the new heroines of lombardy.

What has Lombardy given to the world? When we think of art, we may think of the Italian painter Caravaggio, who was able to depict human suffering and torture in an incredible detailed manner. If he would have lived in the modern age, he would have been the perfect official painter of cycling races, especially of monuments. When we think of music, we have to point out Fedez, one of the most famous and free-spirited rappers of modern Italian music, who, despite all his toughness depicted in his look, is a master of true Italian music with all the emotional lyrics and confessions of his love. Lombardy also gave us Paolo Maldini, a special figure for every football romantic, for his elegance and loyalty on and off the pitch. Lombardy is also the home of Italian cycling. For more than 20 years, it provided home to Lampre, which for many years dominated the sport of cycling, and which included Italian greats such as Damiano Cunego and the late Michele Scarponi. The region has given riders such as Paolo Savoldelli, the crowned king of the slopes and winner of the 2003 Giro, two-time Giro winner and current sporting director Ivan Basso, and Valerio Piva, who is currently making headlines wonders week after week with the Intermarche-Wanty team.

On the contrary, women's cycling has not been so lucky in Italy. Although the late 2000s and early 2010s were very positive for the country (marked by 4 world titles won by 3 riders in 5 years), after the golden years, a sharp decline began due to the ageing of the golden generation and a lack of talent appearing in races. This gap and issue were perfectly recognised by Valentino Villa, who founded a women's cycling team in 2016 with the help and sponsorship of Valcar steel company. His aim was clear: to find young Italian, precisely, Lombard talents who could become the future greats of Italian cycling. In May 2022, we may be able to say that this has been a resoundingly successful project.

Villa has a very good eye for finding talents, which has become evident in his first year in the competition. In fact, back in 2014, at a small Italian junior competition, he went straight to the winning girl and told her: You are the new Ronaldo. You are the new Megan Rapinoe. You can do anything in this sport.

This girl was Elisa Balsamo.

Balsamo started her career as a huge talent. As a freshwoman, she finished sixth in the juniors at the brutally difficult World Championships in Richmond, and then went on to win the World Junior title as a sophomore at the World Championships in Doha. The transition might be increasingly difficult for any junior riders, but Elisa has overcome the obstacles in a world-class fashion. She quickly settled into the elite peloton, picked up the pace and started winning. A lot. Year after year, she improved in technique and speed, but still remained the same lovable, honest, down-to-earth girl she was before. And winning the world championships... that took a good dose of courage. Everyone knew that Balsamo was not a bad sprinter, and a pretty decent climber, and let's face it, the hills in the centre of Leuven don't even come close to an Oude Kwaremont or a Mur de Huy. As experts know, however, the chance must be taken. That last 300 metres included a career-long run at the age of 22. Everything from comparisons with Ronaldo to the rise of Italian women's cycling to the fulfilment of his own dreams. She did it. Deservedly. And that merit has only increased this season. Her sprint battles with Lorena Wiebes have become legendary this season, but the routine she's picked up over the past 7 years (even though we're talking about two women under the age of 25) has seen her through every obstacle. It's not clear if she will ever be victorious as one of the 5 monuments in women's cycling, as is common in the men's peloton, but Balsamo has the chance to win every major race in the coming years, and Valcar has played a big part of that.

Among the founding riders, it is crucial to highlight Marta Cavalli.

Cavalli was discovered by Villa in a similar way to Balsamo, he had been watching the Cremona-based rider's development since she was 13 and immediately jumped towards the opportunity to sign her when Villa got the chance to start a professional team. Cavalli's career and profile, however, are very different from her compatriot's. The explosive Italian did not have an outstanding junior career, and although she showed her lion's claws at Gent-Wevelgem, she did not have an outstanding record. As an adult, this has changed. At just 20, she won the Italian senior championship, at the time it was Valcar's first major victory. At the same time as wearing the national jersey, Cavalli moved up a level. She started to confidently finish around the top 10 in Belgian one-day races and quickly became a so-called dark horse favourite for the classics. However, unlike Balsamo, the breakthrough was slowly coming. Life, the prospect of becoming a better rider, lured him to another country and another environment for 2022. In the women's team of the Francaise des Jeux, she moved to a much higher level, which she proved by winning the Amstel Gold Race near Maastricht and Fleche Wallonne in Huy. The attacks theemselves were perfect examples of the true kind of Lombard, Italian brashness that Cavalli has picked up during her time in Italy: bold, a little unexpected, but tough enough to be seen last only at the results ceremony. And we can all agree that all her supporters and former team-mates at home and on the spot were happy, because their compatriot and friend had finally fulfilled her destiny to become an all-time great at the age of 22.

The crown star of the current generation of the team is Chiara Consonni, who has also been a member of the team since its inception.

The 22-year-old sprinter was also thrown in the pool at an early age, having become a generational talent and a track cycling star at the age of 17. She is one of those riders who started her career on the track and later climbed to the top by fate/own talent. Track racing is always a very interesting thing. Some people stay specialists, some become sprinters or develop their time trial skills. Although Chiara's size would not make her a prototypical sprinter, her explosiveness made him elite at a young age. Her development has also been unbroken and, most positively for the team, her loyalty has been matched by her record. She is one of the current top 10 riders in the women's field for the 2022 season, with 9 top 7s in 15 days of racing for the team, a quintessence of consistency. A very valuable rider who, as she is contracted to the team for next year, will enjoy the maximum confidence of the first team management and could be an outstanding leader for the next generation. A new generation, of which she will be one of the most senior at the age of 24.

We've talked about young road talents, we've talked about the best in track cycling... But Valcar also has the highest ranked rider in Italian female cyclocross.

Silvia Persico's career got off to a slow start, not because she wasn't a great junior rider, as she was a podium finisher in several important U23 races, but the breakthrough that every rider really craves, to taste the sweet, icing-covered taste of victory, was missing for a very long time. Patience is a cruel thing, it's often the way paved by career building, opportunities, but Persico had the strength to wait it out and this year she's soaring. She won the Italian championship for the first time in her career, and three weeks later she scored a totally unexpected podium at the World Championships, Italy's second World Championship medal in only 23 years of female cyclocross history. Fortunately, Persico was able to carry this form over to the road season, where so far she has not had much laurels/luck. Significant progression has been shown in several top 10 classic results, which is huge considering her results in previous years. If Consonni becomes the queen of the sprinters, Persico could take on the role of number one climber in the team very soon, this season.

In 6 years, Valcar has nurtured a generation that includes Italy's current best cyclists. The future is obviously uncertain, as Villa said, albeit he keeps on saying that he wouldn't rule out a collaboration with one of the men's World Tour teams, although it would be unfortunate, but like everything else, this sport is driven by money and it would be financially lucrative to build a new, high-level relationship. The best thing, of course, would be for the women's team itself to find a new sponsor, but that is almost impossible in what is still a highly unbalanced environment.

Cycling romance, however, is a big one. And as long as we can see the new Italian female generation soar, we have to say that they will be one of the most exciting and likeable female teams in the field. Italian cycling, that's how we all like you.