The first part of the season, which marked Mattia Gaffuri's debut in the WorldTour, ended prematurely, on the third stage of the Tour de Romandie. The after-effects of the crash he suffered at Tour of the Alps they forced the Lombard rider to say stop. A break was expected anyway, also because the athlete of the Picnic PostNL he pinned the number on the back of the UAE Tour on February 16thIn the meantime, almost three months have passed and many kilometers under the wheels.
«It was an intense debut – he says Mattia Gaffuri from home – in which I took part in very high level races, practically all of them in the WorldTour category (apart from the Miguel Indurain Grand Prix and Tour of the Alps, ed.). From race to race I felt a lot of improvements, but it will take time to measure everything in detail."
Al Tour of the Alps This was your first time managing the classification in a stage race. How did it go?
It was a very strong emotion, being at the front together with the most highly rated riders in the group has a certain effect. Having so much support from the fans along the streets is also niceI learned many things, the main one being that if you want to rank at certain levels you have to start with that goal in mind.
Explain it to us better, please…
Unlike previous years, the level is certainly higher, When running you can't waste even 1 percent of your energy.You have to be careful with everything. The crash on the fourth stage certainly didn't help, but on the last day I found myself really running out of energy.
Didn't you start with the idea of taking care of the general classification in your head?
No, I set out with the goal of getting a stage result. Also for this reason in the second fraction, the one with the arrival in Martello Valley, I was on the runIf I had started out to rank, I wouldn't have done that move. At the first uphill arrival, it is known that the group usually leaves no room for the day's actions.
Yet you found it, finishing the stage in third place, a good sign…
Once I was up there I had hope, but nothing can ever be taken for granted at this level. When I found myself with a minute's advantage I understood that I could do something.I don't have the energy to keep up with the changes in pace of the stronger climbers; I'm a regular climber. That's why, when Pellizzari reached me, I understood I had a chance..
What are you missing to try to rank?
Lots of little things, like saving the right amount of energy stage by stage. And it's something you learn with experience: for example how and when to relaunch, or the moment or way to regroup. All tricks to avoid ending up in a mess. These are things I need to learn, also because I may not be the youngest of the group but I certainly still have a lot to learn.
Having conquered the WorldTour, what is the challenge this year?
Prove that I can run at this level. The very fact of having gone against the opinion of many gave me strength.Now I have many people who support me, but four or five years ago very few believed in my chances of entering the WorldTour. I had the goal in mind of achieving good results, and the stage podium at Tour of the Alps it's something extremely positive.
In what areas do you feel you can still improve?
There are some areas where it is difficult to progress, because they are linked to an aspect of talent or genetics. Denaturing yourself to chase them would be wrong, at this level you must try to progress and stay in line with your qualities.
What are yours?
I don't have the numbers to hang with the top 5 or top 10 stage racers, but I manage to stand out when the going gets tough and the kilometres tick by. Much of a result depends on what happens before the end of the race., so I think that improving in small aspects can lead to emergence.
Looking ahead to the second half of the season, what are your hopes?
By closing the gap through learning and further improvement, the rest will follow. The current trend is positive. My calendar now includes the Tour de Suisse and Italian championships both in line and against the clockThen I'll stop and go to higher ground, my first race in August will be San Sebastian.
Is it possible to include a Grand Tour this year?
I hope so, but we'll see. There was the idea of competing in the Giro d'Italia, but the team opted to bring a different squad. I would like to earn this opportunity, I would say that we have to look at the Vuelta.
