I saw Paola Cazzola at Mugello, long ago.
only woman among all men. I was intrigued.
Then last year the news of his participation in the World Supersport Championship.
Riders allowed me to photograph and write about her.
Above, the photos, below the piece.
color photographs of the backstage are of Claudio Rizzolo.
the last woman
Paola Cazzola, Yamaha YZF 600 N ° 33, falls into the pits at Misano few minutes before the end of the qualifying session.
He takes off his helmet, is visibly destroyed by fatigue, shortness of breath. He is currently second to last but not hard, even a few moments, and at the finish line the last driver improves his time. Paola
a gesture of rage, he goes with his eyes down toward his trailer.
last, second last. What difference does it make? The
ago, because this is the Supersport World Championship and they are all men. The
ago, because Paul is the first woman to do so.
But things are complicated.
The facts are unknown, but summarize them: Last year, the newspapers come out with great fanfare: The Cazzola will do all the Supersport World Championship with the Honda team Kuja.
Interviews, photos. Top races: Navigate around mid-table is the points, but are few.
E 'behind Dell' Omo, his teammate. Then, the first discussions with the team. It seems that the motion should not be much, but mostly it seems that the technical guidance of Paola are disdained.
But in a short article on his Facebook profile, Paul confesses his difficulties, he says he is afraid because the turn came abreast of the men is hard. To me, the telephone, said that to ride a bike at the global level we need a force that she did not.
"bad you have to push the platforms, you have to knock it down, Force vermente is tiring," he says.
Still a few races and get the break: Cazzola remains without a team. that is, in practice, is thrown out, and remains, of course, no bike. End game? Not really.
The meeting in the paddock at Monza in search of sponsors. It 's the first time I see her in person. I like it. How many drivers is quite small, dressed in a somewhat 'masculine, jeans, Timberland. Her eyes are fiery, looks around nervously.
His place in the team was taken by a woman, I honestly never felt, and still will not last. He does not want to speak ill of the team Kuja. In fact, says that thanks them anyway because it gave her a chance. Does not look like the truth. At least not all.
To me, the most than anything else, seems angry black. However, try try, no one takes it. Sponsors zero vacancies team: zero. And then she is doing? Pay, from his own pocket, a whole team: Two Yamaha in stock configuration and mechanics, to run the last few races, those in Europe. But
Misano will be the last one. Running costs. The dream of the world is over.
at Misano, Paola took off her suit. The mood is black. In the tent with the bike comes a kind, are friends. It 'a former racing mechanic Kuja.
"What the fuck are you doing? says, "Let it run, what the fuck are you to glean, brake, spring, brake spring. Let her go "refers to the motion, of course. "You're driving nervous, tense throughout, but so where the hell are you going?"
Good question. Me too do the 'I, I'm set back, by clicking every now and trying to become part of the furniture. The Paola bites her nails. It does not say a word. The form goes back and forth. The bike is half disassembled, are silent, too.
almost makes me hate the Paola, because this is just an unequal struggle: male drivers, younger than her, with official teams and sponsors, people paid to run against a girl without a penny and a motorcycles straight out verbatim by a dealer.
I had made one of my films, heroic. Here is a woman who courageously fight on equal terms with men in a global challenge, and now instead I think it's his fault, which is a stubborn, arrogant, one that tells of the balls. He says that women in the championships can not run anymore, that his qualifying times would exclude half of the members. Remain in three or four, you, the Polita and elsewhere. I'm going. At the end of August a meeting
official driver Supersport. I go to the point: How is Cazzola? .. It is soft, "They put in to make image, but the truth is that the track is dangerous to himself and others" also says: "There has never been a woman in the history of the sample, there is a reason ".
And he means that the racers, to some degree, is, and always will be, what are men.
Long pause. Months. The pictures are there in the drawer. The name is Paola.
"Hello, how are you? "
" Well, we say better
"What are you doing?"
"Right now, the maid"
"The next season?"
"Perhaps the Italian Stock, or Italian Moto 2, we see"
"What 've learned from all this?, I mean, from your world? "He pauses
" I ran a big risk, I started to test with the fastest men in the world .... but we must know how to please. I put all my heart that I had, now I'll use my head a little more, I want to have fun, race for fun, to feel good. "
" Yes "I say," But you did not answer, I asked you if you learned something ... "Pause
even longer. E 'in the car is driving, "Leary? No, I would do the same mistake, because I could still, if only for a few months to live my dream "
Already, the dream. That's the word, the key. Now I understand what the chasing Paul, on the track. Not in front of the pilot, not a trophy, not an ambition, certainly not the victory. Things to all men.
chasing you, just a dream. Things of another world, that of women.
"The last woman
Riders magazine March issue.
Photographed and written by Toni Thorimbert
Color backstage photography by Claudio Rizzolo.
Click on the pictures to enlarge.
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