The youngest to leave from Pavia and arrive in Sanremo, a non-trivial aspect if you are 19 years old and it's your first Monument ClassicIf we add to all this the fact that it's the longest race of the year and you did 237 kilometers in the breakaway, everything increases in importance. We are talking about Filippo Turconi, a rider in his second year as a professional in the team Vf Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè (Opening photo: ilciclistafotografo). Yesterday afternoon (Monday), when we reached him on the phone, he had just returned from a three-hour workout.
«Even today (yesterday for the reader, ed.) – says Turconi – I got a little rainI went out on my bike, but without any specific goals, just to pedal and get my legs going. The day after the Milan-Sanremo they were quite sore, so much so that on Sunday afternoon I slept soundly, I still had to recover!
The first memory
Taking part in the first Monument Classic of your career is one of those moments that remain etched in a cyclist's mind for life. Being able to have an important role in the race makes it all the more special., not to mention that on the streets of the Sanremo there was also space for a banner dedicated to the young Turconi.
“It was my parents with a group of friends,” he says, “and I have to say I wasn’t expecting it. At the end of the race everyone was happy with my performance., I received so many messages, from friends, former teammates and old sports directors and the president of my junior team: the Bustese Olonia. I received expressions of appreciation even from people I don't know and this made me happy., it means that I have made myself known.
How was this experience at Sanremo, starting with the call-up...
It was unexpected, I didn't think I'd be able to do a race of this level so soon. When I heard about it I was amazed.On the one hand, I was also scared because I had never done such a long race, both in terms of kilometers and hours on the bike. My main fear was that I wouldn't be able to finish the race. Then in the days leading up to the race I thought that joining the initial breakaway would be useful.
Why?
When you are in front you don't have to suffer the pace of the group, which in some points would have been really high, but keep a steady paceIf you're on the run, you have an advantage; it's the others who have to come and catch you. I took advantage of the fact that there was Marcellusi in the first group who took advantage of this to come back and join the day's breakaway. He gave me some advice, like not to push too hard in the first 100 kilometers.
The weather didn't help you in the first part...
I said to myself, “Wow, it’s already a long race, and if we add rain and cold to the mix…” However, the forecast did not predict rain, only cloudy weather.So I set out quite covered, but not too much. In the first hour and a half I suffered from the cold, so much so that I had to stop to fasten my cape because my hands were frozen.
Then, once the descent of the Turchino was over, the sun came out…
Another race has begun, in the space of 4 kilometers we went from being covered up to pedaling in t-shirts and shortsTaking off your wet clothes gives you an extra boost of energy. We've also regained the lead over the group. It may seem trivial, but all these factors have given us a great push., so much so that we double-parked and regularly went above 50 kilometers per hour.
Then the Chiefs arrived and the race exploded.
In the space of a few kilometers, they really gained us a lot of minutes. Already from Capo Mele I understood that my energies were running out, I tried to hold on, but on the last of the three, the Berta, my legs were on the line and the group caught up with me.
How did it go then?
I wanted to honor the race and complete it in the best possible way. From the end of the Capi to Sanremo were the longest 35 kilometers of my lifeI was hoping to catch someone, but no one was coming. I was alone the whole time. Behind me was only the flagship.
You enjoyed the crowd bath on Cipressa and Poggio?
It was beautiful. Those were the two climbs where I struggled the most in my entire life, because I couldn't go up, but that was the beauty of it. It seemed like they would never end and there was a crowd on the side of the road that I had never seen before.In the last kilometer of the Poggio I was exhausted but very happy, because I knew I had finished it, and there was still a lot of enthusiasm on the side of the road.
When you saw the red triangle at the last kilometer, what did you think?
It was a relief, I said, “It’s over.” I enjoyed it as if I had won itA personal victory.
What was the prize for this victory?
I stopped to eat at the restaurant. A nice cut as a reward for my efforts. Afterwards I slept, I was destroyed!
