As is customary at the end of the year, the Coni Lombardia headquarters in Milan hosted the course day reserved for Italian neo-professional cyclists, organized by ACCPI and LCP in collaboration with FCI, to provide an overview of the many aspects that riders at the highest levels need to manage in their profession. Here are the 24 participants for today: Alessandro Romele, Davide Toneatti, and Florian Kajamini (Astana), Jacopo Colladon, Alessandro Perracchione, and Antonio Polga (Novo Nordisk), Tommaso Nencini, Luca Verrando, Joann Rolando, and Andrea Piras (Corratec Vini Fantini), Daniel Skerl (Bahrain Victorious), Giosuè Epis (Arkea B&B), Manlio Moro (Movistar), Andrea Raccagni Noviero (Soudal Quick Step), Sergio Meris (Tietema Rockets), Santiago Ferraro, Mattia Stenico, Andrea Montagner, and Filippo Cettolin (VF Bardiani Csf Faizanè), Ludovico Crescioli and Gabriele Raccagni (Polti Visit Malta), Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco), Sara Fiorin (Ceratizit), and Carlotta Cipressi (Human Powered Health), while the teammate of the latter, Giada Borghesi, was absent with notice.
After the opening greeting from the Pro Cycling Italian League, represented by secretary Stefano Piccolo, and from the Italian Cycling Federation, represented by president Cordiano Dagnoni, the cautions for safety and prudence from Giro d'Italia organizer Mauro Vegni, and the encouragement from Paolo Bettini ("Many told me I wasted time doing 4 years as an amateur, but for me, it was like going to university: take your time to grow and structure yourself, until you experience that race where you will finally overcome the first limit that is yourself"), the president of the riders' association Cristian Salvato dedicated the occasion to a young man who would have participated as a new member of Tietema Rockets but tragically had to leave this world before he could live a full life: Simone Roganti.
Then, the courses began: Cristian Salvato first explained the rights, duties, and interlocutors of the rider in an increasingly structured and complex cycling world. Two representatives from the anti-doping sector, Cyril Cattin from the UCI and Carmel Chabloz and Lucas Combebias from the ITA agency, explained in detail the Adams system; the psychologist from Italian Cycling Federation Federciclismo and Lidl Trek Elisabetta Borgia gave an overview of some main challenges young athletes must face; the head of the federal technical structure, Fabrizio Bontempi, and Stefano Piccolo discussed the structure of professional teams and contractual matters; the national time trial coach Marco Velo and the representative of the riders Matteo Trentin analyzed the topic of safety devices, which are continually evolving in current cycling; finally, Giulia De Maio and Pietro Illarietti, respectively the press officers of ACCPI and LCP, spoke to the riders about the relationship with the media and social networks.
Valuable lessons for the riders who'll officially enter the World Tour or Professional category in 2025.