After a sixteen-year professional career in which he racked up nine victories and competed in fifteen Grand Tours and twenty-seven Monument Classics, Davide Cimolai decided to retire at the end of last season . In November, he hung his bike in the garage and left it there, without regrets, for the entire winter.
He only picked it up again on Easter Sunday, after a six-month hiatus , when the temperatures returned to mild temperatures, and the desire to ride a bike returned. Although in a completely new way, as can be seen from the photo Cimolai posted on social media after his first amateur outing.
Davide, how did it feel to get back on the bike after six months off?
It's all very subjective, it depends a lot on how you end your professional career. In my case, after so many years, over time the passion and enjoyment I'd started racing for had faded . As a result, I went six months without cycling because I was almost nauseous. I didn't want to set out in the cold anymore, for example; I wanted to enjoy the winter in other ways.
And then what?
I waited for the desire and pleasure of cycling to return. To relish that sense of freedom that comes from just going out to enjoy the scenery , without thinking about anything else.
Could it be said that Easter was Davide Cimolai's first cycling tour?
Absolutely, because even as a kid you dream of becoming a pro, and you ride your bike with that in mind. During that first ride after a long time, I realized that the body has an incredible memory , you get on the bike and the sensations are the same. But then all it takes is a little extra effort or a quick sprint and you immediately feel the difference from before.
Is it really enough to stand still for so little to feel this change?
Keep in mind that for a professional, two weeks off is enough to lose a lot. If before at 300 watts I was in zone 2, so comfortable, now I'm at or even outside the threshold. But I'm guessing because now I don't even use a computer anymore, no watts, no heart rate monitor, I just go by feeling . I just do it to feel good.
So now you pedal like the rest of us…
It's a completely different way of experiencing cycling, something I'd missed. It's only right that everyone experiences cycling in their own way . Some people have an hour for lunch and go out to do timetables, while others go out more leisurely just for the pleasure of pedaling. After a lifetime spent among the Prosecco hills without ever being able to enjoy them because I was always training, I now want to ride at my own pace.
Without hassles?
I stop for a coffee, look around, and enjoy myself. If I want to let off steam, I might go for a run or to the gym. I really only ride my bike for pleasure. This way, I can also occasionally pull out a piece of my bike collection.
What collection? Let us dream a little.
I've tried to get hold of the bikes from every team I've ever raced for, and I'm almost there . The only thing missing is the Cofidis Look because it was a prototype, but now I might have found a way to get it back. Until a month ago, I was also missing the Cannondale from my Liquigas years , but thanks to my old sports director, I managed to find it. Then I have the Lampre Merida, the FDJ Lapierre, and the Movistar Canyon, my last team. I have two from my seasons with Israel, a De Rosa and a Factor, because I rode the De Rosa in the World Championships and the European Championships, and I really wanted to have that one too.
Davide, let's get back to your Easter ride. What ride did you take?
A leisurely ride of about forty kilometers . From my house I went to Vittorio Veneto, then to Conegliano and back, 500 meters of elevation gain in total, really nothing special. As long as you're on flat ground, you can get by, but uphill you immediately feel the difference.
We can't believe you're struggling uphill now...
Let's say I'm only three kilos over my ideal weight, so for now I'm okay. But I can't shift gears like I used to, and you notice it . I might even go up a gear for a while, but not with the same consistency. Also because now as soon as I feel a little tired I slow down . Luckily I no longer have trainers to report to.
After being a work tool for more than fifteen years, what does the bike represent for you today?
It gives me a feeling of freedom . Having always experienced it at the highest level, I no longer want to see it as a means of exertion . But as an athlete, you can't go from everything to nothing. I notice that if I stop for two or three days, I get more nervous. And the less you do, the less you would do. If it were up to me, I would go out almost every day , but that's not always possible, also because I want to dedicate time to my family. And that's fine.
What does the future hold for Davide Cimolai?
I'd like to open a studio here in my area (in Villa di Villa, a municipality of Cordignano, in the province of Treviso, ed.) where I can fully share what I've learned over these 16 years of career, combined with a bike fitting service. I'm training technically and theoretically because I have an eye for it, but I want to create something truly professional.
When will this project start?
For now, I'm training and doing some work in the studio , then I'll be away for the entire Giro d'Italia because this year a collaboration with RCS was born, where I take care of the hospitality area. Let's say the goal is to officially start in September.
Davide, we're almost there. A word of advice to amateurs now that you're, in fact, one of them.
It depends on what you're looking for in a bike. My advice is to experience it however you see fit . If you want to stop for a coffee like I do now, that's fine. If you want to go fast, that's fine too. What I'd like to do in my future work is help people get out on their bikes the right way, so they can ride as much as possible , however they choose. Passion is always the foundation, as it has been throughout my professional career, because that's what makes the difference. All aspects like consistent training, nutrition, and hydration are also important for performance, of course. But first and foremost, they are useful tools for improving everyone's daily lives.
