Cycling, Ganna phenomenon, 500 listen to him in Lissone

“Why did I choose cycling and not canoeing like dad? Because I like water only for washing myself…”. And down the first of many applause. The meeting with Filippo Ganna at the Bicimania shop in Lissone was really nice and interesting, and 500 people came for the Piedmontese, to the point of practically running out of chairs. The 26-year-old Piedmontese from Ineos-Grenadiers will be on the track in Montichiari from Tuesday, while the departure for Argentina (debut at the Vuelta San Juan from 22 to 29 January) is scheduled for 15. Meanwhile, in a special evening he talked about many things , offering many new ideas.

ANECDOTES – As is known, Ganna has been racing with Ineos-Grenadiers since 2019 and is linked to the British squadron until 2027. “I feel great here. I can at best reproach them for being English in the sense that they make pasta a bit overcooked and omelettes with ketchup. And if they wanted to extend the contract, it would be difficult to say no. At the same time, it would be nice to finish your career with an Italian team.” Ganna recalled the fall at the Junior World Time Trial Championship in Florence 2013 (“I still have the cut on my chin, I didn’t see a curve and I ended up in a barrier”) and the debut among the pros in the blue jersey at the 2015 GP Arona ” when I was afraid of making a disaster by touching Cancellara, who was supposed to run the Sanremo a few days later”. Or the World Pursuit Championship, the first of five won in 2016: “Arrived almost as a joke”. Ganna underlined how “the Italian school does not help those who play sports” ”but he recommended himself to the little ones and adolescents:“ Study, otherwise I’ll pull your ears. And learn English, you will need it for sure. I dropped out of school, it was probably a mistake”. A showman. In practice, the meeting had only one flaw: it lasted ‘only’ an hour.