TOUR DE FRANCE | 29/06/2024 | 12:44
by Giulia De Maio
Yesterday, as per tradition, the international Science&Cycling conference which is held every year before the Grand Départ of the Tour de France and among the speakers we have found Carlotta Fondriest. The cyclist, daughter of an artist, who this year should have defended the colours of Giovanni Fidanza’s Isolmant Premac Vittoria, has been selected for her abstract on the major risk factors for the disease FLIA (Flow Limited Iliac Artery)a very common condition in professional cycling, which he is experiencing first-hand.
The 27-year-old from Trentino who has been working as a physiotherapist and kinesiologist for 3 years at the medical practice and athletic training centre Moto Consapevole in Lucca, together with a team of experts, has studied a conservative treatment and a Prevention program for professional cyclists and, with a view to preventing this pathology, will also collaborate with the company FSA Full Speed Ahead, which has purchased a thermography machine to allow Carlotta and her colleagues to develop a standard protocol to present to the pro teams next winter at the training camps in Calpe.
«I started running 3 years ago, then after covid I discovered that I suffer from this pathology which is closely related to endurance sports and that in my case is most likely due to postural problems that derive from my previous activity, ice skating. After a season of competitions I had to slow down and undergo many visits. The vascular surgeon advised me against surgery because going under the knife is highly risky and does not guarantee success. So last year I started using a bite designed with osteopath Luca Carosini and I changed cranksets, opting for an extremely short pair, managing to finish the season well by my standards” explains Carlotta, in the photo with dad Maurizio and his partner Giovanni Stefaniacoach of Team Novo Nordisk, who deals with bikefitting and dry physical preparation in the facility where, among others, the former professional Michele Bartoli works.
«Most athletes undergo surgery in the Netherlands but the data says that only a third return to high levels and effectively resolve the problem with surgery. Among those who have suffered from this pathology are Annemiek van Vleuten, who has even been operated on three times, Marianne Vos, Pauline Ferrand Prevot, Amanda Spratt, Erica Magnaldi, Nicola Conci… She is one widespread pathology affecting 5 to 10% of the group that’s why we’re investigating it. At the Tour conference I also had the opportunity to discuss with Borut Fonda, Tadej Pogacar’s biomechanicand we agreed that a solution to prevent the problem, which is caused by postural reasons as well as repetitive mechanical stress, which causes hypertrophy of the psoas that compresses the artery, is to increase the hip flexion angle to prevent drastic inclination of the position and allow a more efficient flow of blood. Personally, for the moment I have decided to hang up my bike and face it as if I were a “guinea pig”. The fixed brace is helping me, but this study experienced first-hand is a continuous discovery…” continues Carlotta, who also dedicated her degree thesis to this topic.
In the audience proudly listening to the speech of his daughter, father Maurizio, world champion at Renaix 1988, who today together with her is enjoying the historic departure of the Grande Boucle from Florence, while mother Ornella celebrates the maturity of the little one of the family Lorenzo.
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