It’s British, that’s for sure One of the most international teams The result of a project that focuses on the cycling scene and the world of cycling, 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 – Says team owner Anthony O’Reilly -: I have always thought that sports and especially cycling should be seen as a world of colors.

O’Reilly chose the right path, albeit on a limited budget, and was able to create a real international team, in thatThe iWord word 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 handle all visa-related procedures directly 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 also good, because in a special sense it was true. We had to prove our abilities“The Torrelli Road team has done a lot, and the satisfaction and hardships have not diminished.” We help them grow We’m happy when they get to the important teams, because many of the girls who started with us today run in the top class 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, We were, we are a little reality, so we sought accommodation through Airbnb or hostels to participate in competitions. It was fun, and in this way the team learned to be a very cohesive group.

The Torrelli team wants to take the cycling project forward as an opportunity for this They are also considering the possibility of registering an Afghan cyclistLooking forward to seeing it work in the 2023 season.We pursued the Afghan cause with great 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 strong girls, but it’s not They are not trampling 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.

Cycling Team Torrelli – MALPENSA24