On the "dispute" between the Italian Cycling Federation and the Professional Cycling League, La Gazzetta dello Sport weighed in today, with an interview with Roberto Pella by Elisabetta Esposito. As reported in the "rosea," it is more a matter of disappointment than anger. "Because two years of work is going up in smoke, work carried out with strength and tenacity out of love for cycling," says the former president and Member of Parliament Roberto Pella.

The reference is clearly to the commissioning, decided by the Italian Cycling Federation's board on July 20th, of the Professional Cycling League of which he was president. "After having pedaled so much with great results - Pella continues, recalling the creation of the Regional Italy Cup and races such as the Lazio, Campania and Sardinia Tours, as well as the important equalization of prize money for men and women in Italian championships - we were almost at the finish line and they stopped us, sending the League back to square one," he says.

Esposito recalls that a commissioner has now arrived at the League (for four months, though a 4+4 arrangement may have been indicated), General Mauro Capone of the Carabinieri. Pella sighs: "They will do what we planned, starting with the September and October races with live TV and services already guaranteed, but if things aren't nurtured and supported every day, they get lost. I'm sorry because this halt hurts all of cycling, I'm confident that in 2027 we would have reaped great rewards. And I know that the losses due to the commissioning will be substantial: I had already reached agreements for 1.8-2 million euros with various private sponsors who have told me they are no longer willing to participate. To these we can add many of the "old" sponsors ready to leave. If we managed to bring the League so high, giving races new prominence and economic value, it was precisely thanks to the credibility and reliability we acquired. I implemented a new model, inspired by that of Rcs Sport, raising the qualitative level of races, including television coverage, podium, hospitality, etc. It was working, just look at the balance sheets: we have a positive balance for 2026 of 83 thousand euros, a consolidated figure of 250 thousand, we increased a reserve fund from 25 thousand to 75 thousand, we created another one for 150 thousand and above all we covered the 520 thousand euros in invoices with NVP for TV productions never recorded in the balance sheet by the previous commissioner. In short, as confirmed by the auditors, we were in good health. And the entire movement benefited from this. This is also why we are appealing in all venues to protect our work," he says.

Why did we get to all this? It's no secret that Pella's hyperactivity was not appreciated by President Dagnoni. His "doing" often touched on areas of Federal competence. Let's say that "institutional etiquette" was lost and the straw that broke the camel's back was an interference that, however, seemed to have become routine. "Due to repeated and serious violations of federal regulations and the agreement signed on August 13, 2024," the one that regulated relations between the Federation and the League, which is moreover an association with legal personality under private law. At the top of the charges, for which Pella will also be referred by the federal prosecutor, is having managed the negotiation for the sale of audiovisual rights for Italian women's championships instead of the Federation. "But this has been going on for four years, that is, since the commissioner appointed by Federal President Dagnoni arrived," Pella replies, "the FCI was perfectly aware of it and RAI can and will confirm it in the appropriate venues. We're talking about rights worth 250 euros, when we spend almost 70 thousand..." he says.

If Pella's words are those of a man saddened by what happened and his tone is absolutely measured, those of Marco Toni, the former vice-president chosen by Dagnoni himself as a presence in the League from June 26 until the commissioning, are nothing short of scathing: "My role was supposed to be the thorn in the side - he recounts - but when I saw the balance sheets I understood that I had been painted a picture that didn't exist. Here we are at "mirror mirror on the wall", with a person who feels overwhelmed by another and says I'm more beautiful, I need to be first and therefore I need to get rid of my rival, otherwise I'll be relegated to a corner. An irresponsible attitude," he says.