The 2020 of Andrea Garosio It will undoubtedly be unforgettable, both for the not so funny aspects and because he went to live with his girlfriend, AriannaThe Lombard rider had arrived at the Vinzi Zabù KTM laid down by the Bahrain Merida. Even though he'd moved from a WorldTour team to a Professional team, he wasn't lacking in motivation. In fact, in some ways, it was even greater.
Covid and coexistence
The first races immediately Argentina and then in Europe al Laigueglia, but then…
"But then Covid arrived. Everyone indoors. The day the lockdown started was my first day living together. Incredible. In short, Andrea went from zero to 100 in 24 hours! A story bordering on tragicomic. And it certainly wasn't easy. But Garosio himself admits that leaving his parents' house made him mature.
We immediately found ourselves locked in the house. Furthermore, Arianna, being from Treviso, never went out, not even to buy groceries, because if they had stopped her, they would have sent her back to Veneto. So I went out, or my father brought us the groceries, because then I also contracted Covid. I felt sick, but luckily I didn't have any respiratory problems. When it was all over… I couldn't even reach the others in the high altitude retreat. The process was incredibly long for me. I only had a mini-meeting with the team in Tuscany, and then the racing began."
The pink dream
The climber had a harder time getting back on track than many of his colleagues. COVID may not pose a risk for young, strong climbers, but it certainly doesn't go hand in hand with high-level sport. Even ciccone as we have seen it had its fair share of problems.
«I wasn't feeling well when I started racing again, but then from mid-August onwards I started to feel better and better. The turning point came when Giro dell'Emilia (opening photo, ed.) I was getting better and better and I was happy with this gradual growth, because in my head there was the Line of Business. Shinto e Citracca They told me I would probably be there. But then at Coppi and Bartali I fell. I broke my shoulder. But I finished it, despite the pain, precisely because I had a good leg. The thing is, I didn't find out about the fracture right away; we needed an MRI, but it couldn't be seen on the x-ray. It was an internal bone, connecting the arm, shoulder, and neck. In the end, even if they knew I was leaving, I think they would have taken me to the Giro. Lorenzo Route they did so.
«Those days before the Giro were tough. The days were beautiful and I wanted to go out. So one day, together with my “girlfriend”, I took the e-bike and we went for a ride on Lake Iseo, in Montisola. I tried to stand up on the pedals but it hurt. In the end, when the Giro started, things went better. At that point, I came to terms with it. "It's over now, I told myself." Deep down, despite the fracture, Garosio hadn't completely lost hope.
New challenges
Through his agents, the Race, Garosio has found a place at the Bardiani Csf. His contract with Vini Zabù was expiring and Bardiani itself had shown interest in him.
«I admit that I was a little hesitant at first. All in all, I felt good at Vini Zabù and I was always running. But then I signed and that's fine, I'm happy.
"Yes, Bardiani has strengthened considerably, and I didn't expect that. We'll make ourselves noticed, and I imagine there will be healthy competition to secure a place in the races. There are Visconti, Battaglin, Rivera. And many I know: Carboni, Gaburro, Tonelli with which I train almost always... My idea is that since I stopped earlier than the others, I'm a little further ahead with my preparation and so I'd like to start strong. Then I can relax a bit and be in shape for April-May when the Tour of the Alps and the Giro d'Italia. My idea is to pursue single races or stages."
Watch out for Hirschi
Staying at home, during the height of the season, Garosio was able to get an even better idea of his colleagues. It's one thing to be in the race, it's another to see them from the outside... but with the eyes of someone who usually belongs to that group.
«Who comes out strong from this season? Well, Masnada e Dancers They are two riders who have shown great things: high performance and consistency. And also Ulissi, in the end he is always there. It was a particular year in which the old people suffered a bit and pogacar and evenepoel They took advantage of it. But now we have to see how they will recover, even mentally, if they confirm their form. This also applies to Bernal. By feeling Hirsch, who is among those who have emerged strong this season, will have no major problems reconfirming his form. Bernal will return, but I don't know if he'll be able to win the Tour again right away. He and Pogacar have other pressures now. geoghegan hart Instead, I see him better: in that team he has everything he needs, he is well managed and then he is strong. I remember him last year at the Giro. He had fallen. He was in really bad shape, but he kept going for a long time."
