The captain of the Equa Team drags the Italian team «A dream chased for 5 years». Then he dedicates it to Zanardi
PAVIA
Splendid gold in the handbike relay for Paolo Cecchetto, captain of the Equa Team of Santa Cristina. He and the other Azzurri of Team Relay, Luca Mazzone and Diego Colombari, dedicate the victory in Tokyo to Alex Zanardi, who dragged the Italian team to the first step of the podium at the Rio Games, and confirmed themselves as the rulers of this discipline: the same training in June won the world title in Cascais in Portugal.
The race
At the first time lapse, Cecchetto (H3) moved up to sixth place with Belgium in the lead. A large fraction of Luca Mazzone (H2) immediately pushed Italy forward behind Austria, but it is with Colombari (H5) that the Azzurri are placed in front of everyone. The gap increases and Italy seems already projected towards gold at the end of the third of the nine rounds scheduled. Meanwhile, Germany overtakes the United States but fails to get close to the Azzurri, with Cecchetto extending further. Then Mazzone further increases the blue advantage, with Germany and the United States increasingly detached. In the second fraction, Colombari from Turin makes a void; then in the last round Cecchetto (who lives in the Lodi area but sportsman is from Pavia) keeps the margin on the Americans and French, Mazzone still gives his best, Colombari loses a few seconds and with a time of 52’32 the blue relay wins the gold with 31 “ahead of a fast-growing France in the last round and 39” over the United States.
The gold of the blue relay is the first of the handbike for the Italian expedition led by coach Mario Valentini. Unstoppable joy and satisfaction for the three champions: “We have achieved our goal or dreamed for five years,” says a visibly excited Cecchetto at the end of the award ceremony. And he adds: «A piece of this medal also goes to Alex Zanardi». The president of Team Equa, Ercole Spada followed the race with bated breath: «I knew that Cecchetto would have played a great test. The blue Relay Team had been little considered on the eve of the predictions, but it was still the reigning world champion team and it proved it, with a superiority also on the tactical level. Cecchetto in the first round was perfect, he guaranteed an already significant advantage to his teammates. The Azzurri remained in front throughout the match, fully deserving the victory ».
For Team Equa, the balance of the Paralympics is one gold and one silver: “I am very happy – comments Spada – these two medals are the result of five years of work, in which everyone has done their part and Cecchetto and Cornegliani (silver in the time trial) sweated day after day. Two podiums at the Paralympics are worth years of sacrifice and commitment ». –
Maurizio Scorbati