Marco Villa followed Filippo Ganna's world time trial with that good-natured smile of his that had always told you so. And Marco had actually said it, a couple of years ago.
«You could see he was ready to win a great time trial – says the Italian track manager – it was about reaching the right resistance. The caution, on which the Team Ineos He's working well, it's about achieving this endurance without compromising the 24-year-old's power and explosiveness. Focusing on endurance is a mistake made by many sprinters, who lose momentum while holding on to climbs."
It's hard to say whether the gold medal in the Imola time trial is also the result of the track or just the road work. The two worlds aren't that far apart, if you look closely. in Philip's story they have always been very intertwined.
«They both certainly had an impact – confirms Villa – also because Ganna has been competing in time trials and track since he was a junior.I keep telling the young people I meet that this type of approach works and certainly doesn't hurt. You work on the track and maybe in the meantime you get some satisfaction on the road..."
Ganna said that when he thinks of Tokyo, he doesn't see the time trial but the team pursuit.
We have a group that believes in it, in the quartet not only one winsWe managed to qualify by rotating the players and introducing the youngsters. But at the right time, only the clock will tell.
Does Villa need an objective criterion for choosing?
Of course. We have 8-10 athletes, and potentially on certain days they're all competitive. One dragged the other, the group grewThey're happy to be together, and Pippo's speech after the time trial proves it.
What do you say about the inclusion of Jonathan Milan?
He entered with the times, not by recommendationsThe guys have always trusted my decisions; he's my choice. In Berlin, I let Scartezzini run even when he wasn't looking particularly confident in training, and yet he finished third. Certain things unite the group and make the athlete happy. They are aware of the resources of othersI look at the clock and leave the door open for everyone. The great thing is that I have ten who do 3'55".
Is there personal glory in the quartet too?
To do well as a foursome, you have to believe in what you're doing, and at that point, even within the quartet, there's something personal. One Olympic specialty is as good as another, and they compete to the best of their ability. Once they couldn't qualify us, now we're among the top two quartets in the world.
Ganna also spoke about the technological development related to time trials.
It seems to me that he brought the position of the track car to the roadAfter all, pursuit is the pursuit of maximum performance in a limited time. Add the wind tunnel and the Ineos experience, and improvement is inevitable. Cioni and I talk every 15 days. After the time trial we were already talking about the Giro and then about the European track championships.
Will Ganna be in Bulgaria?
He asked me after the time trial, I replied that we'll talk about it after the Giro.
It has always been said that the Giro will give him an extra boost of endurance.
I'm sure of it, but They will have to teach him how to manage himself in the three weeksHe's a generous enthusiast, and he might be tempted to overdo it and run out of energy during the race. It's not easy to find a place for the Giro with Ineos, so he deserved the call-up for the Giro d'Italia, and I think Thomas was very happy about it.
How did you see him at the start of the time trial?
He was super convinced, he wasn't afraid of anythingPerhaps because he was spending the day before with Thomas and Dennis, he took their blood pressure. Before a track final, he called or texted Viviani ten times, but this time he didn't ask for anything, except for a taping session with a masseur.
Viviani… According to Villa, will he also be in the Olympic quartet?
There will be five of us going. One of them will do the omnium and the other two will do the madison. Elia knows this, and I think it's time for him to review his track lessons. He's missing it, in my opinion. He lacks the speed of the tip and the quartet's stimulus can serve to give him a jolt, I tell him that every now and then…
And what does he say?
I think he realized something was missing at the World Championships in Berlin. It was an unusual season, with two restarts. For someone who always struggles at the start, the difficulty is double.He crashed at the Tour Down Under, skipped the Oman race, which never happened, and didn't prepare on the track to race the Sanremo, but he didn't race the Sanremo. Once the lockdown was over, he entered the Tour with eight races. It's unlikely he could have done well...
The same analysis made by Damiani.
The best Elia was the one in the Italian championship, won over Pozzovivo and Visconti after the 2018 Giro d'Italia. As far as I know him, these have always been his characteristics. He doesn't get in shape soonAt the 2016 World Cup, he took a beating from Gaviria, but then went on to win the Olympics. This is the season that awaits us. And that's no small feat...
