Another bronze medal!!!!

The 2nd Memorial Karol Wojtila were held on the 1st of april in Castel Gandolfo, this was the 2nd race of the season and the 1st on olympics distances. We went very fast from endurance to short races but it hasn't been so traumatic. I did a bronze medal on 1000 meters, just a few cents behind the first two guys of "Fiamme Gialle" Ricchetti and Benedini; they were in my own k4 last year at world championships. This result left me good hopeless cause I still have to start speed trainings.

On 500 meters I did not a good race, there was a lot of wind and waves and I was just at the 9th place in the final but i think I will be better on next races. An amazing Scaduto won this race after a bad injury at his ankle, the 2nd was Benedini and £rd Ricchetti.

The olympic gold medalist Daniele Scarpa came back to compete at this race, at 43 years old he decided to train again and to prepare the qualification to Beijing 2008. He was two times 3rd on k2 500 and 1000 meters with Alessio Cannizzo.

Check results here

Europe Cup 10000 meters. Bronze medal!

I came back on friday 23rd from Seville were I did a training camp with my national team. It has been 3 lucky weeks of hard trainings with beautiful sunny days and temperature around 30 C degrees.

On Saturday began the season race in Milan with the Europe Cup on 10000 meters where I get a bronze medal. it's been an hard race, decided on the last 200 meters between me and my teammate Rossi, Benedini and Ricchetti. The winner was Benedini, behind him Ricchetti and me.

I'm happy about this race cause I finished it very close to the faster guys also if I don't really feel fit yet, I still have to start speed trainings so i think I'll have to improve.

This week I'll be at home with my family, and on next week end I will compete over olympic distances at the Memorial Karol Wojtila in Castel Gandolfo.

See you soon!!!

Second Test Winter Cup

Yesterday, Sunday 26 February I have been to Florence in order to dispute my first contest of 2006, that is the second test of the winter cup on the 10000 meters. The day has been cold and cloudy and the distance consisted in a circuit from 3300 meters to carry out for 3 times, with a total of 6 turns of buoy. At 1 pm it has been given the start to the contest and after the departure the rhythm was already high. After the first turn of buoy I have obtained a good advantage on the group and to go in escape together with Filippo Falli from Fiamme Gialle, inserted in the competition as "outside competitor" and therefore he wasn't present in the end-classify. Together to Filippo I have obtained a good advantage on the group that we endured for the rest of the contest; to the last turn after to have taken to the head and after to have forced the rhythm I have struck my companion of escape on the goal, boasting a separation of 1 minute and 7 second ones on the group of the pursuers. According to official place the second place has been given to Matteo Galligani of the Società Comunali Firenze and the third place to Gaetano Lepre of the Circolo Nautico Posillipo. I'm satisfied of my performance, holding account of the large workload carried out in last the 3 weeks and of the little specific preparation in boat of this winter. After this contest I will pass some day at home in order then to leave next saturday for Seville, where I will train with all the national team until 25 March. See you soon!

They are 10 days that I'm at the Nelo's training center in Portugal, where i'm working together with Antonio Rossi, Franco Benedini and Alberto Richetti. Here everything is going very well, the temperature is optimal and we're doing long sessions percorring 40-45 Km every day. I'm still a bit late with preparation because of phisical problems of this winter, but I think I will succeed to recover in a hurry, 20 of February i'll be back for 2 weeks and probably on 26 i'll have a interregional race in Milan on 1000 meters and then i'll pass all March in the hot Andalusia with the national team.

Trainings and tests at the Castel Gandolfo's Federal Center.

I'm just came back from a week of test and training, passed near the Federal Center of Castel Gandolfo with all the national senior team. During the first three days we made tests that included specific tests in boat and with the ergometer but also tests of swim and force with weights. I'm satisfied, because instead the past winter the tests are enhanced, this means that I am making a good job even if the meteorological conditions have recently not allowed me to train a lot on water. In the last days i had trainings with all the team, carrying out great part of the training indoor, it means :artificial pool, weights and workout of aerobical ability on cyclette and runner. The next weeks I'll stay them house hoping that the weather let me train on boat because in January I'll go training on mountain where unfortunately I'll not be able to get into water. See ya soon...with new pictures and news !

IT'S BRONZE !

Finally, after two very suffered years the third place at the world-wide chapionship has arrived !
It was an hard contest with arrival to the fotofinish, gold and silver is
gone to Bielorussia and Slovacchia.
Unfortunately in K1 1000 and K4 200 I have not gone beyond the 4° place in end B. Now a week of relax and then i'll begun to prepare myself for Absolute Italians who will keep to Milan 01-02-03 October. C'ya soon! (Click on the photo to magnify it)