Stefano Garzelli is now practically a Spanish local. At the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana he is recognized, stopped, and respected just as much as in Italian races. After all, thanks to his wife María Benimeli, these areas have been his home for over 20 years. These days he's a respected commentator for Rai, but not everyone knows he also has an active role in organizing the Valencian race.

Stefano, what is your role in the organizing committee?

"I've been involved in setting up the race since its rebirth in 2016. The organizer Angel Casero (winner of the Vuelta in 2001, ed.) asked for help from former professionals living in the area, and I gladly joined. Mainly, I handle relationships with sponsors, follow them during race days, explain how things work, and so on. It's a great race that has grown a lot over the years, with excellent public response, especially at starts and finishes. Of course, this year's edition is quite special..."

Yes, the damage caused by the DANA natural disaster is significant.

"Yes, it's hard to imagine such a catastrophe from the outside. In the towns of Algemesí and Alfafar, start points for the third and fifth stages, water flooded houses and shops up to a meter and a half. Many people have lost everything, from their home to their car. Many buildings still have mud to be removed. We narrowly avoided DANA's fury by just 3 kilometers. In comparison, the flood 12 years ago, though much less devastating, destroyed two of my cars. Restarting now is difficult, economic support is modest, but we must stay strong. Even the organization's warehouses in Massanassa and Aldaia were swept away. Everything was lost, and we had to quickly recover the essentials to set up the race."

How did you commemorate the victims?

"Symbolically, the names of the disaster-hit towns are written on all leader jerseys. Concretely, for the municipalities of Algemesí and Alfafar, as is normal, no economic contributions were requested to organize the starts, even though agreements were made before the disaster. For a small organization like this, however, I can assure you that waiving those funds is not trivial. I think Casero deserves applause, and I'm sure these municipalities will remember this in the future."

By now, you're treated like a local...

"Yes, after all, I've been living here for 22 years. Specifically, I'm in Bétera, about 15 km from Valencia, where the final stage of the Volta often starts. For many years we ran the Stefano Garzelli Team for young riders, but unfortunately, we closed the project last year."

Why is that?

"We could no longer manage it. My wife Maria was elected tourism councilor in Bétera, and I'm constantly traveling back and forth to Italy. Plus, the children are growing up. Things must be done well, otherwise it's better not to do them at all."

When will we hear you on Rai?

"Soon, I'll comment on the Clasica Almeria from Milan, then I'll go to Strade Bianche, we'll follow Paris-Nice from Rome, and finally Milano-Sanremo. Then, in theory, Giro and Tour."