A couple of World Tour Teams tried to steal him already but if there’s a person we can’t lose that’s definitely Fede Bassis. You asking why? Well, first things first. If you’re out riding with him you’re pretty sure you’ll come home one way or the other, even if your frame is broken in two pieces. Most importantly, he is the guy who is always able to surprise us – which is something that doesn’t happen very easily and very often.
Fede is the kind of person you don’t ping for a couple of days and then you check Instagram to find a story showing him in a place you shouldn’t reach by bike. We learnt to avoid questions and let him surprise us anytime he wants to.
And so Fede, here we are. How are you feeling?
Everything is fine I guess. I honestly can’t wait to be back on the road – I’m not one of those who can stand staying home for too long.
I guess we realized that last year. Tell us how did it go.
Last year was tough and wonderful at the same time, like many things that happen in life. The most beautiful thing I realized last year is that we are the result of the choices we make. Many times we try to find excuses, but we always have a choice.
Last year I chose to act and be there even when it was not the obvious choice. Sometimes it would have been easier to stay on the couch but I took the chance anyway. Like that time I want to BAM! to stay just a couple of hours. Completely nonsense but it was a key moment for me.
We remember that quite well. Any other key moments of 2021?
So many! 20K ultratrail for sure – it was a challenge for me and doing it alone it’s been really tough and made me grow a bit for sure. Nevertheless, I can tell many other situations, from the smallest to the most important ones. I can think of the three Jeroboam – a mix of crazy and absurd moments on the bike and funny ones as well.
To tell the truth, last year I learned to make the most out of the small experiences too and to live those little things with another perspective. Just to give you an example, I now take my bike to work as a small trip as well. You don’t need to be in an epic place, all that matters is the mindset and your approach to things.
And for 2022, what’s in your calendar?
Before getting to the calendar, I can tell you my 2022 will be focused on one word: contest. Many times I find myself thinking and from time to time I get obsessed with a concept and I try to elaborate on it. Now I’m attracted to the “contest” theme. Since the bike helps me to think, I’m pretty sure my 2022 will have a strong relationship with that.
Contest is crucial when you’re cycling and it changes in a matter of minutes. If you think of adventures and longer events, the contest you imagined is never the one you find on your path. It’s out of your control – you start with an idea and everything changes. This is gonna help me think for sure.
And where are you gonna find these ever changing contests?
I’ll try and challenge myself by increasing distances a bit. For now, I’ve always ridden two-days events. This year Italy Divide is my first big challenge. I can’t wait.
Any expectation?
For Italy Divide I’d say not even one. For this 2022 instead I’ll try to live things with a light heart and mind, trying to live amazing moments with the other guys of the Collective. Last year we barely knew each other and we built strong relationships. This year we have a solid base and I’m pretty sure we will have many occasions to experience beautiful moments. From witnessing a sunrise without talking and without the need to add anything on top of that moment, to situations in which we’ll laugh so hard to end up falling off our bikes. I don’t have expectations on this, but I know it’s gonna happen eventually. We don’t need to force things – they will happen anyway.
