Gianluca Carretta, osteopath, is one of Nibali's guardian angelsLike the masseur Pallini, the trainer Slongo, and Dr. Magni. With his hands, he has put generations of champions, cyclists and otherwise, back on their feet, from Basso to Savoldelli, from Cancellara to Armstrong. Despite Covid, his presence alongside the Shark has been invaluable. And also through his treatments, after the World Championships, Trek-Segafredo he began to understand that the champion was coming.
His presence at the Tour of Italy, while serving the entire team, is closely connected to the captain. So the question that arose at a certain point was whether the condition is something tangible and how it manifests itself.
"He's growing," he told bici.PRO after the Matera stage, "both physically and mentally. He had some doubts about his performance after the Tirreno, but now that his feelings are improving, his morale is also improving."
What is the role of the osteopath in this case?
Maintaining his balancePallini and I do maintenance work. He takes care of the muscle work after the run, I do mine after dinner.
What do you usually do?
A light massage to regenerate it and help it rest better. Visceral manipulation to improve leg vascularity. Not the classic manipulation, because things go perfectly and there is no need to be too energetic.
How do you give Vincenzo a massage to help him sleep better?
We work very gently at the level of the skull, to better recover in the cranio-sacral area.
And the visceral massage?
By doing it after dinner, you don't work on the stomach, but you do lymphatic drainage at the pelvic level, to complement Pallini's work on the leg muscles.
Does Nibali adapt easily?
He'd prefer a more challenging job, but it's unnecessary. I know him so well that he lets me do it.
How is your back feeling after the fracture at Alpe d'Huez?
I always check it and I'd say it has no after-effects. There was some discomfort after the injury, but now everything seems fine. However, since it's an area that gets stressed on the bike, it's always worth checking. It's also useful for release any dysfunctions that may interfere with functionality.
So is everything okay?
As of today, yes. The fact that he's in balance is a measure of the situation. If there are no changes, it will be enough to maintain his balance. It's the daily refrain with Pallini.
