"Out of the ordinary" is one of the expressions that Carlo Beretta, president of Swatt Club, used in our microphones on Sunday commenting on what his team accomplished in Gorizia. "Out of the ordinary" or, more succinctly "crazy", is also how someone would have labeled anyone who, in 2013, would have tried to predict to Beretta himself that on a late June day, twelve years later, a cycling team led by him would have won the Italian road title among professionals.

Twelve years ago, in fact, the team now registered as an elite club (fully recognized by the UCI and authorized to compete in .2 level international races) did not exist, and the Swatt Club was not yet on Beretta's and Francesco De Candido's (known by the nickname "Kaiser") radar, who however together, as cycling enthusiasts and especially ski descent companions, at that time opened a blog called Solowattaggio.

By immediately producing unfiltered thoughts, sharp opinions, and decisive views, the two quickly created a large community of enthusiasts who, viscerally and warmly, embraced the philosophy conveyed through their page's posts and articles, a philosophy centered around competition and racing as a lifestyle.

By gathering more and more followers and with the idea of trying to make the world of racing less exclusive and access to it less complicated, four years later the Asd Swatt Club was born (where Swatt is the abbreviation of Solowattaggio), which opened the universe of endurance events to its members, allowing them to experience firsthand the thrill and adrenaline of competitions.

Briefly, the jerseys and outfits marked Swatt Club, distinguished then as now by essential lines, stylistic cleanliness, and minimal design, became increasingly constant at the starting lines of gran fondos, ultra races, triathlon, and athletics tests, certifying with this presence the dimension of a phenomenon with absolutely non-local traits and in continuous expansion.

All this, coming to more recent years, has led Swatt Club to be among the first amateur teams in the country in terms of number of registered members and to boast athletes of a certain prominence. Riding this wave, two years ago, the thought arose of taking an additional step, a step that last year was definitively realized with the composition of an elite formation to take part in gravel calendar races.

Finding themselves with elements like ex Lidl-Trek Asbjørn Hellemose and Zwift Academy finalist Mattia Gaffuri, and unable to resist the call of the road, in mid-2024 the foundations were laid to expand the activity the following year. This intention was not abandoned even when, in July, the Dane found a World Tour spot by signing with Jayco-AlUla: Beretta and associates continued by recruiting future Swatt Club 2025 members through a form.

During this phase, they deliberately decided to focus on riders looking for a comeback and not necessarily Under 23, as those in charge of the team are firmly convinced that high-level sports can be done beyond 24 years and that a chance should be given to those who have the numbers to race at a certain level.

With a budget estimated around 90 thousand euros for the current year, an international roster of 16 riders aged between 18 and 33 was outlined, divided between road, gravel, and mountain bike: it includes 2020 European junior champion Kasper Andersen (later winner of the Torino-Biella), ex TDT-Unibet Jordy Bouts, two-time African cross-country champion Alex Miller, ex Lotto and Q36.5 Filippo Conca, and the aforementioned Gaffuri who, having the skills, takes charge of the preparation of almost all his teammates.

As demonstrated by the vlogs documenting the team's events (which, loosely following in the footsteps of Tour de Tietema, decides to invest in a certain type of communication by using videomakers on site), the atmosphere created is immediately close-knit and familiar. What transpires from the riders guided in the team car by Giorgio Brambilla (yes, the one who became well-known through content for GCN Italia produced together with Alan Marangoni) is, depending on the case, the absolute desire to emerge, the disappointment of not having achieved the result, being exhausted after always trying to give their all, and above all, the passion for what they are doing.

It could not be otherwise for riders who race without salary (some of them will at most keep the bike at the end of the year) and who in the meantime study or do part-time jobs (the Dane Oliver Knudsen, for example, works in a soap company), riders who are not forced to exhaust themselves to chase points (which allows them to better manage training blocks and arrive fresher at the few appointments in their calendar), riders who would otherwise abandon the bike and their dreams: they race for passion.

That passion that, in Swatt Club, translates into attention to details (the team's equipment, supported by partners like Giant, Lazer and Maurten, is top-level), meticulousness in training, use of scientific studies, and unconditional support from their fan base, which has often been labeled as overexcited, hyped, and crazy (these were the most common comments circulating) but which in reality is driven by what moves us and all other enthusiasts of every genre and age, love for cycling, simply declined in different ways.

The triumph of Swatt Club at the Italian championships will have surprised many, some may have even frowned upon a team defined as amateurs taking home the tricolor jersey, but the truth is that the success of last weekend, deserved on the field, is based on a project that was not born last week and that, however small it may be, is as serious and professional as it is animated by the noblest intentions (ensuring that the riders who are part of it manage to find a contract and a place at the highest level) and supported by honest and genuine enthusiasm.

With these qualities, which certainly did not escape those who watched the Swatt men cry, celebrate, and be moved by Conca's victory from home or on-site, the team of Carlo Beretta and his riders have reached heights (perhaps) unattainable in the future but certainly managed to convey the message that "sport can be an extra gear for everyday life". That gear that, on Sunday, was worth an unprecedented achievement.