Quote of the day from the godfather

Alfredo Martini in front of a photo of himself and
Fiorenzo Magni as amateurs for AC Montecatini, circa 1940.
No texting.  No internet.  Just riding.
Photo Source: Il Terreno Montecatini

"The problem today is how to be persuasive when we ask our kids to struggle. This is the key to everything. Cycling isn't a sport like others, it's not a game: it's sacrifice, sweat and blood. With the bike you can find treasure, but to stimulate a child to look for it is more and more difficult. How do you get them to understand the value of labor?"

"Because today we live by playing, even as adults. Playing with mobile phones, sending millions of useless messages, we play games on the computer, in front of the television and on the internet. Football is a game that pulls well in a society like this. Most other sports are games. Cycling is something profoundly different: It is a way of life."


   Alfredo Martini, Interviewed in Cycling Pro, May 2010

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