Bastianelli, the Liberation and the victories “at home”…

The Gran Premio Liberazione, in its history that began in 1946, has had only three editions, from 2016 to 2018. In the first two editions, Marta Bastianelli triumphed, who can rightfully be considered the greatest cyclist from Lazio in history. Her palmarès is overflowing with great successes: world champion in 2007, European champion in 2018, winner of classics such as the Gent-Wevelgem in 2018, the Ronde Van Drenthe and the Tour of Flanders the following year, the current standard-bearer of the Uae Adq Team is considered one of the monuments of women's cycling. This year she has already achieved three victories: the latest at the Omloop van het Hageland in Belgium on Sunday, February 27.

Bastianelli has achieved many victories in her career, but those in Rome have a special flavor, in front of her people. For her, a native of Velletri, those roads are an integral part of her life: "It's wonderful that they managed to bring back the Liberazione. An iconic race for our country and a beautiful showcase for our region as well. An important race, not much more to say."

Bastianelli, for her technical characteristics, is a sprinter who can adapt well to any type of race strategy, also capable of inventing important actions to break up the group. After all, an ideal profile for a special race like the Liberazione: "At first glance, one might say that the Roman race is easy. But when you're in it, you realize it's nervous, a real classic where you have to race with your head and with your mind, in the sense that if you lose concentration, the breakaway goes, the group stretches out and you're out of the game."

The Lazio native knows that circuit by heart, even though it's been a few years since her last victory and she knows there are many pitfalls, even if in terms of altitude it may seem like a very simple race: "Perhaps the main characteristic is that if the breakaway goes, you immediately stop seeing it. The longest straight is the finish line, after that it's very easy to disappear from the group's sight, even if the advantage is just 20 seconds. And racing like that, without reference points, becomes nerve-wracking."

Looking back, what remains with her from her first victory in Rome? "A whirlwind of emotions. I was in my city, along the road were friends and family. It was also the first edition, for the occasion Alessia Piccolo also came down and was enchanted. Then I won it again the following year and it was just as beautiful. And if I can say, I'm sorry not to be there this year. With this thing that at the end of 2022 I'll stop racing, I have to make peace with it. If I decided to continue, my husband would take it badly. But some days the desire not to give up is strong. Maybe racing another Liberazione could make a difference, who knows? We'll talk about it later..."