Luca Guercilena, the executive of the Lidl-Trek workforce, has written an autobiography that appears again at his abnormal lifestyles as a tender bicycle owner, trainer, directeur sportif and now supervisor with one of the vital sports activities tremendous groups.
Guercilena devoted his ebook to his circle of relatives but in addition “to all those who helped me stay alive.” He has battled towards an competitive lymphoma since 2021, going via a couple of cycles of chemotherapy however is once more operating complete time as workforce supervisor of Lidl-Trek.
The ebook was once written with the assistance of Italian journalist Pier Augusto Stagi and is named Da 0 a uno – ‘From no person to someone’. It does now not center of attention on Guercilena’s combat towards most cancers however is the tale of his lifestyles and an instance to any person of the way onerous paintings and patience is all the time rewarding.
Guercilena recollects humble beginnings within the suburbs of Milan, how his loss of biking skill led him to transform a very good trainer. He labored with the then-innovative Mapei construction workforce, the Mapei professional workforce after which stayed on with Patrick Lefevere. In 2011, he agreed to paintings for the Leopard Trek workforce created with investment from Luxembourg businessman Flavio Becca and helped save the workforce in 2013, growing what these days is the blended Lidl-Trek males’s and girls’s workforce.
Guercilena’s circle of relatives, buddies and associates attended the ebook presentation in Monza at the eve of Milan-San Remo, together with Fabian Cancellara, who recalled how he began his profession with Guercilena on the Mapei construction workforce and ended it with an Olympic gold medal within the time trial in Rio de Janeiro with Guercilena as his trainer and mentor.
Stagi, Guercilena and Cancellara on the ebook release (Symbol credit score: Cyclingnews)
It covers the 2013 season, after a painful fusion with Lance Armstrong’s Radioshack workforce in 2012 after which the Texan’s lifetime ban for doping.
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Guercilena was once requested to take over as workforce supervisor and satisfied 2nd sponsor Nissan to pay their agreed sponsorship price regardless of now not short of to stick at the workforce’s jersey. Within the spring of 2013, Guercilena travelled to Trek’s headquarters in Wisconsin and satisfied the motorbike emblem to shop for the workforce.
An extract from ‘Da 0 a uno’ by means of Luca Guercilena and Pier Augusto Stagi
We began the 2013 season neatly and straight away received Harelbeke, Flanders and Roubaix with Fabian Cancellara. He’s obviously the undisputed chief of the workforce, additionally as a result of on the similar time Andy Schleck started to have severe issues together with his knee after a crash.
Throughout the workforce, there’s a other vibe, a circle of relatives surroundings has returned that makes each the riders and the personnel euphoric. We’re robust and compact. But when at the one hand there is nice consciousness of being again on the most sensible of biking, there could also be a sword of Damocles striking over all of our heads: we’re on the finish credit of a movie. We all know that Flavio Becca will finish his investment. Riders and personnel do not anything however repeat to me “that it would really be a shame to split up such a beautiful group… “.
After Fabian’s triumphant journey at Roubaix, I in finding myself speaking about this and that with the then-Trek advertising and marketing supervisor Joe Vanderboncouer.
At a definite level I take the bull by means of the horns and inform him: “Joe, since Trek is already making a big investment in the team, I think it’s right to start thinking about trying to become the owner of the team by simulating what has been happening for years in F1. Trek has to stay in the sport, become the owner of the team and then find and involve sponsors in the project.”
I remember the fact that Joe listens to me the entire time in silence and on the finish he says: “The thing is interesting. But the accounting books must be in order: only then do we submit the idea to John Burke [the president of Trek].”
Two days later I left for Luxembourg to satisfy Flavio Becca. Sure issues are higher mentioned head to head.
I give an explanation for the mission to him which in this day and age is solely an concept, although the likelihood that Trek may take over all the workforce is concrete. In the beginning, Becca seems very skeptical, then he understands that it’s conceivable. All the way through the Giro d’Italia, I fly to america to satisfy Mr. Trek himself: John Burke.
I take into accout arriving at his position all dressed up in my best possible swimsuit and feeling a way of pleasure I’d by no means felt ahead of. He welcomed me in a white blouse, denims and shoes and checked out me ahead of announcing: “Are you going to a wedding?”
I sought after to vanish, sink into hell ceaselessly. I stammered one thing like: “My mother taught me that when you go to meet important people you dress smart.” He smiles, places a hand on my shoulder and leads me to his place of business.
We communicate for just about an hour, and Burke listens to me and Joe in non secular silence till he says: “Joe, let’s take a week and then give him an answer.”
I cheekily spoke back: “Please give me an answer before the Tour de France. I have to be sure that the team is being built, because if it isn’t, I have a duty to be clear and fair with the staff and the riders. I have to put them in a position to find a new job.”
On June 26, 2013, 3 days ahead of the beginning of the Excursion de France in Corsica, John Burke known as me.
“Luca, we are willing to take over the team and move forward, but only on one condition.”
What?
“That you just organize the workforce for us.”
Recklessly, I accepted. Two hours later, Trek announced to the world that it would take over Flavio Becca’s team. My cycling adventure continued.
Da 0 a uno is to be had on Amazon in Italy.
