He was supposed to be in the general classification at the Tirreno-Adriatico. It would have been his first time... but things didn't go exactly that way for him. Matteo Sobrero. Il corridore del Team BikeExchange – Jayco like many of his colleagues, he was slowed down by some physical ailment.
An elbow injury, resulting from a fall in the second stage at Ruta del Sol, forced him to chase. Stopping the preparation's growth at the crucial moment has a huge impact, and is also truly annoying, as it's like leaving the icing on the cake after a whole winter's work. And it actually opens up cracks in the cake itself.
Few races
The Piedmontese, however, did not lose heart and in the end came out of it all well.
«I admit – Sobrero told us a few days ago – that I'm a little tired. This Tirreno was challenging. Very explosive, from my point of view. At least from what little I saw up front. And in fact, I paid the price for not running earlier. I missed the change of pace a bit."
«Too bad, because I was coming from the heights in Sierra Nevada and it was a targeted passage for the preparation for the Tirreno. And then it was just a chase to try to run."
«With the team – Sobrero continues – we had decided to try to get into the general classification, something I had never done before in a race like this. In the time trial I defended myself well, for being completely on the flat, then, as I said, I missed the race kilometers in my legs."
A question of watts
The question remains as to how his race could have gone if things had gone according to plan. Ultimately, Matteo has been growing, he has great potential and Giuseppe Martinelli, who knows a thing or two about young people, was very upset by his departure from theAstana Qazaqstan.
«It's hard to say how it would have gone – comments Sobrero – Even on the Carpegna in the end some big names emerged and they lost a lot of ground and took a lot of minutes. Let's say that already a top twenty could have made sense… for the future."
Riders and coaches always try to compare their performances with those of their opponents. They try to understand where they stand. So who knows if the best Sobrero on the Carpegna could have been close to... pogacar which is unattainable but to a Landa.
«It's never easy to make certain comparisons, but I think that compared to my best days I was about thirty watts short... if we want to put it in terms of watts. But at that pace, I honestly don't know if they would have been enough. I've never tried, on my best day, to keep up with the best."
«However – he reiterates not without a hint of satisfaction – Last year in Slovenia I tried to follow Pogacar, I succeeded, and I reached certain watts that I had never touched. So who knows: maybe on a better day I could have been competitive. Definitely not at Pogacar's level!
Towards the Giro
Today, 30 watts is a lot. But in practical terms, what does it mean? How much impact do they have? What difference does it make for the rider? Not to mention that they somehow creep into the mind like woodworms. Perhaps that wasn't the case for Sobrero, who knew why that "punch" of strength was missing.
"Thirty watts are noticeable. And a lot. Just a few days ago, we were talking to more experienced riders, and they said that the Tirreno was once a preparation race for the Sanremo... and more. Now, however, if you're not at 100%, even just at 99%, it's a pain! If you want to be competitive or rank, it's incredibly difficult. But we were also going really fast at the Valenciana, so even 10 watts less and you're out of the game."
Watt or not, Matteo's season continues, and he's optimistic. He's young, and there are plenty of races to go.
«Now I'll go back home for a few days and then I'll come back for the Forever Alfredo, therefore the Coppi and Bartali. I will do another high altitude period together with Simon yates and to the group of Tour of Italy and then the Tour of Asturias."
As mentioned, the season is long!
