Living in a dream.
An extraordinary ride to the "maglia azzurra", the epic accomplishment of old-time cycling, and the gratitude of being a professional cyclist. Tota Magalhães tells about her magical day at the Giro d'Italia Women.
Published: July 24, 2024
For as long as competitive cycling has existed, it is the epic actions that thrill the public to the point of moving them. Breakaways from afar, pursuits all the way to the finish line, and miles away from the peloton with only the thought of victory-that's what makes this sport intense and more hard-fought than ever. Something that makes those who watch but also those who race dream. From the morning porridge to the evening massage, Tota Magalhães traces an unforgettable day during which she was able to achieve every climber's dream at the Giro: the blue jersey, "la maglia azzurra".
Porridge and carbo load for breakfast.
It is the morning of the second stage of the Giro d'Italia Women. The stage starts from Sirmione to reach Volta Mantovana, one hundred and ten kilometers mostly flat with a final circuit and two climbs to tackle.
"We usually get up around eight o'clock," explains Tota, telling how one of the best days of his season began. "We start with a nice breakfast with lots of carbohydrates. Then I eat my porridge - I love it. Around 9 to 9:30 a.m. we leave to get to the starting location and I begin to focus only on the race."
Music is what helps concentration: a playlist in your ears and a thousand projects in your head.
"That's the moment when I really start thinking about plan A, B, C...and so on. I try to clear my mind and imagine how I want the race to go. The points where to attack, the moments where to give it my all, where to push or resist."
When you get into the flow, you are in heaven.
The routine is the routine of every day. When you're racing, the stages all seem the same, except for that fraction of a few hours where you give it all.
"Before the start there are always little rituals," she says. "I prepare what I need, what I'm going to eat that day as I hang the number on my back and talk a little bit with my teammates and staff. Then we go to the start."
Tota emphasizes how that particular moment on the line is almost mystical. A few moments to recall the stage to get there, to chase a goal, to achieve something that perhaps as a child seemed too big to be possible.
"When there are only moments left until the start, I just think how grateful I am to be here, racing, living my dream. Today I can call myself lucky to consider cycling - my passion - as a job. Then when the race starts I just think about pedaling: when you're in the flow it's magical. You feel like you're in heaven, even when you're suffering."
Attacking from far away.
Madness, they call it. In cycling, when you combine a bit of madness with talent, epic actions are born. Today, in the age of calculation, the aesthetics of attack still endure, the belief that turning the tables is possible in any situation, thanks to courage and determination.
Tota knew from the night before that if a breakaway went away, she would be at the center of the action. Trying, that's what she had to do. To score points for the blue jersey, to feel like a climber even in a stage with few mountains.
"I got out of the peloton about four kilometers after the start," she explains. "A girl joined me and we gave it our all. we got to a six-minute lead. The gap kept growing and we didn't let up. Then, when there were fourteen kilometers to go, the other rider ran out of fuel and I went on alone."
Despite being reabsorbed by the group when there was one kilometer and eight to go, her day was crowned with the blue jersey. Everything as it had been planned. Or almost.
"I didn't win the stage but it was an incredible moment."
The quiet after the storm.
When the adrenaline settles, everything comes flooding back in the form of emotions and intimate thoughts. From the first small bottles of water after arrival grabbed greedily from the masseurs to the shower at the hotel, there is a melody made up of notes that are both more serious and sweeter at the same time. Each day is different in the hectic pace of a stage race, but they all end like this. In the moment of massages everything melts away, anger or happiness, the satisfaction of having given everything or that urge to fight some more.
"The next morning it's back to routine," she concludes. "But the days are never all the same. Every second is different even though everything is projected to return there, where your rhythm flows. You go back to heaven, when you suffer or when you win. You are where you always wanted to be."