MILAN - Inter Forever's Francesco Toldo, Cristian Chivu and Giuseppe Baresi attended the Milanese leg of the Giro d'Italia last weekend as guests of Pirelli. The Nerazzurri trio were also joined by Paolo Bettini, who won cycling gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Here's what the head of Inter Forever said: "Milan always has its finger on the pulse when it comes to major sporting events, be they marathons, football matches or cycling races like the Giro. Sport is all about feeling good especially at the amateur level. There are definitely parallels between the roles of cyclist and goalkeeper. That said, in football the team works for the star player, not the goalkeeper. The main thing to highlight is that teamwork is always important to have support and keep achieving greater results."
Giuseppe Baresi also gave his thoughts after Toldo: "It's the first time I've seen the Giro finish, especially in Milan. You can see how much this sport means to people - it's all about humility and hard work. I've enjoyed experiencing the atmosphere here. Teamwork is crucial so that individuals can come through and allow the group to win. The team all need to be on the same page otherwise you can't secure the results you aspire to."
"People often claim football and cycling are polar opposites on the sporting spectrum. However, while cycling is indeed a very individualistic pursuit, in the modern era you can't achieve anything without a strong group behind you. Whereas in football, which is the quintessential team sport, you need individual talent, star players who can win you matches," concluded Paolo Bettini. "Athletic preparation and training science have levelled the playing field. It's all about marginal gains now - making decisions under stress and with high levels of lactic acid. Keeping a cool head when the going gets tough is more crucial than having good legs."
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