Photo: © Sirotti

Hitting the big time: The Stefano Garzelli Journal 2004

Stefano Garzelli's comeback may have surprised some last year, but the talented all-around rider from Varese showed his strong second place comeback ride in the Giro d'Italia was no fluke. In his Cyclingnews diary the easygoing 30 year old Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubineterie rider will document his attempt to move up a step on the Giro d'Italia podium for 2004.

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Catalan days

Home, Mendrisio, Switzerland, March 29, 2004

Hello Cyclingnews people. Happy meet you via my diary! Last week, I found the Setmana Catalana to be really hard, mostly because of two factors: cold and rainy weather and the really high speed in the race. I was hurting, but my fourth place on GC was really satisfying. It's a good sign that I'm on the right road with my preparation for the Giro d'Italia in May. I want to show up in Genova in really great condition. I haven't seen Gilberto Simoni since the Giro dell'Etna and who knows how he's doing. I doubt if he's relaxing at the beach these days; he knows how to get ready for a Grand Tour.

At Setmana Catalana, my team worked very well. Key teammates like Dario Andriotto and Oscar Mason are getting fitter as we approach the Giro and it's good to know that I'll be able to count on their help when the time comes. It seems to me that this year on Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubineterie, there is a different team spirit; people are more motivated to do their best. Even the staff seem more focused, ready to do their best. That's great.

The other day, just fifteen minutes before the last stage of Setmana Catalana, I wanted to change my wheels and brake pads on my race bike. My mechanic didn't grumble at all; he was right there to do the work. That reminds me that I want to drop by and visit Ugo De Rosa in Milano and tell him how much I like my new De Rosa bike. I'm riding their Cinquanta model, which is named for the fiftieth anniversary of De Rosa's firm.

Right after Setmana Catalana, I finally returned home to Italy with my new wife Maria to our home in Mendrisio, Switzerland, just over the border from my hometown of Varese, Italy. I've missed seeing friends and family for a while and it will be great to be back. I wonder if my brother Marco has bought that new laptop computer for me yet?

I'd have to say that so far, Maria has adapted really well to the life of a racer's wife and to living in Italian surroundings. Living in Mendrisio is a very different experience than that of living in her hometown of Valencia, Spain. Plus I'm really luck that she's a good cook; that's great for a cyclist! And since Maria is from Valencia, she knows how to cook an excellent paella.

I don't know why some people wrote this winter that I've moved to Spain when I still live in Mendrisio. Sure, I was in Valencia a lot this winter but mostly because it was cold and rainy in Switzerland while it was warm and sunny in Spain. Kind of better for training. The longest time I've been in Spain was this last time, because halfway through, Maria and I were married. I also don't know why some people wrote that it was a secret marriage; perhaps because we wanted a small, private ceremony with just family and close friends. It's no secret now!

Now I'm back home and the weather is getting better; sun and warmer temperatures... for now. For my pre-Giro program, I'm going next week for a few days to see the time trial course in Trieste and check out a few of the climbs in the Dolomiti from the Giro. I hope there's not too much snow left, but I'm pretty sure there will be. Who knows, I might even cross paths with Gilberto Simoni!

Ciao,
Stefano