Basso vs Contador, the role of technology and innovation in sport
A meeting at Elmec, sponsor of Eolo Kometa, turned into a pleasant opportunity to meet two great champions, Ivan Basso and Alberto Contador who, together with his brother Fran, manage the Italian-Spanish professional training.
Technology, innovation and young people, here is Ivan and Alberto’s view on the future
“The importance of technology and innovation in sport”
Ivan
Innovation and technology have a constant, endless growth. There is technological innovation from the point of view of food, training, mechanics in bicycles, clothing and accessories. The innovations are so fast that every time you think you’ve hit the jackpot, even more innovative products come out. And in recent years with the support of technology it is possible to obtain incredible performances
Alberto
Technology helps, it makes a difference in all aspects of life and also in sport. It helps you reach the maximum potential of your organism and in our case the bike helps to make a difference, it helps you to be faster or to spend fewer watts to keep the same speed – and this is a constant progression and it helps to make a difference.
(credit photo: Claudio Bergamaschi)
“What would you have liked to have of today’s technology in the bikes when you were racing?”
Ivan
I am fond of all my bikes, I have kept them from the one in 1984 until the last one I used, I have my own collection and obviously that the combination of lightness, stiffness and aerodynamics has changed a lot over the years. Finding the right balance between these 3 components is the hardest thing, i.e. getting all of this into a bike is complicated. And this from the improvement of the carbon frame, in the wheels, in the tubulars that with graphene have had an incredible improvement: to give an example, I was not a lightning bolt downhill but with today’s tubulars and disc brakes I could have been a lot competitive
Alberto
I like the bikes of today but I have always had beautiful bikes and the thing I would have liked most would have been the freedom to modify the bike to my liking but I have often clashed with the needs of the sponsors and the regulations of the UCI. Here this is the only thing I missed
“In addition to the professional team, Eolo Kometa gives great importance to the youth sector: what advice can you give to young riders?”
Ivan
My advice is to believe in a beautiful sport, believe in your dreams, in your ideas and focus on where you want to go. Cycling is a merit-based sport, the more you commit yourself and the more everything returns with interests. So guys, believe in your future and if this passes through the bicycle, it is truly something beautiful both from a sporting and a personal point of view
Alberto
First of all to think first of growing as a person, then as a cyclist. Our priority is to make children grow as people, because only 10% become professionals, few become champions but we want to train people who will also be ready to do another job.
