
After being a Professional for nine seasons wearing the jerseys of Carrera and Asics and having guided teams from the team car like Liquigas, Katusha, IAM Cycling and Bahrain Merida, Mario Chiesa from 2026 will put his experience at the service of youth cycling. The 59-year-old from Brescia will join the staff of Pedale Casalese Armofer, a Lombard Junior team, at the start of the next season.
"I share the way of understanding cycling of patron Stefano Cinerari and Luca Colombo and I like the project they have been carrying forward for years, so when they proposed collaboration, I gave them my availability because I believe it's important to commit to youth cycling" - Chiesa says when reached by phone. "Like Stefano and Luca, I also believe that young riders should be developed gradually and without rushing".
Chiesa, who as a rider participated six times in the Giro d'Italia and five editions of the Tour de France, will be more of an organizational figure than a team car director, he emphasizes when explaining his tasks in the Lodi-based team: "I will mainly focus on planning, work on structuring the calendar and trips, possibly even abroad, and try to contribute to material selection as well. In short, I'll bring the experience gained over many years of racing to the service of Pedale Casalese Armofer".
Activity in favor of young people is an important value for Mario, who in addition to supporting Pedale Casalese Armofer will continue to follow the Beginners of Soprazzocco: "This is also a way to work with young riders. The Society is located just a few kilometers from my home, I ride with the kids during training, follow them by bike and try to give them advice. The key word in this case is fun, it's fundamental at the Beginners level".
We also recall that Mario Chiesa is involved in the Professional Cycling League, where he serves as a member of the Technical Commission chaired by Gianni Bugno.