There could be no more fitting title to tell the story of Paolo Bettini: it's called "The Heart of the Race" and it's the documentary that Rai Documentari has produced to celebrate the two-time world cycling champion and Olympic gold medalist from Athens 2004.

The 51-year-old Tuscan unveiled this film this evening at Mapei Spa's Milan headquarters, a sponsor whose legendary Cycling Team Mapei represented an important chapter in his career, as recalled in the opening remarks by Veronica Squinzi, CEO of Mapei spa. The Grillo wore the iconic checkered jersey from 1999 to 2002, after his first two seasons among the elite with MG Maglificio and Asics before his 6 years with Quickstep.

Playing him as a child is the son of his friend and colleague Silvia Parietti, Edoardo, while the rest features archival footage and thrilling race highlights, such as the unforgettable finish that earned him the Olympic gold, accompanied by the commentary of Auro Bulbarelli, present at the film's launch directed by Francesco Castellani alongside the most prestigious voices in Italian sports. The man beyond the champion is portrayed through the people closest to him, from his father Giuliano to his daughter Veronica, passing through his sister Catia, with the emotional remembrance of his brother Sauro who passed away in 2006 just days after Paolo's triumphant Lombardia victory.

«I hope you enjoyed it. I thank Rai and everyone who made this beautiful flight possible (and the reference is not casual, as the film also includes a passage related to his passion culminating in an experience aboard a Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team aircraft, editor's note). I thank Mapei for their hospitality: with the group of Dr. Giorgio Squinzi and Dr. Adriana Spazzoli I learned to be a cyclist and to work as a team, in short "I grew up". I learned that dreams are free and that sometimes they come true» commented the protagonist emotionally after the first screening, which was attended by many friends from the cycling world including former teammates Maurizio Fondriest, Stefano Zanini, Davide Bramati, Matteo Tosatto, Daniele Bennati, Marco Villa, Luca Guercilena and Serge Parsani who directed him from the team car during his Mapei days, press officer Alessandro Tegner, artist friend Paolo Kessisoglu, former footballer Francesco Toldo, musician Saturnino Celani, director of the Mapei Sport Research Center Claudio Pecci, entrepreneurs such as Franco Arese (Asics), Dario Cremonese (Sportful), Paolo Calabresi (Enervit) and many other well-known figures in our environment closely linked to Paolo Bettini's story.

53 minutes of emotions and lessons that only cycling can give, which you can watch Tuesday, March 24 at 3:30 PM on Rai3.