The world champion who is now 52 years old and lives in Monfumo, is mobilizing to help the athletes oppressed by the Taliban
MONFUNO. A challenge that springs from the heart and that you will try to win at all costs. Leaving her mark and paving the way, just as she did as an athlete, becoming the first Italian woman – in San Sebastian, in 1997 – to win a cycling world championship.
Alessandra Cappellotto, 52-year-old former cyclist from Vicenza who has been transplanted to the Marca for years. in Monfumo, today head of Cpa Women, the world union of cyclists, and president of Road to Equality (an amateur sports association created by Cappellotto to allow athletes from disadvantaged countries to run), has been mobilizing for days to bring except for the Afghan cyclists, after the return of the Taliban has plunged the Asian country back into the most total nightmare.
Taliban who despise women and do not tolerate women’s cycling, considering it a dishonor. “I contacted the world and Italian Federciclo, the Undersecretariat for Sport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations, as well as the NGOs active in that corner of the planet”, the words of Cappellotto, who represents cyclists from all over the world and is vice president of Accpi, ‘Italian association of runners.
«I called and wrote to all those who can help me to rescue the Afghan cyclists, now in fear. If I succeed, it will be my best victory ».
It is not easy these days to reach the former Azzurri on his cell phone. An endless series of “calls” engages Cappellotto from morning to evening, between signs of trust and moments of discouragement. And with the former world champion, in this battle for life, there is also another Treviso woman who is giving her all: Anita Zanatta, 40 years old from Camalò, vice president of Road to Equality.
Endless days spent on mobile phones weaving the web of hope. Yesterday, Tuttobiciweb reported the rescue of an Afghan cyclist who, after flying to Qatar, managed to repair in the United States, in Virginia: a glimmer of hope in the darkness of these weeks.
In recent years, at the urging of the CPA itself and the world Federciclo (Uci), a considerable boost has been given to the women’s movement in the troubled Asian country. Last 9 March (the event was originally scheduled for 8, but safety reasons had imposed the 24-hour postponement), a few hours before the International Women’s Day, a road race was organized in the capital Kabul: they had cycled about fifty athletes. Beyond the numbers, an invaluable result in terms of social achievement. And with a placement on the calendar with a very strong symbolic value.
Now the former world champion from Sarcedo tries to help those same athletes in the desperate escape from the country plunged back into Taliban obscurantism. In the hands of a regime that segregates women, trampling their dignity. And who considers women’s cycling a shame.
“The risk is that all the faces of women in Afghanistan, including our cyclist sisters, can be obscured in the eyes of the world”, the cry of dolore of the former cycling champion, «But we can’t allow it, help me take them to Europe: right now, there is no race more important than this. A race for life ».
Cappellotto tries to leave his mark and open a path, as he did – forgive the parallelism – with the feat at the San Sebastian ’97 World Cup. With the Cpa and Road to Equality, it has been fighting for years to develop cycling in countries where it is more complicated to practice sports. Some time ago, for example, she had gone “on a mission” to Africa. Without forgetting the invaluable support in organizing the Kabul race on 9 March. Now with the support of all world cycling, the former world champion tries to win another challenge. The challenge for the life of Afghan women cyclists.