Indeed, Nalini has made official in these days its role as a technical partner alongside Dorina Vaccaroni, on the occasion of her participation in the Race Across America 2022, after coming close to the feat last year.
"
We have chosen to support, as technical partners, the new challenge of Dorina Vaccaroni on the occasion of her second participation in RAAM2022, not only for her extraordinary sporting merits, but also for the bravery, determination and incomparable strength of mind that she has always showed. Nalini has prepared for Dorina 6 cycling clothing kits, to equip her in the best way, especially considering the significant thermal excursion during the race. "
Dorina's career is a shining example of talent and tenacity, but also extreme courage, and this convinced Nalini to support her in the world's toughest and longest ultra-cycling race - 5000 km across 12 states (California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland) from June 14-28, 2022.
Former Italian fencer and former road cyclist, winner of three Olympic medals (one gold, one silver, and one bronze), nine World Championship medals (five gold, one silver, and three bronze), two European medals (one bronze and one silver): these are just a few numbers to describe the Venetian champion's formidable Palmares.
An Olympic gold medalist in fencing in 1992, Dorina started a new path with surprising results in the world of extreme cycling.
We wanted to ask her a few questions to delve into the cycling and especially ultracycling side of these recent years:
How did your passion for cycling start?
I started 20 years ago with Road Cycling and won more than 100 Gran Fondo, then 2 at the Masters World Championships in Austria! I raced professionally with Safi pasta Zara for 2 years. Then I fell in love with long-distance cycling 200 - 300 / 400 /600 Paris Brest Paris and Ultracycling Races. The first was the Ultracycling Dolomitica of 600 km with 21 thousand meters of elevation gain, which I finished and won in 36 hours. From that moment, we're talking about 8 years ago, I focused my training on ultracycling. I’ve done many tough races, indeed a lot.
What is your relationship with RAAM?
I've known RAAM for more than 25 years. It started as a great love story and here I am: for years I've been working to complete this great, but wild race! Three years ago, I had a team and sponsors. I was registered and trained properly, but I fell a month before the start and broke my tibial plateau. I had to skip the RAAM but in return, I won, after one month, the 1600 km Longhorn 500- Texas Hell Week. I was the first woman to reach the finish line in Fredericksburg, Texas.
In RAAM 2021 I had only 100 km to go, unfortunately, due to my and the crew's inexperience, I didn't complete it. But I'm one who never gives up and so here I'm again with 22 thousand km covered from January to now. I'll give it my all!
What scares you the most about RAAM?
The hardest part of RAAM is the heat. It gets as high as 58 degrees in the desert, and I'm trying to get the most comfort out of the technical materials in the clothes I'll be wearing. Nalini will be very helpful for that. I know who they are and how they work, so I sought their support.
Are women more interested in cycling? What should be done to encourage it?
The number of women in cycling is growing. To incentivize them even more we need to support them and advise them on the right choices on bikes and materials. I think every woman should start cycling to feel better, free and also to strengthen her physique. I would add that I like the Nalini women's line because a woman on a bike should never lose her femininity.
Nalini
The operation could not be completed
