Davide Cassani is a name that resonates in the cycling universe: Sports manager, he was the Technical Commissioner of the national road cycling team, television commentator and, in his sporting career, he won two stages of the Giro d’Italia.
A journey that began at the age of 9, when his father took him to see, for the first time, the passage of the Giro near Faenza, but what does it feel like to run (and win), comment and watch the biggest race? important in Italy? “From that day a dream was born: I saw that race as something unattainable, but over time I had the opportunity to change my mind. The first time I participated as an athlete I was pervaded by an indescribable emotion, which did not fade over time, on the contrary, it extended to 360 degrees thanks to subsequent experiences”.
Cassani, during his career as a commentator, brings to life the same emotions of the athletes, with the passion of the child from Faenza and with the professionalism of the Technical Commissioner who guided the best of cycling in our nation. Over the years, technological evolution has brought the technique to unimaginable levels, but he sees sport with the same eyes as back then: “The bicycles have changed, the technique has been refined, the training programs are based on strategies that once were not considered. Once upon a time we left early, we left calmly, but the effort along the route remained the same. The beauty of cycling is that it manages to involve and excite enthusiasts and even the curious, because as someone said… wherever the Giro passes, whoever is there waiting for it, it’s always a party.”
Cassani remembers the Oropa stage as the “mythical climb” full of memories and history: the first year of reconnaissance for Rai, the chain that falls and Pantani who traces an indelible chapter with his undertaking. On Sunday the voice of Italian cycling will be in the front row for the Giro d’Italia, to witness a stage that crosses the Biella area and directs itself into the hearts of all fans.
G. Ch.
