Sonny Colbrelli on how to organize a World Tour team's calendar - "The biggest difficulty is making a rider understand that he cannot always follow his desires"

Sonny Colbrelli was a very successful pro rider in his time, but was forced to retire at the peak of his career just under two years ago due to heart complications. The Italian did not leave the cycling scene however, and trained to become a DS for Bahrain - Victorious. Now in a completely different role, he explains how he and the team design season calendars for 30 riders.

"... For a leader's calendar, for example, you start by analyzing the big goals: Giro, Tour or Vuelta? Or the big classics, if he is a one-day race rider. But the athletes also have their ideas and want to express their preferences: there are those who say 'I would like to do well in the Giro' or 'I would like to aim for the Tour'," Colbrelli said in conversation with Bici.Pro.

"Then, together with the trainers, sports directors and the manager, you start to lay the foundations, waiting for the official race routes to be published. Knowing the routes is crucial. If, for example, the Giro includes many time trials and a rider is disadvantaged in this discipline, maybe you opt for another race like the Vuelta where there may not even be one time trial. Everything is evaluated, from the type of stages in general to the overall difference in altitude".

Colbrelli points out how important the December training camp is when it comes to planning this, as it is the first moments where the plans begin to officially be drawn up, the decisions are made on the leaders' calendars, but also the smaller riders begin to learn about where they will race. It is a very important organizational work, that comes alongside lots of medical testing, equipment adjustment and the delivery of new supplies - as well as, of course, opening up to the new riders and staff coming in.

"When the season ends, we give the riders a month of absolute freedom, letting them disconnect completely. Then we start again with the first training sessions and the trainers begin to sound out the boys' desires: there are those who want to aim for the classics, those for the Giro or those, perhaps, for Sanremo. However, you cannot please everyone," Colbrelli says. "Initially, the rider speaks with the trainer, who collects his intentions and reports them to the team. In December, during the camps, the general programs are drawn up. In January, however, the calendar is defined in detail".

The second training camp in January will be just as important perhaps, as at this time the route of the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España will be known and there will be no doubts regarding which Grand Tours suit each rider the best. It is a complicated task to manage however a whole variety of riders, 30 to be precise, and begin to fit all pieces of the puzzle together. During the year, injuries, ilnesses and other potential complications constantly force teams to make changes in which it is always important to adapt.

"The biggest difficulty is making a rider understand that he cannot always follow his desires. If, for example, he thinks of doing all the classics, he might be told that some races must be sacrificed to reach the top in a specific event," the Italian says, saying that in the past he himself has been forced to do the same.

"It is not easy to communicate certain choices and you can immediately see it from his expression when he is not satisfied. And I understand them well, because I have been there as an athlete too. I remember that one year I wanted to participate in the Roubaix, but the team preferred that I concentrate on another race where I had a better chance of getting results".