With his third Strade Bianche appearance, Gianmarco Garofoli's first stop of the season has come to an end. It was a short but intense period, filled with training, training camps, and races. Twelve days of competition, starting from the AlUla Tour, Giro di Sardegna, Trofeo Laigueglia and, indeed, Strade Bianche. All this interspersed with a period of altitude in Spain, where the rider of the Soudal Quick Step he was involved in a car accident.
«After that episode – says Garofoli – it wasn't easy to start again, It touched me a lot and changed me in some wayI didn't feel comfortable or safe on my bike; I even felt powerless against cars and drivers. I'd already been in a car accident, but that time I'd seen the car. Being hit from behind and thrown to the ground gives you a different kind of fear.».
Finally home
Gianmarco Garofoli returned home after a long time, a month and a half, the length of time between the start of the AlUla Tour and the final bend of the Strade Bianche.
“I missed it,” she admits, “and they welcomed me well. Now I enjoy my family and being here. All things considered, I think the first part of the season went well, but not very well.Now I'm stopping for a few days, then I'll start working hard again. I will return to racing at Catalunya, then another period of altitude, I will debut at the Flèche Wallonne and the Liège-Bastogne-Liège and finally the Giro d'Italia again."
An important debut in the Ardennes…
It will be my first time on those roads. Actually I should have gone last year too, but then the plans changed due to Remco Evenepoel's accident. Now it's my turn, a good test bench in races that I think can get closer to my characteristics.
You named him, without evenepoel Is this a very different Soudal Quick-Step?
Last year I only raced with him at the Lombardia, and the first time I saw him race was at the World Championships in Rwanda. Let's just say he's missed by the team. I realize this even if only indirectly, from what the objectives and programs are..
A champion leaves and now it's your turn to take a step further?
The team's goal is to become competitive again in Classics, leaving aside the Grand ToursOr at least not looking at the general picture, but rather at the individual stages. For me, an interesting range of opportunities opens up.If I'd found myself racing with Evenepoel, I would definitely have worked for him. Now I'm much freer to play my cards.
With what ambitions?
The main objective of this first half of the season will be the Giro d'Italia. In 2025 I made my debut at the Corsa Rosa and I had good responsesThis year I will arrive with greater belief in my abilities and a lot of confidence.
What kind of season is this supposed to be?
The one where you can take a further step forward. Last season I recorded good performances without capitalising on them.
How does it materialize?
I think it's more of a mental aspect than a physical one. 2025 was a special year, which I arrived at after many difficult seasons and a complicated approach to professional football. In my first years as a pro, I struggled to stay in the running. Last year I managed to put myself forward, to stay in the competition and make myself seenNow we need to collect the results.
You said it's more of a mental aspect than a physical one, but are the two paths parallel?
I finished 2025 by competing in the World Championships and European Championships, and I even did well. This gave me great motivation to get back on track and tackle the following winter. I started again with good performances also at the Giro di Sardegna and at Laigueglia I was always in the thick of the actionI think these are all positive signs that show I can compete for victory.
It must be the season of consecration, what objectives do we move through?
Being at La Flèche and at Liège gives me an extra motivation., because these are races where my qualities as an endurance rider can shine. Achieving a positive result will already be a first step in this direction, but the real big goal will come with the Giro d'ItaliaWinning a stage is what I'm looking for.
Do you think you can make the step to perform well over the three weeks?
It's not something I'm that far from. Here too the aspect of having excellent resistance qualities comes backIn fact, I've achieved my best performances in a Grand Tour in the second and third weeks. Paradoxically, I suffer more in the first. I'm not talking about winning a Giro d'Italia, but about getting into the top ten, yes., I think that could be a concrete goal in the future.
Will all the work be focused on getting ready for the Giro?
Yes, even the elevation made in February had the purpose of lay a good foundation and then do another block of work in AprilThen there will be two weeks between Liège and the Giro and there I will decide which will be the best approach.
