THE BIKE NEVER LIES: IT GIVES BACK WHAT YOU PUT IN
Interview with Renzo Mazzoleni
Born in Bergamo in 1977, Renzo Mazzoleni now works in General Services at Italmobiliare, but in the past he was a high-level professional cyclist, with three participations in the Giro d’Italia to his name. Cycling was not just a passion for him; it has left a deep imprint on his character, shaping the course of his future.
Growing up in Bergamo often means breathing in cycling, but in the Mazzoleni household, a passion for two wheels was a true calling. With an enthusiastic father and an older brother, Eddy (named after the “Cannibal”, Eddy Merckx), a professional cyclist who achieved an impressive third place at the Giro d’Italia, Renzo’s path seemed almost predetermined. And yet, his debut did not come immediately: “My father did not want me to get on a bike too early, for fear that I might wear myself out. I only started at the age of twelve,” Renzo recalls, thinking back to his first rides with his local team, US Palazzago. From that moment on, his passion ignited. In the youth categories, Renzo quickly stood out for his natural abilities: a rouleur–climber, well suited to rolling terrain, undulating routes and steep gradients.
Renzo’s first memorable victory came in Brianza, in Rovagnate, marking the beginning of a steady rise that would lead him, after five intense years in the amateur ranks (during which he stood out wearing the Vellutex jersey and secured a podium finish at the Giro d’Italia Next Gen), to fulfil a lifelong dream: turning professional in 2001.
The first Giro d’Italia (he would go on to ride three in total: 2001, 2003 and 2004) remains etched in his memory as a concentration of unique emotions. “Taking part in the Giro is indescribable – the feeling is that of someone living a lifelong dream… You find yourself there, surrounded by a sea of people, while riding alongside legends such as Cipollini and Pantani.”
It was an epic era of cycling, characterised by deep respect among riders. “When I was riding alongside Pantani, I was even afraid of swerving and causing him to crash,” he recalls, along with the human dynamics that now feel distant from the precise control enabled by modern technology. Renzo smiles as he remembers how energy management worked twenty years ago, radically transformed today by the arrival of nutritionists and scientific research. “What riders now eat in an hour, we used to eat over an entire stage of the Giro d’Italia. We would start with four milk rolls filled with cheese, honey or ham, and two small tarts. Now everything has changed.”
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Among the highlights of his career, Renzo recalls several breakaways and the honour of wearing the green jersey (now blue) of the King of the Mountains classification. “I was in a breakaway for 150 kilometres. There were three mountain passes, and I took the jersey… When you reach the top of a climb first and hear the crowd cheering, it is an indescribable feeling – it gives you an incredible boost and helps you push through the fatigue.”».
Cycling, however, has left Renzo with far more than trophies and medals; it has shaped his character. “It is a wonderful sport, a true school of life. It teaches you to respect the rules, your opponents, and to stay humble. And above all, it teaches you never to give up… even at work, if you face a problem, you solve it – you do not throw in the towel.” Cycling is also a team sport, and as such it has instilled in him a deep sense of collaboration. “During a race, you sacrifice yourself for your teammates to achieve a shared result – what matters is reaching the common goal. I do the same at work today: when I go on holiday, I make sure I have passed on everything to my colleagues so that everything runs smoothly and they have no issues. This is essential for a company.”
Renzo’s transition from the road to the workplace came about through a chance encounter – once again, on a bike. In 2005, he left professional cycling but continued riding with a group of cyclists from Bergamo. Among them was a man Renzo did not realise was the head of a major industrial group. “I met him on a ride through a friend, but at first I did not know he was Engineer Carlo Pesenti – on a bike, we are all the same,” Renzo recalls. A strong sporting connection developed between the two, and Engineer Pesenti, aware that Renzo was looking for work, offered him a job opportunity. The transition, however, was more challenging than expected. “My first role was in the bagging department at the Calusco cement plant. I had come from professional cycling, I was 26, and I had never seen a place like it. That first evening, I was so overwhelmed that I could not sleep.”
Renzo did not give up. He worked hard in the bagging department for two years before being transferred to Bergamo, to the printing facility at the Group’s headquarters. In his free time, he continued training, often riding with Engineer Pesenti, with whom he also took part in some of the most renowned Italian granfondos, such as the Maratona dles Dolomites and the Felice Gimondi. “The Engineer was tough on the bike – he never gave up. We rode some incredible routes together, even 150 or 180 kilometres long,” Renzo recalls with affection and respect.
Today, Renzo Mazzoleni works in General Services at Italmobiliare and is a quiet yet essential point of reference in the day-to-day life of the office. And the bike? After a few years away, he is keen to get back in the saddle, also motivated by the desire not to lose the wheel of his son Cristian, who has inherited the family’s passion and, after standing out in the youth categories, has begun racing in the junior ranks. “We recently went for a ride together, and I was struggling to keep up with him,” he says.
It is time, then, to start training again and regain his form because, as Renzo says: the bike never lies – it gives back what you put in.
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