My passion for cycling was ignited back in my school days,
when Marco Pantani was winning
the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.
I think in those days Pantani was responsible
for getting a lot of people hooked on cycling,
and back then I already cycled occasionally.
And then at university, thanks to a friend of mine,
I started cycling more seriously.
It was also then that I started racing,
entering my first amateur races.
From there, my passion just kept on growing,
I find that cycling gives you a sense of freedom,
it puts you in direct contact with nature
and this is what keeps fueling this passion.
In reality, cycling is a team sport,
it might seem like an individual sport,
but teamwork is crucial.
It’s people that make all the difference at work, and a team,
especially a well-knit team, delivers results.
I always say that a cycling team made up of superstars,
but who don’t work well together, will never deliver the same results
as a team of people who aren’t necessarily superstars,
but who work together harmoniously.