Il Team Corratec It was the last Italian team to join the professional list. A small team, but there's no shortage of enthusiasm, a desire to do well, and a willingness to get involved. And even on a rainy day the boys of Serge Parsani, Francesco Frassi e Fabiana Luperini they don't stop.
They held their mini-retreat in Montecatini ahead of the first upcoming races. But the rain had a hand in it.However, it was an opportunity to see firsthand how a team reorganizes in bad weather and cold.
Red alert
The night before, we continued to check the weather apps and more or less all of them predicted heavy rain, especially in the first part of the day.
«If it doesn't rain – said sports director Frassi – We leave at 9,30 and will last 5 hours. Otherwise, from 10am onwards, we take photos for the website and postcards and try on the latest items of clothing. Veloplus».
And so it goes: already before 10 a.m., the riders gather in a large room in the hotel where they're staying for photos and to get their gear. But the training session remains on the agenda. Those who have to go to Argentina for the Return to San Juan They're itching to do something. So they opt for going to the gym.
«Then – adds Frassi – If the weather improves, we go out on our bikes, otherwise we do roller skating..
At the gym…
They go to the gym Alex Konychev, Attilio Viviani, Stefano Gandín, Marco Murgano e Nicolas Dallas Valle, and German Tivani An Argentine from San Juan, he prefers to skip the dry-land portion. The guys warm up on spin bikes, which are better than stationary bikes. Then they move on to weights and core training.
«In this case – explains Attilio Viviani – With upcoming competitions, people tend to prefer a slightly more streamlined gym. That means less weight and faster repetitions. We try to prolong the exercises, perhaps alternating the legs as in the press or leg extension, up to 3 minutes. This way, between reduced weight and speed of execution, it's a bit like simulating an SFR, on a bike.
"While at other times of the year, maybe you only do five reps on the press, but with maximum loads... from which you can't get out. In this case, it's a bit like doing standing starts on the track with long gear ratios."
The guys alternate the lower part with a bit of core zone: abs basically, plank, but not only.
Are we going out?
Once the gym session is over, we return to the hotel. A light meal is eaten, consisting of rice, pasta, or potatoes, and nothing else. And this especially concerns athletes who will do nothing and will take advantage of the situation to give themselves a day of total rest, like Van Empel.
The weather seems to be improving, so Frassi, talking among the tables, pushes to go out. They will do it a couple of hours with a bit of revving, which will be especially useful for young people who, having to go to Argentina, between travel and time zones will spend at least three days without pedaling.
"It wouldn't be bad," Frassi says, "to be able to do this ride, especially after the good work we've done in the past few days."
On the rollers
But then it starts raining again, and the idea of going out fades again. Better to avoid getting sick. Everyone (or almost everyone) on the rollers, then. But the rollers are not 20 like the riders, rather 19… because Valerio Conti It's on Teide. We have to work shifts. The mechanic takes care of it, but priority still goes to the guys who have to go to San Juan.
A mechanic presents Frassi with the list of athletes who will take turns on the rollers. The kids are free to go by feel, but everyone opts for speed. So, high cadences.
«I did an hour at the end – explains Konychev – and I also included some strength variations. For example, two and a half minutes at 50 rpm alternating with two and a half minutes at 90-95 rpm. A workout like this also helps me process what I did this morning at the gym. My heart rate? I even got up to 170. But being indoors with less oxygen they rise a little more easily and in fact the wattages were not very high".
So here's how to save a bad weather day. Going outside would be better, but not everything is wasted.
