"It is in the most private moments, when the sweat runs down my face, along my slopes, on my mountains, that I think of that stage again.
 It will remain forever engraved on me!!
Sometimes you spend your life dreaming... but you can dream living"

Emanuele Sella

It is in Casale, in the province of Vicenza, a little village close to the Small Dolomites and the Berici hills, that this short story we are going to tell begins.

On the beautiful day of 9^th january 1981 a.d., daddy Mario and mummy Diana gave birth to a lively baby named Emanuele (Lele for friends). His appetite grew, his hair grew, his little teeth grew but apparently Lele didn't want to grow up.

To strengthen the little child a bit daddy Mario got him to work on the land, but his worry of loosing Lele in high grass was such that he kept on calling his name.

The day came when, like all other children, Lele was attracted by a ball and... no sooner said than done, he joined the local football team. Daddy Mario was enthused, at last the football pitch grass would be cut weekly, and the risk of loosing Lele would be averted.

Mother nature itself would make him understand that tackles with the opponents was not for him.

Already on the saddle,a preview of his future

What to do? Among 1000 thoughts after registering for accountency, Lele, like bewithched, discovers bicycles thanks to his first clubs (gs Palladio).lt is love at first sight, Lele finds the way of giving vent to a lot of his energy, he is happy but the results never seem to come. How many disappointments, how many tears, how much training in rain, but the little one is there, doesn't give in, with the saddle stuck to his bottom!!

During the races,he is always in the forefront and stretched onto his handlebars. His bike has by now taken possession of his spirit of a "salbaneo".

For doubtful people, Lele is, obviously, the smallest one

Noted by an old fox of team managers in Vicenza, the ageless Bernardele (he was team manager of F. Baldato and A.Ballan) Lele in short understands that it is worth while believing.

With this new team everything gets twisted; training changes, the diet changes, but above all now there is a new team that is able to give him confidence.

After a series of prestige placements, Lele repays by collecting victories, and above all the conquest of the "trofeo scalatore".

It is enough to make him open the doors to patron Egidio Fiore's court, who wants him to himself.

Lele seems to touch the sky with a finger! In 3 years his growth (at last he is growing!) is continuously rising, passing from 2 to 10 wins with 3 beautiful stages at "giro della val d'Aosta"and the conquest of blue jersey (italian national team) at the Hamilton world cycling championship.

The reminder is story of our days,with a debut among the prof as protagonist: 12^th in the final general classification of "giro d'Italia 2004", the splendid victory in the 11^th stage ; the conquest of the second stage of "2 giorni marchigiana";10^th in the final general classification of "giro d'Italia 2005";the conquest of "val palot" stage and 1^st in the final general classification of "brixia tour 2005"... Salbaneo's way victories!!

And the story goes on ...

If you wish to write to Emanuele, his email address is

lelesella@sellaclub.it

Trad. Giulia Toscano e Luca Girardi