FIORENZUOLA D'ARDA – The agenda of Elia Viviani It may not be as busy as in other seasons, but it is certainly a busy one in terms of scheduled events. In the last three days, he has won the Italian titles in the individual pursuit, team pursuit and points race, but to summarise, the track world championships and the road European championships are in the spotlightTwo events that recall yet another.
For the Veronese of the Ineos Grenadiers Velodrome calls to velodrome. The Fiorenzuola ring, where the Italian championships have been held, always inspires us to shift our attention to important events. The August World Championships in Glasgow are less than five weeks away and for the Azzurri of the city Marco Villa it won't be just a simple world cupFirst of all, the Olympic qualification must be achieved, after which the horizon will already open up from Scotland across the Channel, towards the spire of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 2024. In the pit area of the “Pavesi” we approached Viviani to understand how he is preparing (in the opening, photo Fiorenzuola Track).
Elia, how has the season gone so far?
It started out like this. I had a good winter, but despite that I couldn't find the right pedal stroke., apart from a few top 10 finishes in Argentina at the Tour de San Juan. Obviously, my calendar has shifted towards second-tier races. At that point I had to reset. I went to higher ground and came out fine.In Occitania in mid-June I started to see the finishing orders again despite two failed sprints. I still lack a bit of courage and confidence, but I achieved third place. The pedal stroke is coming.
We saw you growing up on the Italian track.
I'm satisfied with how I'm doing. The performance in the individual pursuit was excellent so I had more guarantees there than in the group racesI'm finding my good feelings again and I hope to turn things around in this second part of the season, which is usually quite favorable for me in August.
The mind is already projected towards other goals, right?
Now I am 110 percent focused on the world championship on the trackI'm doing similar preparation to what I'll be doing next year for the Olympics. So I want to see how I get to Glasgow in just over a month and figure out something for Paris 2024However, there will be an important moment on the road in preparation for the European Championship. I will run the Tour of Wallonia (July 22-26, ed.) which will be useful for the track world championships and also to compare myself with the others, hoping perhaps to try to win the first race of 2023. Then from mid-August onwards I'll be doing Hamburg, the Renewi Tour (the former Eneco, ed.) and then Plouay before the road race on September 24th.
Let's open a parenthesis on that race.
The European Championship in Holland has a path that suits me And of course I'm thinking about it. Let's see how the period leading up to it goes. Clearly, to ask for leadership, I need to deliver results and be competitive. The city Welcome he knows that I can be a reference figureI have a good chance of making it to the European Championships, but it will depend on me for my role. I feel better than last year, when I was catapulted into the race at the last minute in place of Nizzolo and where we achieved the best possible result (seventh place, ed.). I want to think I'm making the best approach.
Let's return to Scotland. These track world championships are deeply felt by everyone...
You feel this sensation. Having them in August led everyone to experiment and do a sort of dress rehearsal in view of ParisLet's say that in many ways it is a bit contrary to the classic imagery of the World Cup, but the bright side is that we will have many references for next year.
How is the national team's work progressing?
It must be said that this year we're having a hard time with the track. In my individual program, I'm managing with the support of the team, but we're barely meeting with the quartet because Milan, agree and Pippo himself (Ganna, ed.) are following other programs. Next year, however, we all know that once the Giro d'Italia is over, we will draw a line under it and we will all work towards the Olympics..
A spot in Paris is almost guaranteed. Are Elia Viviani and the national team feeling a bit of pressure?
Our group is solid. The qualification for the Olympics started very well with the victory of the Europeans, It continued so-so with the first two Nations Cup events, then in the third in Milton the boys did a fantastic job with a great second place. I'm not saying we're called upon to win, but we need to have a good World Championship to be comfortable. We are not under any pressure to qualify but rather to win it, given that last year we lost it to the EnglishI think we'll be good in Glasgow, but we won't be at the same level as next year in August for the Olympics. And I think it's a good thing, because it will be a mirror, but we will still have room for improvementCompared to others, our strong point is that at the Olympics we put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
You've always enjoyed meeting with mechanics to study and test materials. Are you already discussing this?
They know I can give feedback. I really like it, and that's the key point. If you don't have the patience to test during training camps, you can't make that extra shot.We discovered that my methodology in preparing for the Rio Olympics continued. You don't win because of these things, but when you're all united you can make a difference, just look at the gold medals in Tokyo. We're not a rich national team like others, but We are well supported by huge technical sponsors, all Italian, who always respond to any of our requests.We'll present our products for Paris in Glasgow. The rules stipulate that the World Championships is the last moment to declare which bikes, wheels, and other equipment you'll use at the Olympics. However, we will not be using these technical upgrades in August. I've always thought they should be used only when necessary. That's why I say we'll reach 100 percent in Paris.
