Paolo Bettini came to Co Cork today and got to meet the army of youth cyclists from the O'Leary Stone Kanturk club.
The Rebel county club is synonymous with producing youth talent and they turned out in force today to welcome the Italian legend to their home turf.
Bettini (47) won the Olympics in Athens in 2004, the day former Irish pro Ciaran Power was 12th, just 22 seconds back. Bettini also claimed two world title wins; back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.
He was in Fota Retail Park, Carrigtwohill, today as a special guest at the opening of the new Roca Sports cycling shop, owned by Nicolas Roche and Thomas Cahill.
Roche was also present at the event with former King of the Classics Sean Kelly and Ineos Grenadiers rider Eddie Dunbar. The event involved an early afternoon cycle followed by a reception and questions and answers session back in the shop.
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It was very well attended, with the O'Leary Stone Kanturk riders making a special effort to get out in numbers in their club kit and give Bettini a massive Cork welcome.
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On stage he was in good form, telling all of those present that one result in his palmares really stood out when he now looked back on his career following the passage of time.
"I think the Olympic medal is the (biggest)," he said. "The Olympic experience is fantastic; not just for cycling men but for sports men. It's the most important in life.
"The Olympic mentality is fantastic. And, for me, the Olympic medal, in my house, I have a cabinet with the two world championships jerseys and the Olympic medal is in another part, another location, because it's different."
Bettini, being interviewed by MC Cian Lynch, said whenever he was working now and he met people, outside of cycling, they knew him as the Olympic gold medal winner and it was that achievement that people mentioned to him.
"They sometimes don't remember what sport, but they remember the name and the Olympic Games gold medal; cycling, not so important… this is the true difference," he said.
Bettini added while the World Championships wins were really important to the cycling community and fans of the sport, the gold medal win from the 2004 Games simply generated much bigger awareness.
