«The storms of these days – he begins Formolo – they transformed our journey to Fossacesia into an Odyssey. The railway line is interrupted and from Rimini we are going towards the start of the Giro in the team car. Anyway, it hasn't even left yet and it's already a hectic ride – he says with his usual charm – we should arrive by 20pm».
I came down from the height
The Valpolicella rider's last race was the Tour of the Basque Country in early April, from which he withdrew on the sixth and final stage.
«After Covid – he says – the leg was not in top conditionI ran, regaining some race pace. Then from there we went to Sierra Nevada with the team, a nice training camp that allowed us all to work together. We recovered our energy and it allowed me to put some horsepower back in the engine. The atmosphere, unlike what happened in Italy, was very calm and we were able to work to the best of our ability. The time for training is over, In the last few days we have focused more on rest. Today and tomorrow we'll go and inspect the time trial and not much else, we'll have to work hard enough in the next month."
A different captain
The voice of Formolo comes and goes on the other end of the phone, the one that will start on Saturday 6 May will be its eighth Tour of ItalyThe Venetian rider has missed only two: the first in 2014, his first year as a professional. And the second in 2020, due to the overlap with the Tour, caused by the calendar rewrites due to Covid. This 2023 Giro is the second one run with Almeida in the role of captainWhat's different about having Pogačar by your side? Definitely a lot, but Formolo explains it better.
«Almeida – he explains serenely – he worked well in training camp and throughout the season he demonstrated great consistency. It's his best quality and the one we'll be focusing on over the course of all three weeks. Our job is to stay close to him as much as possible, then the road will decide. When there is pogacar As captain, you know you'll have all eyes on you. It's a different way of running, more votes. on the attack, With Almeida we play to save, trying to keep him in the best positions».
Outsider? No thanks.
«Journalists and insiders – continues Formolo – give as super favourites evenepoel e Roglic. Almost as if it were a battle already written, I believe that Almeida can be included in the "first tier"He's a rider who knows how to handle prolonged efforts very well, the numbers speak for themselves: 70 kilometers of time trials and more than 50.000 meters of elevation gain. Joao's consistency could prove crucial. In the time trial he is strong, but also Roglic and evenepoel they don't jokeThe difference will be made day by day, and we have a great weapon to use: consistency."
Il UAE Team Emirates arrives with a strong squad, ready to support the Portuguese captain. "We're here," he continues, "and we're doing well, I repeat: we will all be there for him. He will not lack support, there are strong riders like McNulty e wine, but in general the whole team is of a high standard."
The other
The design of this Giro d'Italia leaves room for many words and many suppositions. Many stages will be difficult to read, not only for the teams that will be in charge of the classification, but also for those of sprinters. The choices of some could influence those of others.
«Many stages – Formolo continues quickly – are designed for breakaways, in my opinion. Especially those that are circled as insured flightsThe course is always uneven. It will be up to the sprinters' teams to figure out if, how, and when to close in on the various morning initiatives. It could happen that in some sections there will be less desire to close the gap.
The path and the unknowns
There won't be much time to get your bearings, because by the fourth stage, arriving in Lago Laceno, your legs will need to be warm.
«Right away – concludes the Venetian – you realize how you are and what your possibilities are. In the first week there are three stages that will remove many doubtsThe finish at Lago Laceno is the first uphill stage, and there's no hiding. But the most dangerous stage, the one best suited to ambushes, is the sixth, arriving in Naples. It is a short and explosive stage, without a single meter of flat land until the last 20 kilometers.Another unknown, especially in the South, will be the roads. The lane is narrower there, and it's hard to stay ahead. I know one thing, though: we can do everything well. but in what could be the crucial moment, the time trial of the Lussaries, Almeida will be alone».
