Sometimes cycling gives us beautiful stories and that of James Nizzolo and Matteo Pelucchi is one of theseIt was the latter who mentioned his friendship with the Italian and European champion, a friendship that dates back to childhood and that particular thing struck us, so we wanted to go deeper into the matter, asking the rider of the Qhubeka Assos to take a dip into memories.
«It's curious that up until this experience we're living – he says – we have always approached the world of two wheels in an opposing way during the races and in common outside. We met as children, in the first competitions that are mostly for fun, then moving on to the youth categories. What do we have in common? We have two similar but also complementary characters, each race was a reason for analysis, discussions, you could do this and you could do that…» .
Do you always talk about cycling among yourselves?
No, on the contrary the passion we share is for motorcyclesWe look at them, analyze them, compare the models, but above all, we are huge fans of Moto GP racing. We often indulge in memories of past races and champions, and here I anticipate your question: my idol is Valentino Rossi, his is Marco Melandri, by the way, we met him and he became our friend. Technically, however, we also really like Marquez; in fact, we share this...
You've known Giacomo for a long time. How has he evolved over the years? What is his strength?
I believe that the cornerstone of his career is his workHe's someone who never holds back. For Giacomo, there are no bad days, the ones where you just get by, he always gives everythingHe is a champion who has built himself over the years, who takes care of every detail and who sacrifices himself a lot, not only physically because If you are not mentally strong you will not emerge, above all you will not overcome difficulties.
What were the most difficult moments you experienced?
It comes to mind when he had knee problems that didn't allow him to work as he wanted and this translated into competition, he couldn't do what he wanted to do. We weren't on the same team, but it happened that we found ourselves talking and It was important for him to find someone who could act as an outlet. Besides, we always found ourselves talking about our races. Even when we were against each other and faced the sprints as competitors, in the end we found ourselves analyzing our races and each one told the other what he should do. Advice has never been lacking, even though we wore different jerseys, and I think that's a good thing, something you don't see very often in the cycling world.
Could the fact that you're now part of the same team be an advantage in building races, especially the final stages with the sprint launch?
Certainly, even if we still have to find the measuresI need to understand how I can be useful to him, what work I need to do to make him emerge. For me running for another is something new, but knowing each other helps a lot.
Have you ever felt a little envy?
It depends on what you mean by envy, I interpret it in a good sense, like admiration for what he didHis 2020 was fantastic with two jerseys won, it doesn't happen very often... Who wouldn't want to be Giacomo Nizzolo, not see their name in the newspapers? I wouldn't speak of envy, but of professional esteem., the same one that Giacomo surely has towards me.
You know him well, but is there still room for improvement?
Yes, even if he knows well that now comes the hard part, because after a season like 2020, with the victories, the Tour he did, the fourth place at the Sanremo, everyone asks for confirmation, they want moreHe's already a top rider, but his strength is that he always wants to improve.
And what is Matteo Pelucchi's dream?
I'm already living it, I arrived in a World Tour team, I was given a great opportunityNow I want to live up to the expectations placed on me and work toward our shared goals, ensuring we achieve the results we have in mind. Which ones? If I say it, wishes don't come true...
