It is British, and certainly one of the most international teams in the field of cycling and the world of cycling, the result of a project that focuses on opportunities and skills. This is it Team Torelli Based in England, it helps athletes from developing countries to cycle regardless of skin color or religion.

“Our team was born 6 years ago – he says Anthony O’Reilly Proprietorio del Team -: I have always thought that sports and especially cycling should be seen as a world of colors.

Orel chose the right path and, despite a limited budget, was able to create a real international team, the word of which is to create opportunities. Next year her team will feature athletes from 8 different countries: one American girl, one Canadian, two New Zealanders, two Germans, three Irish and three British, as well as one girl from Morocco and one Iranian who has competed in Europe and Asia. .

Most recently joined the team Moroccan Zahra Ben Sekra and Iranian Fatima Yosefi. Zahra was an athlete on the Moroccan National Cycling Team and was part of a UCI project to help quality athletes emerge. Sahara is moving from Switzerland to team headquarters in Manchester and will soon start training with the other girls.

Fatima still lives in Iran, but Anthony O’Reilly and his entire team applied for a visa to take her to Manchester. “The path is simple for Zahra, and for Fatima we have some difficulties. We are the ones who directly handle all visa related procedures through law firms that specialize in these methods. First we get to know the athletes, we follow them, and if we understand that it will help them rise, we will take them as a team.

O’Reilly is happy with his team and looks back on his early smile. “When we introduced ourselves in the first races, we were seen as underdogs, which was good, too, because in a special sense it’s right, we need to show off our skills.” The Torrelli Road team went a long way And not less than satisfaction, as well as difficulties. “We have a team that helps cyclists go to important first-class teams competing for victory in great competitions. We help them grow, and we’m happy when they reach important teams, because many of the girls who started with us today run high-end teams.

Tony O’Reilly also spoke about the trips he made with the team during the first years of operation. “We could not afford luxury hotels, which is a small reality for us and us, so we sought accommodation via Airbnb or through hostels to compete. It was fun, and in this way the team learned to be a very cohesive group.

The Torrelli team wants to take its cycling project forward as an opportunity, which is why they are thinking about the possibility of enrolling an Afghan cyclist with a desire to see her race in the 2023 season. We followed the Afghan story very well. Interest. We want to give one of these athletes a place on the team, helping her to join a project that sees sports as a form of inclusion. We know they’re determined girls, but they’re not pedaling right now. We are conducting our evaluations and if the girl is found to be included in the team, we hope to give her a chance to grow and improve before introducing her to the competition.