DOPING | 25/11/2024 | 08:11
di Massimiliano Paluzzi
It was a great surprise for Ivano Fanini when a crew from German TV ARD arrived, essentially the Teutonic RAI, to interview him on the topic of doping in professional cycling.
Riding on the wave of interest raised in the cycling world about the velodrome proposal, from Germany, journalist Bettina Malter, specialized in investigative journalism, headed to the Amore e Vita headquarters in Lunata with the precise goal of collecting a direct testimony from Ivano Fanini, an institution in this field.
ARD is certainly no stranger to major scoops related to the fight against doping. This TV network is responsible for the discovery, which occurred last April, that many Chinese swimmers who won medals in Tokyo had tested positive for doping in 2021 but had not been condemned.
A credible broadcaster that now wants to dig into the world of professional and youth cycling, and to do so has interviewed Ivano Fanini for three days, who in turn is one of the most authoritative sports managers in the field of fighting doping. The journalist knew everything about Fanini, both for his battle for clean cycling, but also for his incessant efforts to safeguard cyclists' health by being the first, as far back as 1989, to introduce the mandatory use of protective helmets for his cyclists, which has saved many lives.
The documentary film is expected to develop into four half-hour episodes and then, of this we can be certain, will be sold worldwide after presumably airing in the next autumn, and is destined to spark discussion in the world of sports, not just cycling.
"I was pleasantly surprised by this visit," comments Ivano Fanini. "I was very struck when the journalist told me that everyone she had spoken to before me ultimately stood out for the omertà that still exists in the world of cycling. We'll see what comes out of it, I hope I have conveyed to ARD the love I have for cycling and clean sport".
The German operators have shot hours of footage, essentially "pillaging" the Fanini museum, which is rich in important memorabilia and memories.
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