«This morning I feel all the pain that I haven’t had in recent days: I have a bump on my chest, my collarbone hurts but luckily it’s safe… lots of scratches and cuts due to the fragments of glass from the window». Talking is Filippo Calliari, 34 years old, from Besenelloteam cyclist Garda Scott Matergiainvolved in the accident that occurred yesterday, Sunday 16 June, in Rivanonte, in the province of Belluno, where one of the most challenging granfondos, the Dolomiti Sportful Race. The news spread around Italy because the elderly woman who was driving the car managed to pass three checkpoints before colliding with the group of cyclists who were getting off. You then gave the following reason to the police: “I had to go to mass”. Three were seriously injured, including Calliari, contacted by T this morning, Monday 17 June.
«I feel bad, but I feel lucky – explains Calliari – given what happened it could have been much worse. We didn’t even have time to see the car, I found it on me. I ended up on the ground, conscious but completely dazed, so much so that when I recovered I only saw the two seriously injured cyclists around me. Among these, Stafano Cecchini, who I know very well and who was seriously injured: he has broken teeth and needs thirty stitches: he is hospitalized in Verona. Together with the two of us, another 49 year old Italian cyclist, also with serious injuries. As for me, I was very worried, because I couldn’t move my collarbone. I was afraid it was broken, but instead it’s a bad thing. When the doctors examined me they were incredulous, because they expected much worse consequences.”
The race that was taking place yesterday in the Belluno area is well known in the cycling world: thousands (four thousand at the starting line) of cyclists from all over the world, many professionals including professionals, take part. «The one who was overwhelmed – continues Calliari – was the leading group. I was positioned very well, I was aiming for the podium, but I think I would have still finished in the top 5 even if things had gone a little less well. But the entire ranking has been turned upside down. Even if I didn’t notice it at first, in fact, twenty of them fell: most of them managed to continue the race.”
The woman driving the car has been reported. «When I recovered I heard her talking, she was trying to call for help – says Calliari – but she was in difficulty, so she reached my teammates. They raised the alarm. The ambulance took a long time to arrive and in the meantime we were left without treatment. In fact, I expected that in the group in front there would be at least one motorbike with a first aid kit. It was not so».
Calliari was coming off a season in which he stood out in several races. On May 6th he won another Granfondo: the Bgy Airport.
