaims, almost as if to say "luckily."
Giuseppe, you follow five athletes (Nibali, Ciccone, Caruso, Bettiol and Moscon). How many bikes do you bring?
For now the list includes 20 complete bikes, that is, already assembled, plus 4 pairs of wheels each. Quite a few, but necessary given that there are those who use disc brakes and those who use traditional ones, those who have Sram and who Shimano. It's clear that this increases the volume of equipment. For example, Trek has two riders, Nibali and Ciccone, and perhaps they could each carry a pair of wheels less. But it makes little difference.
Four bikes!
One is for racing, one gets into the flagship car and one is in pit 1. Furthermore, there are rumours that a garage 2 could also be set up. We would like to be prepared for any eventuality, given that this is a quadrennial event whose importance goes without saying.
But what about the other parts and components such as pedals, handlebars...?
When the bikes arrive, we ask the teams for a full supply of parts, but In this case, since there is a very long journey and the luggage will fly with us, we pay particular attention to the "small items". Derailleur hanger, seatpost clamps, handlebar tape... things for emergency repair. For example, if a hanger gets bent in the hold during a flight, I can quickly replace it. Furthermore, you need to consider that almost all clubs have planned a base in Japan in the Tokyo area for the most important needs.
And then with Sram, Shimano, and for other nations too Campagnolo, there will be a lot of chaos…
Exactly. In the national team there will also be a second mechanic with me, Mauro Adobati (of the Trek-Segafredo, (Editor's note). For example, he will start with a supply of SRAM parts. While for Shimano, he can refer to the club's "base point."
Maybe Shimano will have also planned something more regarding assistance since it is "playing" on home soil...
Yes, it is possible.
You're responsible for the material, or rather, you're the coordinator: how do you gather it? Do you have an "inventory"?
We have a list of the equipment the teams provide us. Luckily, we've never been short of anything upon returning from various events in the past.
In the end, how many bags and boxes did you end up with?
We have 30 large packages in total. The bikes will be packed into 20-22 bags. scicon. In addition to the rigid cases that we will organize in the warehouse of the FCI Our tools will also be stored in these rigid boxes, complete with locks and wheels. Speaking of wheels, these will be stored in special boxes.
When we were talking about how many bikes to carry, you said “for now” and previously “20-22 bags”: why not a specific number?
Because the discussion related to this is still not very clear Ganna (his material could travel with the track department, ed.) with the time trial. We should resolve this issue at the beginning of next week with Marco Velo. Marco acts as coordinator between me and Cassani, is a logistics manager.
Did the riders make any special requests?
No, if anything, we were the ones who asked them for things, especially regarding relationships. Adobati, who is at the Tour, will follow the instructions of Nibali and Ciccone (at home, ed.), and I will follow the instructions of the other guys. Diego Ulissi who participated in the test event suggested a 39×29… if it doesn't rain.
Why if it doesn't rain?
Because, if I understood correctly, he was referring to the slope on some ramps where the rear wheel slips and to possible restarts from a standstill. In that case, a larger sprocket would be fitted at the rear and a smaller one at the front.
How will you gather the material?
"Well," Archetti sighs, "this is my sixth Olympics, but with the fact that we're racing all over the world, everything gets more complicated. When we went to Beijing, it was easier because we managed to send a container a few days earlier and we traveled light." I will collect the material for Tokyo from three points: from the Tour, the Giro di Sardegna, and the Bergamo warehouse. Adobati will take care of the Tour material. I'll have the Scicon bags I was telling you about delivered to him before the last time trial from my team (the uae(Editor's note: I will collect the Giro di Sardegna material in Rome and then go to the warehouse in Bergamo.
Last question, do you think we'll see any technical innovations in Tokyo?
I don't think so. There are just over 20 days left, and certain things should be tested in competition before such an important event. Oh, and then there's the possibility that Shimano, which is Japanese, might present the 12-speed that day. But I honestly wouldn't risk it.
