Ivan Basso is back; but who’s the man getting him into shape to prevent Astana taking the first five places on GC? He also trains Cadel Evans, Charly Wegelius and PEZ’s man in the Italian gruppo, Dario Cioni; sound interesting? We thought so; here’s what he had to say about Basso’s comeback, training – and EPO & CERA. PEZ: How long have you been involved in training, Aldo? Aldo: I began coaching juniors in 1982, the same year I achieved my Master's in Science.

My brother was already a trainer and the following year he asked me if I would help in Francesco Moser’s hour record bid because he was too busy with his football training commitments. Aldo Sassi counts Charly Wegelius as one of his clients. PEZ: You coach Charly Wegelius and Cadel Evans. Aldo: Yes, Charly has been with me since 2001, his Mapei days. And also Dario Cioni, it was my involvement with Dario that lead me to realise how strong Cadel was.

Flashback: Vale Aldo Sassi. Dec 11, 2013 . We would often discuss training programs together, and simply talk about what a great coach Aldo is.

I’ve coached Dario since his mountain biking days and I remember Cadel beating him in one event, Dario finished second, but I was very impressed with Cadel’s performance and I remembered his strength when he came to the road. Daniele Nardello has been with me since ’93, I’m also working with Eros Cappechi and William Walker.

Along with Basso, Cadel Evans is Sasso's marquee rider. PEZ: And Ivan Basso? Aldo: Ivan came to us at the Mapei Sports centre for tests in January 2008, we talked about working together and he said; “It could be a problem for you because of my involvement with Operation Puerto, if you support me.” I spoke to Dr. Squinzi, the head of the Mapei organisation and we decided to support Ivan, he made a mistake for which he’s had to pay and now he’s starting again. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially when you consider what he was suspended for; it wasn’t just Ivan and Jan Ulrich, and it wasn’t just cycling – football, athletics, tennis. Did Basso make a gigantic mistake?

Sassi says he deserves a second chance. Let's see what he does with his second chance! He’s paid the price, there are a lot of guys in the peloton who did the same thing and were not punished because there was not the political determination to pursue the truth and find all the culprits. PEZ: What about the aspect of conflict; if two of your clients are battling for the same result?

Aldo: When the race starts for the riders, my race is over; I am not a ‘preparatore,’ a medical adviser who works with chemicals, also in the race (as perhaps happened in the past), I am a coach and a trainer; my work ends when the race starts. My interest is in having the maximum number of good riders in good condition for a race, in this way the standard must improve.

PEZ: What are the physical attributes that make a champion? Aldo: It’s not the only one, but the main predictor is VO2 max; you need this to be good climber or stage race contender. The other important attribute is lactacid features, a rider like Paolo Bettini, for example, has a very good lactacid metabolism.

Aldo Sassi PEZ: How much of your job is physiological and how much is psychological? Aldo: Psychology has a very high relevance on performance; it’s not just physiological data that is important. How the coach proposes the training to the rider is very important, he must tune his proposals to the different psychologies of the riders – he must tune his programme to the mindset of the individual rider. PEZ: Are SRM’s and Powertaps vital, now?

Aldo: All the top pros fit a device like the SRM cranks or Powertap hub, it’s a way to add more information; it’s not indispensable but it provides important feedback. You don’t put all your faith in heart rate or power outputs, however; what’s happening in an athlete’s head is the most important thing. PEZ: In these days of riders staking everything on the on race, is it possible to race for a full season?

Aldo: I think that Cadel showed in 2008 that it’s possible to compete at a high level from the beginning to the end of the season. A rider can hit two peaks during a season, in theory three is possible, but that would be very hard if the rider is not supported by chemicals. Cadel rode a solid 2008 from start to finish. Star Trek The Next Generation Pinball Pc. In the absence of assistance from drugs, a rider cannot peak as high, but they can sustain that peak for longer. The use of drugs makes it easier to manage to peak at a specific time. In my opinion the attitude to compete at high level from the beginning to the end of the season is usually a sign of clean and proper cycling.