From the Adriatic Cup to seafood carbonara, from the azure jersey to the azure jersey. Tiziano Brichese, born in '62, is today a chef in full pursuit of the star that feeds the stars: of cycling. From Filippo Ganna to Antonio Tiberi, from Matteo Trentin to Giulio Pellizzari.

A former amateur cyclist (with about twenty victories to his credit) can also boast an Italian national time trial jersey in the junior category. Azure at the Perugia World Championships in 1982 and at the Tour de l'Avenir in '84, Brichese raced as an amateur with the jerseys of Tiesse-Spinazzé, Bonlube and Arredo House, until Zalf Fior. In 1992, after considerable hesitation, he made the decision to hang his bicycle on the proverbial hook. "Professionalism? I had hoped for it so much and I came within an inch of it. I was supposed to move to Malvor Bottecchia in the 1987 season, with Dino Zandegù, but it never happened."

From bicycle to stove, at the restaurant of his wife Barbara's parents. "The establishment had been created and run for years by my in-laws, Pietro and Leonilde – Tiziano recounts today, who yesterday had the joy of seeing the Giro Donne pass in front of the Eden restaurant at Ottava Presa, 6 km from Caorle – today my wife and I run it with our children, Riccardo who is in the dining room with my wife and Eleonora who is in the kitchen with me".

Signature dish? Seafood carbonara and all the fresh catch. "Strictly from Caorle – Tiziano Brichese specifies with pride -. Every day it's my wife Barbara who goes shopping and gets the Caorle catch at the fish market: she knows how to shop like few others and she puts meticulous care into serving the customer and selecting the finest ingredients".

It was love for cycling and the friendship that has always bound him to Roberto Amadio, who as the Italian coordinator must court him quite a bit, but ultimately wins him over. "He had wanted me by his side for a while, even when he was organizing races in Argentina – the azure chef explains today -. Until in 2023, thirty years after my retirement from competitive cycling, I receive his call and the invitation for the European road championships in Drenthe. From that moment on I've followed the Europeans and Worlds and I'm particularly happy and proud of it. I like being among the guys, they're all very talented and in my eyes they're all super champions. If I have to cheer for someone: for all the Italians, without exception, even though I do have a weakness, a preference: as a former time trialist I really like Filippo Ganna".

And among the foreigners? "Pogacar and Vingegaard are two super champions, they belong to another planet. However, I have a slight preference for the Dane: he too has had dealings with fish. That's why they call him the 'fishing king'. In my small way, I hope to be the 'king of the catch'".