Do you remember the first time on a bike, and how long has it been?
More than 30 years have passed but I honestly have no clear memories of the exact day I started. However, I remember very well the first official bike race, it was 4 April 1993 in a small town in the province of Ravenna. I was nine years old and I was really scared. At the first bend, three cyclists went off the road and I found myself in the fourth position and held it until the finish line. I’ll never forget that day when it all began…
Do you remember your first racing bike?
It was a metallic blue Somec, a historic Italian bicycle manufacturer. It was a small but very heavy bike!
What was your dream job when you were a child?
Ever since I started cycling I have dreamed of one day becoming a professional cyclist. I have always had a very strong passion for cycling and fate meant that I was able to live with it.
What do your friends say/like/dislike about you?
I am known as a loyal person with an expansive and fun personality. A born joker! What I sometimes dislike is that I too often worry about what people might think of me and waste too much time making everyone happy.
Do you have a secret passion?
If it’s a secret how can I tell you! Ahahahaha
Where is your ideal place to ride your bike?
Now that I live in Riva del Garda I love to do the climb up to Lake Tenno, which is very close to home and very scenic.
What was your most beautiful victory? The Tour of Okinawa. It was my only victory as a professional but it had a very special flavor because it was also the last race of my career. I felt really strong emotions that day that I will never, ever forget.
Who was your strongest teammate ever?
I have no doubt…Peter Sagan, I have seen him very often make impossible things easy!
Do you get recognized in the street, and do kids ask you for your autograph?
Yes, I do! Recently I was in a shopping center and a young guy approached me and asked if I was Alan Marangoni. He asked me for a photo and an autograph. He was really excited to meet me because he followed the youtube channel (GCN ITALIA) where I have been working since the beginning and asked me a bunch of questions. His parents were also intrigued. It makes me very happy when there are people who appreciate what I am doing in my current job.
What is your favourite racing bike at the moment?
At the moment I use Canyon and Pinarello, bikes that I feel very comfortable with because they are of the highest level. In my heart I definitely have the last bike I raced officially and with which I won my first and last pro race. The DE ROSA (Protos). A bike that was given to me by the De Rosa family as a sign of gratitude for the effort I put in during the two years that I raced with their bike and finished with a victory.
