PCW: We are very happy to hear from Manel Lacambra of Diadora-Pasta Zara, who will be the team's new sports director. The idea of this short interview was to perhaps bridge the gap for the American readers, so we can understand a little more about the transition of their new team, and the acquisition of our premiere American riders, Mara Abbott, Shelley Olds, Amber Pierce and Sinead Miller.Manel: When the Geox sponsor came into this team they had an interest in the U.S. market. At the same time we realized that the level in women's cycling in USA was coming up. The principal goal of the team was to win the Giro where Mara had won this year. Looking at the sprinters, Shelley Olds had won also one stage there. All of this together motivated us to register our team in America.
Judith Arndt, Mara Abbott and Tatiana Guderzo - Giro Donne 2010!
Image Courtesy of Davide RonconiPCW: We know Mara Abbott won the Giro De Femminile and is considered the best climber in the world by many. Was signing Mara Abbott to Diadora-Pasta Zara somewhat difficult considering her roots?
Manel: We knew she was looking to race again on a European team and we proposed our project. She had other offers, but in the end she decided to sign with us.
PCW: As you know, Amber Pierce, Mara Abbott and Shelley Olds were either team mates or friends during their reign on the U.S. domestic scene. Did you feel hiring the three Americans plus Sinead Miller would help them feel that they would have a home away from home? Sort of like being around friends and family?
Manel: This was a important point for us. The American mentality is different and we know that if they stay together it will be better. They are good riders with great character and that is very important for us.
Amber Pierce - Merco Classic 2009!PCW: We know that professional athletes are free to choose and sign with any team they please. As you know it was a bit of a shock to some that two of our best women left the America team for an Italian team. For the American fans, is there anything you could say to us over here in the states that can help us understand and make the transition as new fans to Diadora-Pasta Zara?
Manel: The high level in women's cycling is in Europe. Coming to Europe will make their personal level improve and will be better to represent the USA in the next International races like the Worlds and Olympic Games. We will do our best to help them.
Shelley Olds - Merco Classic 2010!PCW: We know that Diadora-Pasta Zara should have considerable resources to back their riders at a highly professional level. Geox is a big company in Italy. It's raising the bar for Pro women worldwide. Can you simply tell us if our American women will receive a generous salary as paid professionals?
Manel: The riders signed a contract because they like the whole project. Some riders prefer to stay on a good team to improve and win races, not just for money. But if they signed, it is because they are happy with our conditions.
Mara Abbott climbs Stelvio Pass - Giro Donne 2010!
Image Courtesy of Davide RonconiPCW: Will Mara Abbott still be able to race Redlands, Tour of the Gila, National Championships, on the domestic NRC calendar?
Manel: We are still working on our calendar, but our team surely will race in USA during the Tour of the Gila, Liberty Classic, Nature Valley and the Nationals.
PCW: We lost the Grande Boucle and Tour De l'Aude, so now only the Giro remains as the premiere stage race for women. How important is the Giro De Femminile as a goal for Diadora-Pasta Zara?
Manel: Giro Donne is our principal goal for the 2011.
PCW: As you know there was a big media frenzy over Mara Abbott and Emma Pooley climbing the Stelvio. Are you hoping the organizers of the Giro De Femminile will again create a high category mountainous stage race like this year?
Manel: For sure, the Giro will be again be the best stage race in the world!
Classic - Emma Pooley and Mara Abbott - Giro Donne 2010!
Image Courtesy of Davide RonconiPCW: Mara Abbott and Emma Pooley have both said that the Giro De Femminile is clearly going to be their main goal next year. There are a lot of people who get really excited when Mara Abbott and Emma Pooley are going head to head in the mountains! Can we expect perhaps maybe one of the most epic and thrilling Giro De Femminile on record for 2011?
Manel: For sure, we will see again big fights between Mara and Emma. And I hope with other riders like Hausler, Stevens, Neben, etc. The more stronger riders we have in the race, the better it will be for women's cycling.
PCW: We know Mara Abbott could win both Redlands and the Tour of the Gila in the USA. Besides the goals of Diadora-Pasta Zara with the Giro, UCI and World Cup races, do you feel the American women can achieve the team goals, and their US domestic goals at the same time?
Manel: Yes, for sure it is compatible.
PCW: If Geox does well in the American market, will Diadora-Pasta Zara continue to invest in both our American riders and our domestic racing scene?
Manel: We registered our team in America because we would like to continue to work with the American riders and race in USA for the coming years.
Shelley Olds outsprints Kirsten Wild - Giro Donne 2010!
Image Courtesy of Davide RonconiPCW: As the DS, you were brought onboard to Diadora-Pasta Zara. It seems you have what we Americans call the "Midas Touch" with our American women. This means you seem to have a magic touch with the pro women! Since you led the National Team to victory in the Giro, did you feel getting onboard was key in working with the American women, and must lead to victories in 2011?
Manel: I know very well the American riders, and I am very happy I can work again with them next season. Like always, my team will race for the win, and after we will see how the results will be. It's never easy to win in Europe because we are fighting with big teams and good riders.
Manel Lacambra with USA National Team - Giro Donne 2010!
Photo by Ambrogio Rizzi ©PCW: We saw the comeback of Olga Zabelinskaya at many races this year. Also we know Alona Andruk is a solid rider, and very well admired for her flair, her beauty on and off the bike. You have just recently acquired Claudia Hausler who is also a good climber. Do you feel the team is going to be not only the strongest team in the world, but also a dream team of sorts with both beauty and talent?
Manel: For us it's very important to have good riders and a complete team. We have good climbers, good sprinters, riders for classics, etc. If also they are beautiful, this can be good for our sponsors, but we really don't look at this.
PCW: Will Claudia Hausler be key as a central domo in helping Mara Abbott secure her 2nd Giro victory in 2011?
Manel: Our goal will be to win the Giro. Whoever from our team will win, will be good for us.
PCW: Lastly, I would like to ask. Can you explain what is Diane Ziliute's role on Diadora-Pasta Zara, and how will her presents add to the overall dynamics of this great team?
Manel: She will direct the team in some races and is the coordinator of the team. Her experience in the races will be very important for our team.
PCW: I would like to thank you for your time addressing these matters.
Manel: Thanks for your interest for our team.
Some Thoughts on the 2011 Giro Donne I think the 2011 Giro Donne could be a milestone in women's cycling history. Not just based on the courses however tough they may be, but this indeed could be an Epic edition, just as good, in fact better then 2010. Certainly there are two reasons I can see for this. For one, Mara Abbott will be seeking to defend her title and she won't just give it up easily. And two, Emma Pooley has said it will be a priority this time on her calendar.
The 2010 edition didn't play out in Emma's favor so I am sure she wants to even the score and set the record straight so to speak. However it's worded, the fact is the 2011 edition will be like hitting the Jackpot at Las Vegas for the fans, because this time everything is on the line for both Mara and Emma. They will both be captains or the main contenders, and unlike previous editions will not be bound by the tactics of domo roles. That seemed to have happened to some extent in the last two tours. The 2011 tour shouldn't go that way for starters, so the fans get a clean slate on this tour next year.
That should mean that all things considered, this should be an all out battle between Mara and Emma for the title, and very little is likely to stand in the way, except bad luck, crashes or ill health. Let's hope none of that happens and we get an epic tour from start to finish. If truly epic Alpine climbs are added, then again, this is going to be spectacular, true spectacle for the fans! I know personally if everything goes right for me, I will do everything I can to support this race, and I know my friends in Europe will do the same. Along with Rai-3 TV and even possibly other TV networks covering the race, that this could be a milestone for women's pro cycling in more ways then one.
For the fans, just incredible because we might get the chance to see who is truly the greatest climber in the world. Many of us think Mara is the best, but I think Emma could really rise to the occasion and show us what's she made of in a tour pretty much tailor made and without restrictions for these two Titans. Personally I think when not one, but two pure climbers exist in the world at the same time that race organizers should always match this with at least one epic climbers tour a year. The Giro Donne is all we have left in this respect and I know the fans are very excited about this.
I think it's really exciting and you should know very few men in the whole world could beat Emma Pooley or Mara Abbott on a long hard Alpine climb. This tour could break every barrier that sets us apart as fans and show that the Human Spirit really is stronger then reality.
A bit more... I wanted to say a bit more. This race, and especially these two riders gets me pretty excited. I haven't been this keen since the days of Luperini, but the dynamics of this whole picture really is special to me. I was once a great climber, so this stuff is already in my blood. As a fan, writer, photographer, running onto to something like this is really priceless. We might not see two great climbers like this together again for many years to come.
I had kind of likened it to War Admiral and Sea Biscuit, one of most famous or the most famous race even in history. Emma reminds me of War Admiral, a veteran with more races under her belt then you could possibly count. Sea Biscuit, the underdog with lighter palmares. That race was heard by I think 40 million people nationwide. Back then, this was an incredible thing, and heard by radio. It was like the whole world stopped to listen to this match race. While the Giro Donne won't draw a huge crowd, I am betting the popularity will increase next year with fans and media coverage. It has to!
For me personally, I am seeing this as a match race. It sort of reminds me of a race in which both opponents will be allowed to race for the win. That doesn't always happen in cycling because team dynamics often dictate otherwise, and sometimes the best contenders get lost in the translation. I remember when this was building a few years ago. At first, it was just an idea. We learned that Emma Pooley had bested Nicole Brandli on some climbs, and in a short time Emma Pooley was becoming known as a good climber.
At the same time, we already knew Mara Abbott was an awesome climber. So the idea was out there, what if these two climbers could meet someday and climb together? Well, the next year we got hints or shades of better things to come. Mara Abbott and Emma Pooley I think met for the first time in the Tour of Montreal. However, it was more of just a meeting on the road and maybe just a display of prowess, but not real challenges came from that.
Then last year, this idea was building into something spectacular and Mara and Emma met for a real challenge in the Giro Donne. We got to see them climb Mount Serra, the famous mountain which is the home turf of Fabiana Luperini. On the climb, we got a nice duel between Emma and Mara. Not quite epic, but a taste of better things to come. I believe Mara was riding conservatively to keep Judith Arndt in first place, so she couldn't or didn't climb full out. If she had, it's possible she could of won the Giro since the final GC was only a matter of 20 seconds. Add to that, Judith Arndt ending up crashing out of the race. You just never know.
So this year at the Tour De l'Aude, there were some rumblings. Some vibrations. There was some talk, some posturing. Things were heating up. Emma won the tour by the river Aude, and now everything was set for a showdown at the Giro Donne. Epic? We hoped so! Well, even if somehow team priorities were not quite in order, of if Cervelo had under estimated the nature of this edition, the fact remains that Emma got a flat, and this really threw a wrench into the dynamics of this great duo. That is not to say we didn't get an epic climb on Stelvio, we did and the coverage was very good on Rai-3.
However, this coming year, 2011 should be absolutely dead on spectacular!, like I said barring flats, sickness and crashes. Both riders will have their priorities in order as well as their teams. Even if we could imagine it as a match race, I think the dynamics going in are so spectacular, it's hard to imagine anything this grand. Emma will seeking justice so to speak. A chance for redemption and a chance to prove herself, and to see who is the best climber. For Mara, she seeks to keep her title and she will fight for it. So folks, it just can't get any better then this. As far as I can tell, everything is dead on. The only thing is the waiting! The Giro Donne is over half a year away, so ah yes, the waiting!! Hang in there!
Cheers!
Procyclingwomen.com
Interview By Bruce Johnston
