Introduction
âWinning is not important, itâs all that mattersâ. Itâs a famous quote by Giampiero Boniperti, a historic Juventus manager, to set the philosophy that has always lead the team. A catchphrase, captivating and exciting for the supporters and which reflects the ruling logic inside professional sports. Winning is essential, no one can deny it. Winning is the goal of months or years of hard work, in any sport or practice. Winning is essential to please the sponsor and attract new ones. But this is not a book about sports marketing or to judge the goodness or not of this aspect. Bonipertiâs quote serves as a guideline because for cycling itâs not always like that. Beyond the beauty of winners who inflame the audience and the streets there is another soul (among the many which cycling owns) which always arises during the races. That of those who sprint ahead. And those who enter the sprint of the day, win. So as one may be born (or become) a sprinter and climber, supporting rider and champion, so itâs a form of art being able to become a âbreakawayâ. If you analyze the numerous cycling eras, you will notice that each era has its own specialists of sprinting ahead. Which are the characteristics of a âbreakawayâ? There is no default list, but one must be reactive, have strong legs, be able to seize the right moment and study the road correctly. As well as this, one must figure out who one can sprint with. In cycling there is a script which repeats itself, despite this being unplanned. Whether itâs an in-line race of 1 day or a leg inside a big Tour, the development of a race is predictable. Ready, GO! and start the sprint. In some cases, 1 is enough. In other cases the competition is more intense and to see someone able to run away may need from 10 to 50km. I repeat, there is no written rule and it depends upon the mood and the will of the group. The sprint ahead, most of the time, is recouped. When? Even here, there is no fixed pattern. Generally,
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