Even though this season is not over yet, in fact we can't even see its horizon, there are those who are working towards 2024. One of the teams that has already cast its gaze towards the near future is the Green Project-Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè. Bruno and Roberto Reverberi's boys will soon see a new teammate: Mattia Pinazzi (pictured above with Bruno Reverberi). Born in Parma in 2001, he has played for Arvedi for the past three seasons.
The youth project continues
Pinazzi is another young man arriving at Green Project: a line, that of Reverberi, which has brought many young people to wear this jersey.
"He's a fast guy," he begins. "He struggles a bit on the climbs, but he can improve a lot. We have some good riders among us, but we're only getting places. Pinazzi is someone who can winThis season he won two 110-kilometer races. To these he then added two nice victories (Vicenza-Bionde and Porto, ed.)—long races, in short. With the amateurs that are there, we decided to bet on him., offering him a four-year contract. We want to plan the next few seasons with riders who can grow and perform well. We have always been linked to young people, many riders who have gone on to establish themselves have passed through us: ciccone, Battaglin, Modolo e Colbrelli».
Track and sprinter
Pinazzi, during the season, achieved four victories: the last two were the Vicenza-Bionde and the Port Circuit. Races dedicated to fast wheels. Not just the road, indeed, Pinazzi He is one of the faces we constantly see darting across the parquetIn fact, his track record also includes many successes. In his final year as an under-23, he received a call from Bruno Reverberi, and we spoke with him about Pinazzi's arrival.
«We have seen – continues Bruno Reverberi – that the track and road combination works well. Especially for sprintersThis was confirmed by great Giro d'Italia made by Milan, and before him, Viviani's career. The challenge will be to best combine road and track, finding the right balance. Pinazzi is one of our riders, so the road will have to be taken care of first.He will be able to race on the track, but only in the most important events: world championships, European championships, and international races. We will decide the calendar, Pinazzi knows this and we talked about it: yes, the track, but it won't be a track cyclist. Activity at the velodrome is important, it should not be neglected, it teaches you how to ride the bike and how to launch yourself into sprints."
Uncertain future
The feeling is that the balance between road and track will be difficult to find. It's fine to participate in the most important competitions on the parquet, but qualification also depends on the minor competitionsPinazzi has had plenty of room to prove himself in recent years. With fewer strings to his bow, will he be able to maintain his place within a growing movement? At the last European Track Championships, which concluded two days ago in Anadia, Italy took home 22 medals, including 14 gold.
«Since the beginning of this year – says Pinazzi – I wanted to do well on the road to turn professional. In 2022 I also had the opportunity to join a military corps, an opportunity that didn't materialize due to external problems. After the first World Cup race, I won the Vicenza-Bionde and the Circuito del Porto. From there, the first offers arrived, the one from Green Project being the most concrete. It's a strong and well-equipped team that can give me a lot.It will be different from Arvedi, where I went racing every time the track called. Next year will be more difficult, but Villa himself is in favor of it. He always told us that doing well on the road also pays off on the track, you can see it from Ganna, Milan, Consonni and VivianiRunning on the road gives you a good base, which is why I have increased my mileage since the beginning of 2023, starting from San Juan».
Simpler calendar
The main challenge will be to coordinate the two activities as best as possible; keeping a foot in both camps won't be easy. The demands are high on both sides, but Pinazzi seems confident.
«In my opinion it will be easier – he says – the under 23 calendar does not help to coordinate the two activitiesThere's a race every week, so you don't have a real "rest" period. It's different among professionals; there are more stage races, so you can plan everything better. The track is an activity that gives a lot, but at the same time it needs to be looked after., especially an important activity like the quartet. From January I'll have the calendar for the road races and from there I'll also plan the track season."
