Yet there is an Italian who left the cobblestones of Oudenaarde with a smile on his lips and is Jonathan MilanAt the start he stood next to his teammates with a slightly nervous smile, like when in the debut there is something that escapes you and until you leave you're left with a bit of anxietyThen the race began and the sensations fell into place. Fatigue. Nervousness. High speed. Then, once the job was done, surrender. Despite everything, the beauty of the NorthAnd finally, talking to him at the foot of the bus, you get the feeling that the giant from Friuli (he's 1,94 m tall) was even having fun. Good!
You remember him, right? Two years to Cycling Team Friuli continental GreeceThe Italian time trial flag. Line victories. The climb on the track to the Italian quartet. The move, amid some discussion (according to his coach, Bressan, it was too early), to Team Bahrain Victorious. Sharing the preparation, between the coaches of the old team and Paolo Artuso of the current one. The debut in the WorldTour. And in front of the wheels the probable participation in the Tokyo Olympics in the quartet.
How did it go?
Super good, a great emotion and a great feelingI tried to do what the guys asked of me, and I think I did it to the best of my ability. The team is happy.
They speak from the bottom up, with the risk of cramps in the arm holding the recorder. "Johnny" wears the team hat and black mask, so the satisfied smile can be seen from the shining eyes, as we have learned to understand in the last two years among the under 23s.
What worried you when you left?
In these races, I always have a little bit of fear of not being able to help my classmates as best as possibleOf not being able to reach that mileage. Of not being able to arrive fresh, so to speak (laughs, ed.) to that mileage. So, these are my fears. Maybe they're silly, but for someone like me who still doesn't know how to move properly in a group, because moving up a category is a different story, They generate a bit of apprehension at the start.
What did they ask you to do?
Let the kids take the sectors in front of them. Keep them in the top positions from kilometer zero to 130 (until the first pass over Qwaremont, where the race began its circuit of walls, ed.). I tried to do my job as best I could. I think I succeeded; I was up there talking to the guys and they told me I did well.
Have you ever raced on similar roads?
No, absolutely not. I did the Roubaix as a junior, but it's something else entirely..
When we came to your house last winter, we took a picture on the… Buja wall: did you find any difference?
They are much tougher (this time the laughter is from both of them, remembering that photo taken just thinking about a day like this, ed.). I tried to make them quite agile, to keep my leg always moving a little.. So as not to stiffen it too much. When we hit the walls, we always went pretty hard. If you go and drop gears halfway through the race, your leg will jump after a while..
Using your imagination and all the necessary caution, could this be a race for you?
It can be fantasizing, if you prepare well. If you experience good growth in the coming years—and I'm 100 percent confident it will—for me, yes. It could be a race where you can tell something beautiful.
What are the plans now?
Coming back I have a Track World Cup in Hong Kong with the national team (May 13-16, ed.). It will be very important to go and see how the other national teams are doing. What technical developments they've made, the bikes and the clothing. Then I'll be at the Tour of Slovenia or the World Cup in Cali, Colombia (June 3-6). Then the European Track Championships (June 23-27, ed.). Then we'll see. The big event of the season, if I deserve it, will be the Olympics.
How do you think the transition from cobblestones to parquet will be?
It will have to be managed, but there is time. We will have some meetings with Marco Villa on the track to see where we were atGetting back into the swing of things is always difficult, but we'll arrive in Hong Kong well prepared.
