Today we introduce a new entry in the team, Stefano Scarselli, our mechanic, a man who lived for more than 20 years in the world of professional cycling from behind the scenes, working for important teams and preparing bikes for cyclists as Cipollini, Contini, Nibali, Petacchi, Pozzato and Cancellara. Despite being a person who doesn’t like the notoriety, he has agreed to answer some of our questions and let us know the world of two wheels seen trough the eyes of mechanic.
Hello Stefano, thanks for agreeing to talk to us. Let's start from the beginning of your cycling adventure, when from 1974 to 1982 you were running cycling: how this experience has influenced your mechanic career?
A lot, because without it, i would never begun. My passion for the world of mechanics was born just when i was running, all the saturdays before the race i was the mechanic of myself and i used to prepare my own bike changing the wheels and cleaning all mechanical parts. Then, time after time, i used to dismantle even more pieces and so was born my passion about mechanics.
And then. from mechanic you became Director
Yes, when I retired, I took the license but I came out from cycling for two years until a friend of mine asked me to help him and he convinced me to come back with a youth team. Working with young boys and with their enthusiasm was fun and made me finally reborn passion for cycling races.
During your career as Director, you also experimented women's cycling
Yes, in 1999 i was in Edilsavino, a team with a world champion, able to rank in the top 5 of the Tour de France and 2nd in the Giro d’Italia. I must say that women’s cycling has grown more and more over the years and finally the classifications are equivalent to men.
In more than 20 years as a mechanic you've been in many professional teams of the highest level such as Mercatone Uno or Saeco (to mention a few): what experience do you remember with most pleasure?
Fortunately I was fine with everyone, because they are all pro and all those around you, work hard to do the best. I changed several times the team i was working with, but often you meet people you already know. It was a small world in which we all knew each other and we were all friends, so maybe a year later you would have to work in teams that previously were your opponents. It was so, but now i'm not sure..
That’s all, but next week we’ll return to speak with Stefano again and see the world of cycling races trough the eyes of the mechanic!
Gallery
