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LATEST NEWS: LIVE FROM LAKE COMO: SCIANDRI GUIDING BRITISH YOUTH THROUGH ITALY AND BEYOND
Gregor Brown
June 24, 2010
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(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Max Sciandri has the Baby Giro to thank for helping him progress to a successful professional career and to his current job, coaching the Under 23 British team.
At the 1988 Baby Giro, today known as the GiroBio, Sciandri won the opening stage and held the leader's pink jersey for a few days. Then, the race was held on the same finishing circuit as the professionals; Russian Dmitri Konychev won the amateur version and American Andy Hampsten won the professional version.
"We finished and then an hour-half later the pros came in," explained Sciandri. "It was a great experience, I remember it well and it taught me a lot. That pink jersey the only framed jersey I have in my house. It means a lot."
The British-Italian turned professional in 1989 and went on to race alongside Claudio Chiappucci and Lance Armstrong. He won a stage at the Tour de France, two stages at the professional Giro d'Italia, including in 1991, when he edged ahead of Greg LeMond for the win in Savona. In 1996, one year after taking out British citizenship, he won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
After retiring in 2004, he settled down to life in Quarrata, Tuscany. From his villa, overlooking the cypress trees, he scanned the horizon for opportunities. Two years later, one came along. The British Academy needed an experienced local to help them move their youth program, the British Academy, from Manchester to Tuscany.
"It is important for them to be based here in Italy and training," continued Sciandri. "The everyday riding, the food, the weather... There are so many good ingredients. Plus, the pros are around too: Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, and Pete Kennaugh all ride with the amateur boys."
Sciandri stepped up to full-time Under 23 coach last year as Rod Ellingworth took a full-time role with team Sky. He guided the team to the GiroBio, where Pete Kennaugh won a stage and finished third overall. The 21-year-old now rides for Sky, where he as raced with the big boys at the Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné.
Sciandri was hoping for success again this year at the GiroBio, but his leader Luke Rowe became sick before the race began. He relied on Erick Rowsell, who rode impressively through the first four stages. He sat seventh overall after the first mountain stage, but then disaster struck. Rowsell crashed on the mountain stage to Monte Grappa and is now recovering from a suspected fractured vertebra.
Despite the misfortunes and lack of results, Sciandri's riders had the opportunity to learn and take away experiences from one of cycling's top amateur stage races. Consider that five former GiroBio winners, including Francesco Moser and Gilberto Simoni, went on to win the professional version.
"It is about struggling, recovering and learning. Here they are learning the daily life of racing: how to have your bike ready, how to race up Monte Grappa – even if it is 8°C and you are not prepared.
"I was in the gruppetto through the mountain stage when I raced it. I learnt how to use my gearing, not push them too much. You see many guys today that are over-geared, I am always preaching my guys the important of cadence. Every single detail we come across, we work on perfecting it – that will work in your favour in the long run.
"It is not about the results, but about them making mistakes and learning from them."
Sciandri keeps his eyes on the horizon, where his riders are out training on the roads lined with the cypress trees. He will soon see some of them graduate to the professional ranks, like Rowe, fifth in the amateur Ronde van Vlaanderen this year, or Andy Fenn, winner of the Junior Paris-Roubaix in 2008. |
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