The image we all have of Pierino Gavazzi He won the Sanremo ahead of Saronni. The Lombard, even though he won "little" compared to many other champions, remained in the hearts of fans for his character as an attacker, an untamed, cunning rider... Taccone, un Chiappucci, an BitossiYou can't forget people like that.
And he hasn't forgotten it either Paolo Savoldelli, when he told us the other day that he was an innovator when it came to preparation. «Gavazzi was the first to not stop in winter and this opened a new path», the Bergamasco Hawk had more or less said.
Age and stop
So we couldn't help but listen to Pierino himself.
"The fact that I couldn't stop," Gavazzi explains, "was related to my age. I'd noticed that as the years went by, I was having a harder time getting into a rhythm. It took me two or three weeks longer each season to get into shape. So I tried to stay active.
"But I've always done it a little. Even when I was young, I'd do some walking. In my day, we ran for eight months, and it was eight months straight. Today, those who aim for the classics, those who aim for the Giro d'Italia... they do two months and then disappear. Not to mention that the races were longer and we covered more kilometers. On average, between races and training, I was between 37-38.000 kilometres a year, but one season I did Line of Business, Tour of Switzerland e Tour I got to 43.000."
Walking and cyclocross
«I realized I needed to stay active at 34. And so from the following winter, at 35 years old, I never stopped. (Pierino raced until he was 41, ed.). After the Lombardy race, I continued for another week. Then I'd do a couple of them without the bike, but I'd go walking. Then I'd start cyclocross and do two or three road bike rides a week. After Christmas or the very first days of the year, I'd start the real training. A few days of good weather would be enough and I'd get back to it.
"I could definitely feel the difference. This method allowed me to win the Laigueglia at 39 years old. However, I wasn't the only one doing that, other less titled people did it too."
Gavazzi is from Lombardy, and in his area, especially at the time, it was really cold in those months. He sought the warmth of the lakes.
"Exactly, I'd travel to Lake Garda or Lake Iseo, where I'd somehow manage to train well. Then, at the end of January, we'd go to Liguria first, and then to Tuscany. We'd go to Follonica or further up towards Camaiore."
The summer "break"
When he was younger, Gavazzi still rode a bit after the Lombardy race, but basically he didn't touch the bike until Christmas, just taking a few walks. The idea of cross-country came to him later. But given the good results, we asked him what he thought of the current road cyclists who do cross-country, starting with Fabio Aru.
Aru is coming off two dark years, and he's looking for redemption. Cross-country skiing certainly gives you something, but I'm thinking of the Belgians. They really never stop and are incredibly competitive cross-country athletes. I wonder how long they'll really last. Van Aert and Van der Poel They are good at the classics, but their cross-country activity is very demanding. It's true that I never stopped, but in my day, after the Italian championship, before the pre-World Cup, there was a good month. I did two weeks of rest, I didn't pedal much, but I managed to get to the end of the season without having an empty tank."
