Pozzato

Over the coming weeks this blog will be taking a closer look at Italian cycling and cycling in Italy. To start, a quick piece on Filippo Pozzato. Why? Because he seems to be a media darling despite few results these days and a controversial past. His profile is bigger than his palmarès and here’s a suggestion why…

Background: “Pippo” Pozzato started his career with the Mapei team in 2000. This was the sport’s super team of the era, a big budget and a big roster with 41 riders that year if we include the stagiaires, it was before the UCI capped the team size at 30. After a slow start, to be expected given he turned pro aged 18, Pozzato took a Tour de France stage in 2004 and then his biggest career win was Milan-Sanremo in 2006, still aged 24.

The Wire: At some point from 2009 onwards his phone was being tapped by Italian police as an investigation branched out and to cut a long story short he was linked to working with banned doctor Michele Ferrari. Pozzato was eventually sanctioned with a three month ban where the brevity owed itself to some classic Italian bureaucracy because if Ferrari had been banned in 2002 by the Italian authorities Ferrari’s name wasn’t on a readily available list. Pozzato just said he was getting training plans. Many here just see a cheat. Or maybe you’ve seen the tattoos, the hair and the self-adoration from his Instagram account and see a vain side.

Crowd pleaser: visit the Giro and you’ll see someone else. Visiting last year’s Giro it was remarkable how visible Pozzato was before the race started. While most riders emerge as late as possible from the team bus to sign on, Pozzato could be found doing what the Italian call a bagno di folla, literally bathing in the crowd. He’ll stop for a selfie with fans and seems always ready with a smile and a handshake with the race organisation or staff from other teams. He’s there for the media too and when it’s a journalist’s job to find someone with something interesting to say he’ll supply quotes and always seems ready for RAI. It’s similar to the late Michele Scarponi, although Scarponi was more the comedian and Pozzato more the playboy.

Pozzato adds a touch of glamour in an sterile world of power meters and altitude training camps. The Peacock of Sandrigo lives in Monaco, drives a Ferrari and has dated celebrities. “So what?” you may say but this means a reach beyond the sports pages making him a celebrity, albeit a minor one.

There’s a self-deprecating side too. Last year he almost won a stage of the Giro in Cassano d’Adda. He jumped clear with one kilometre to go and took the sprint trains by surprise, only for Roger Kluge to latch onto the move and surge past to take the stage win. It led to this memorable quote…

'It's a good job you didn't win – you would've ruined the joke,' @cirogazzetta to @PippoPozzato at finish today. 'I know,' replied Pozzato — The Cycling Podcast (@cycling_podcast) May 25, 2016

Conclusion

Pozzato doesn’t win and has skeletons in the cupboard so why so popular? Readers have asked this by email and here’s a blog post reply saved up for the Giro. It’s because there’s a friendly and approachable side to Pozzato that can be hard to see see if you just check the results, watch Eurosport or read his Wikipedia page. Go to an Italian race like the Giro and he’ll be out greeting the crowds and chatting to the media when many are sitting tight in the team bus.