Bettini’s Diary: 03.26.07

By Jessica | Permalink | No Comments | March 27th, 2007 | Trackback

The husband was busy doing translating work yesterday from World Champ Paolo Bettini’s diary entry. Go here to read the original (in Italian, naturalmente) and see the accompanying photos. The photo to the left is from Saturday’s Milano-Sanremo, and the caption says, “A little cyclocross before the Cipressa.” Oh, Paolo - always such a kidder!

26 March 2007

Hi everyone,

Excuse me if I am writing a few days late, but a lot happened to me during this time! After falling on the descent of the Giro del Piemonte (ed: Milano-Torino), I left for Tirreno-Adriatico with the hope that I could train without problems in advance of San Remo. As it is said: Luck is blind, but misfortune sees very well! After having a close call following a blow to my finger caused by a “flying bicycle,” I fell in the fourth stage. The Swiss Elminger was beside me and slid, dragging me off the road in a left turn. I thought I was simply going into a field, instead, I found a signpost in front of me.

I took it full on, I only had time to cover my face with my left arm. In the fall I violently hit my left ribcage and left knee. What terrible luck! Immediately in the evening I had everything checked out at the hospital. “Fractures are ruled out,” they explained to me, “Go ahead carefully, Bettini, they are only some bumps.” Whatever happens, happens. Nevertheless I felt that something wasn’t right. Day by day my knee was better, meanwhile the level of pain in my side was increasing. However, I wasn’t doing too much, considering that stopping at 60 kph against a pole is a slightly traumatic experience!

The Evening
After Tirreno we moved to Salsomaggiore for the final training. On Thursday I climbed on my bike, but when I tried to go hard my lungs closed up and I was forced to stop. I returned from the ride to the hotel and, from there, to a radiology studio to do further tests. On the drive over I was already sensing what the diagnosis would be. The pain was too strong. So here I am leaving for Milano in the evening with an x-ray and records under my arm. The results? A fracture of the fourth left rib and a large bruise to the pectoral muscle. San Remo is at risk.

Milano-Sanremo
Friday morning the pain was still not subsiding, so I chose to not train and to give myself over to my masseuse Cerea for another series of massages and therapies. Poor Stefano! He had to work overtime to put me back together! In the evening the situation was better, but still I didn’t know how it would react in the race. I left Milan with a compression dressing. The warmth of the sun helped me to overcome the first hours of the race.

Everything seemed to go better until when we found the rain after the Turchino. In an instant the muscles tightened and I wasn’t able to stay on the bicycle any longer. In Varazze I was wanting to stop. Only the toughness of Tossatto kept me on my bike and allowed me to finish the race! Overcoming that crisis and the improving weather conditions, I began to notice good sensations, those of the important days. I pulled off the brace and threw it in the crowd. Then everything seemed to go for the better. I was preparing for the climb of the Cipressa, moving up in the peloton, when a “drifter” in the group bumped me off the road. I passed between the ditch and the guardrail remaining upright by a miracle! I restarted practically from a stop. My race for victory was finished, but I didn’t want to go out like this. I reconnected with the group with incredible grit. At the summit of the Cipressa I was among the leaders. In that chase I threw out the possibility of escaping on the Poggio. So in all honesty I decided to put myself at Boonen’s service.

Tom could have won the race. After the escape of Riccò and Gilbert I organized the chase. I hit the descent without thinking of the falls of the last few times. I was hoping at the end that Tom would have been able to do it, but against Freire, the former World Champion, there was very little to do. Anyhow, Tom has achieved his best result on the Via Roma. I am sure that he will win this race shortly! Regarding myself, I am still regretting not being able to show myself at 100 percent and of not being able to perform better because of leaving the road at the Cipressa. One sees that it’s a moment like that… However, with the level of my legs and my condition, I am feeling good. With a little luck I could truly show myself well at the Tour of Flanders. But I do not want to say anything more… Remain confident in me.

Paolo

Photo by Roberto Bettini

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