Regardless of whether he loses the pink jersey today or keeps it, there have been some words of Attila Valter and its sporting director Philippe Mauduit on the threshold of pain, pronounced immediately after the stage of San Giacomo, which continued to resonate in our heads.
"If I really believe in something," the Hungarian said, the mind moves the limit forward and at that point there is nothing impossible."
The French coach went into more detail: «One thing we noticed immediately is The ability to hurt oneself when in difficulty or when one has a goal. He can go beyond the pain threshold and does so rationally.If he convinces himself he can do it, he usually does. He's feisty. If he lets go, it means he's truly dead."
The reference to the pain threshold brought us back to the interminable discussions on the topic with Marco Pantani, capable of going beyond that level, taking his rivals into an unknown area they were often afraid ofTo understand better we turned to Elisabetta Borgia, psychologist and mental coach, which collaborates with the Trek-Segafredo and several other athletes.
How does one decide to suffer?
Everyone finds the button that brings out the best in themselves. They are different qualities, personality traitsYou get there through extreme rationality, as perhaps in the case of the pink jersey, or by instinct and Alaphilippe comes to mind.
Shall we talk about the button?
Each of us is rationality, emotion and behaviorThe percentages in which these three factors interact vary from person to person. If our approach to life is based solely on logic and we completely cut off emotions, we'll have problems in the long run. The same goes for the opposite. One of the most widespread mechanisms is that of the self-fulfilling prophecy., according to which the beliefs we hold determine reality. We convince ourselves so much that in the end it works. A sort of placebo effect.
A sort of where there's a will, there's a way?
But at the base there is mental training. Athletes have a wealth of data about their physiology, but the mental aspect is crucial.Marc Madiot, for whom Attila Valter rides, works a lot on his strengths. He's good at bringing out the best in his riders, focusing on training and also on the motivational aspectIn any case, what rational and instinctive management have in common is a sense of responsibility towards one's own future. Self-confidence, believing that you can turn your life around, as opposed to the attitude of those who do not believe in themselves.
How do you cope with suffering and accept pain?
This is the most difficult moment to manage. You're full of energy, so you're vulnerable, fragileEach of us has a threshold of suffering, the ability to go beyond it depends on how mentally you are at the start and how effective you are in your actionIf you're fit, it's easier for you.
Can you go into more detail?
When I did my Masters in Sports Psychology, Dr. Vercelli said that when we're at our wits end, we still have 5% to giveAnd he gave the example of a mother who sees her son in danger and takes unconventional actions to save him.
So is this something you can't train?
Something can be done. It depends on the internal dialogueWhen we're pushing ourselves toward that door, we're telling ourselves something. Think about it. When you're making a really intense effort, don't you talk to yourself? Usually, each of us encourages ourselves. Or we visualize the image of reaching the top and achieving our goal. We must learn to transform in positive terms what we tell each other and exclude everything else.
Exclude what?
Our mind has the limit of process one piece of information at a timeIf I saw something distracting right now, I'd automatically stop listening to you. I'd divert my attention from the primary objective. If an athlete wants to perform at his best, he must think about nothing else. This ability must be trained.On the other hand, sometimes a professional comes to me who can't take it anymore, who talks about "exertion vomiting." He can't handle it anymore because he's perhaps a little depressed and has entered a vicious cycle.
Do the worries of everyday life limit your ability to suffer and accept further pain?
When the athlete brings his problems, it is clear that we are no longer just talking about sport. Let's talk first about men and womenIn those cases, miracles cannot be performed, but we work to separate the two aspects for the short time necessary. It is a palliative, because the two spheres are integratedThe most you can do is work on the surface and concentration to bring home the result.
Last point. You initially mentioned the amount of data available. Is there a downside?
On this matter, I have a… balanced view. Cycling has undergone an incredible evolution, both in terms of equipment and the need to refine every detail, from the bike to its weight. The rider is overstimulated on several fronts and there is a risk that he will increasingly need external support to know what to doBennati told me that younger athletes aren't capable of training if their SRM battery is flat. For me, the middle ground is the best.
That means?
You can't train like Coppi anymore, but let's get back to the feeling. I uploaded the data to Training Peaks and sent the files to the coach. Everyone knows how I am, but how do I feel? Races are won with watts, but also with creative moves. One thing that always strikes me as strange is seeing them arrive exhausted at the finish line, almost staggering, yet still press the button on the computer. What difference does it make if you don't? And since the younger ones copy the pros, you risk creating an exoskeleton, but there's nothing inside and then it happens that the rider gets burnout (very interesting a previous interview with Elisabetta Borgia on the reasons that led to Tom Dumoulin's withdrawal, ed.).
So what's the moral?
We need to work on training sports directors in the youth categories; that's the only way.
Will Attila keep the pink jersey? His words really make us think an athlete capable of motivating himself to the point of making his prophecy come trueIf he gives up, as Mauduit says, he will have really given everything. We will know everything in a few hours. We hope we have given you another key to understanding the Campo Felice stageBut how beautiful is cycling? And how much more is there to learn?
