As of this year, Team Torpado Südtirol Blacks is using our saddles. This partnership was established mainly to develop and improve our off-road saddles using field tests.
The initial feedback has already arrived
Sandro Lazzarin Team Manager del Torpado Südtirol Blacks: "Selle SMP saddles are already in use - even if it is not possible to compete - by all the athletes in the team, and the initial feedback is more than positive. Some particularly sensitive athletes found a marked improvement compared to their previous saddle. Some immediately found their ideal model, whereas others, like Katazina, had to try more than one. After this very difficult 2020, we look forward to continuing this successful partnership with the Schiavon brothers for years to come."
Katazina Sosna and her adventure...lucky!
Katazina Sosna, the Team's top athlete is now in Vilnius, her home city. We called her so she could tell us a little about her experiences during this strange period: "I left on 3 April for Vilnius and it was a sheer stroke of luck. My Lithuanian coach called me on 1 April to tell me that a plane was scheduled to leave Italy to pick up the Italians that were in Lithuania. I immediately called the embassy to see if there was room for me and my bike. I really wanted to go home and I planned it all in two days. I didn't want to miss this one opportunity that had come my way: a gift! As soon as I arrived in Vilnius, I asked to go into quarantine at my parents' house because I could be isolated on the second floor. I was very worried because when I came back from Spain after the Andalucia Bike Race, in stages, I was not well and I found out afterwards that there was a Coronavirus-positive girl among the riders. My parents are in the high-risk group, so I took all the necessary precautions: luckily everything went well.
A period of rest that was really needed
I see this period as a holiday so I can spend time with my parents and rediscover my beautiful city. I've missed all this for a long time: ten years! I'm really enjoying it. I have also continued training on my MTB because Vilnius is hilly and there are woods, paths and white gravel roads along the river. Vilnius is a really beautiful city, well-kept, with many flowers in bloom and plenty of cycle paths and cyclists. Strangely enough, it hasn't rained as much as usual during this period as it has in other years. Since we are not able to gather in crowds, I have always been out alone, so I miss speed training. I haven't lost hope in being able to take part in some races in Italy around September/October: we'll have to see.
And what about the Selle SMP saddle?
I was already familiar with Selle SMP saddles because I used them when I cycled on the road with the Vaiano team. On an MTB, however, it's a completely different thing because you move a lot more on the saddle. I tried a few before finding the right model for me. In the end, I settled for the F30 because it’s very comfortable and allows me plenty of room for movement. What is also important, especially for women, is the type of seat insert: this must also be tried before we find the right one for us.