Se Dino Salvoldi confessed the difficulty in making the team for Tokyo, Marco Villa It didn't go much better. Compared to the years when finding a track cyclist in Italy was an impossible mission, abundance creates problems for technicians. For now, there are still two cards to choose from. And while on the one hand we can rub our hands together, on the other, it's clear how, Having shared entire days on the track and around the world, having to leave someone out due to often minimal differences is a difficult moment.
"Indeed I still have two thoughts – Villa smiles – and there would be three if the CONI didn't allow me to bring the sixth official to Tokyo. Last week's timed trials were a complication, because everyone was going really fast.I mixed up the quartets, but the singles did their part. Bertazzo has grown a lot in the last year, I have never found Scartezzini below his best.But I can't even throw out the quartet that clocked 3'46" in the race. And then there's Covid, which hasn't passed yet. I remember well that last year, ten days before the European Championships, we found ourselves without a team. Let's touch wood, Ganna and Viviani are the last to have finished their vaccines., but of course no one can give us peace of mind...".
Timed simulations are not like racing.
We did everything we could to recreate the situations. We reproduced the environment and the temperature. In the rev counter recording you can also hear some noise from the audience, but it's certainly not the same thing.. For this reason I will do another test today and I will go to Tokyo after some tests in Fiorenzuola and St. Petersburg.
How does Ganna prepare for the time trial and the quartet?
He's working differentiating the work between road and trackAnd finding common ground where possible. Yesterday and today the program includes two sessions, morning and afternoon, on the track. Then a rest, then work on the time trial at home. But even during that phase he will do standing starts with time trial bikes that resemble those he would do on the track, albeit with different gear ratios. And the same acceleration work that he does on the road at 108 pedal strokes, he could do on the track at 116.
In the meantime he also raced on the road.
He rode the Apennines and Lugano, before the two Italian championships. And he was on the Stelvio. We'll do two-day sessions of hard work, so it doesn't become heavy, without recalling the form now, because we will need it in a month. The Italian Week in Sardinia could also be a call for strength, the final finishing touch, where we will push. And if Pippo wants, he can even try some action for himself..
How is Viviani doing?
I had already seen him well before the Giro, even if he didn't win. The two victories at the Adriatica Ionica have given him morale And perhaps they'll allow for a change in the contract. He might not sign before Tokyo, but leaving knowing he's reached an agreement is a significant weight off his shoulders. He's certainly busy with commitments with institutions and sponsors at the moment. I hope they are all here now, so I can then focus on preparing..
Some say the opening ceremony will be a burden…
I say it will be an honor. We will have to start on July 21st, with the problem that we won't be able to get on the track before the 28th.. So after the opening ceremony, Elia will be added to the road group, he will stay in the house where the others will stay and he will also train on his motorbike..
Why won't the velodrome be accessible sooner?
Why The Japanese have announced that they will open it only five days beforeWe went to Sydney 13 days earlier, it's their issue that the IOC doesn't even have anything to do with. The idea is that They have committed to organizing the Olympics anyway, but they will do so on their own terms.So you arrive at the last minute and leave right after. So we moved the start to the 25th. We'll travel on the 26th, settle in on the 27th, and be on the track on the 28th.
Is it true that you will have the electronic bracelet?
Almost… We will have an app on the phone to download 14 days before going, which we will have to update with all the movementsRunners are used to the Adams, we're a little less so. It's mandatory to do it, otherwise you're out. There's an exemption for training on the road, but The route must be declared and you cannot stop for a coffee or to interact with other people outside the bubbleIf you do, you're out. We can't take taxis unless they're authorized. And they also look at how many cell phones fit into the same vehicle, to avoid crowds..
Will Viviani do Omnium and Madison?
And he must be ready for the quartet too, if needed, since his tirades can be useful to usThat's why I asked him to prepare it, and he's doing it. Elia is one of the cards we can play on multiple tables.
When will you make a decision about the roles in the quartet?
I'll wait until the last possible moment. Lamon is the starter. Consonni can be a good second, and so can Milan. If I see that Consonni doesn't have the legs to perform the three-man quartet, I'm sure Bertazzo is the best second. On the other hand, if all the positions are filled, Scartezzini can be a reserve in the Madison, while Consonni can be a reserve for the omnium. I would like to reward them all, but it is not possible.And then there's the balance of the quartet to consider.
That?
That is Ganna is easily following Scartezzini, who is very composedMilan, on the other hand, is slightly more disorganized, and so perhaps Pippo is less calm, and this also serves as a suggestion for Milan. In short, there are a lot of things at stake. For this reason I will continue as long as possible.Until they come looking for me and say, "Villa, what did you choose? Put your cards down..."
