A journey through time and to retrace an extraordinary career up to the 2022 Astana project. Talking about it was Giuseppe Martinelli , great guest of the Fantacycling live for an interview full of ideas.

We could only start with Marco Pantani, whom Martinelli directed in Carrera and Mercatone Uno until he reached the victory in the Giro and the Tour in 1998: "That year will remain in the memory of all of us, you cannot understand how much I rejoiced . Although his best victory was on Alpe d'Huez in 1997 with the final scream on arrival because it was his return after a serious accident. While the following year I gladly remember the victory in Montecampione when it was not possible to pull off a great Tonkov and the Albertville stage at the Grand Boucle. There Ullrich put us in great difficulty, he was bad as a beast after the collapse of the previous day. Although, in reality, Marco after the finish told me that he could beat him in the sprint ”. In 1999 the stop in Madonna di Campiglio : “The worst day of my career as a sports director. Then I worked with Marco again for three years but he never went back to what he was before. I don't know what happened that day but I know that someone who took care of the controls was wrong ”.

Then the victories with the Saeco of Simoni and Cunego : “In 2004 were incredible days - said 'Martino' - we went to win the Giro d'Italia with Gibo and instead Damiano went faster. There were days of war with Simoni who tried to upset the race on the penultimate day. It wasn't easy, just think that in the evening they ate at separate tables ”.

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Chapter Vincenzo Nibali , who won Giro and Tour with Martinelli: “In an interview they asked me who was the strongest rider I had and my answer for Vincenzo created a mess. I can say that Pantani's victories were very different, less prepared than Nibali's. Instead, his return to Astana is my and his work, I don't have the magic potion to make him win something important but I want him to get back into the game and have specific goals without preparing assiduously for a great stage race as he did in the past. He will have a defined program and it is definitely an investment for our team, he certainly has not come to do the final catwalk of his career. If the Roubaix will do? If it were up to me I would let him, but I would ask him for something in return ”.

Then Fabio Aru with whom he won the Vuelta: "I see him more serene since he stopped, in the recent past we talked about a hypothetical return to Astana that has not materialized". After the nice words for his professional son Davide, we asked him if he had signed a petition to become the coach of the national team: “I would have liked it but no one ever came to ask me anything. Of course, after 12 years in Astana it would have been difficult to leave but becoming a coach could have been the crowning glory of a career ”. The final curiosities are related to 2022 by Astana : “Miguel Angel Lopez? He left for budget reasons but he always clung to our shirt and came back at the first opportunity. He has a crazy desire to do well, I have no doubt that we will have the best 'painter' ".

On Alexey Lutsenko : “He has a whole nation on his shoulders and a lot of pressure. They would like him to always win but the consecration could come as early as 2022. Can you take him to Fantacycling? Absolutely yes".

Finally on the new signing Gianni Moscon: “A good boy, his nervousness in the past was dictated by the fact that he ran in a team that was too strong and there wasn't much space for him. Here with us he will often leave as a captain ”. Finally, the Brescia sporting director comments on the Italian cycling situation: “Our misfortune is not to have a World Tour team but we have many good riders who are the wingmen of other champions. What is missing? Someone who invests millions in the project of an all-Italian team ”.

Lorenzo Lucon - Fantacycling Team

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