«If I met Dalla Valle who ran at Bardiani – he says smiling – I would tell him not to give up and to persist. That you can get wherever you want."
Nicolas Dalla Valle, 24 years old from Cittadella, winner of two stages at the Tour of SzeklerlandThe first and the last. Szeklerland is a region in the heart of Romania and its inhabitants, the Szekler, have Hungarian origins, so much so that their origins have often been debated. Some historical evidence and popular legends say that they are direct descendants of AttilaPrince Csaba is said to have been the son of Attila, king of the Huns.
Desire for redemption
We left off with the mid-July interview, when after the Sibiu Tour, Along with the condition came morale and the feeling that victory was on the way.He had been missing for years, since he left Colpack and did an internship with the UAE Emirates, Nicolas had joined the Tyrol KTM Cycling TeamIt had been a positive year, to the point that for 2020 he had signed the contract with Bardiani, without knowing about the arrival of Covid and the risk of facing two years of few races and little satisfaction.
«Winning two stages isn't an everyday occurrence – he says – it already went well in Sibiu. I knew it was about staying focused and doing a good job.Winning gives you something extra, it's a great motivation. Your condition improves. I'm coming off two years where I haven't been able to show who I am. Now I see the possibility of redemptionI'm in the right team, a family environment where we can talk about everything."
Giotti Victoria-Savini is a team that aims to relaunch its riders. What are your hopes today?
That of climbing another step. I don't have an agent, but Stefano (Giuliani, ed.) is giving me a hand in finding a bigger teamThe results are in.
Tell us more about the race…
I found almost all routes within my reach, except for the fourth day which had an uphill finish. I won the first stage in a sprint. On the second day I was cut short due to a mechanical problem. But on the last day, since I had more confidence, instead of waiting for the sprint I started at the beginning of the last lapThe group didn't give me any room, but I still won.
Your team has Romanian roots, how were the victories received?
It was a beautiful showcase, the sponsors are from there, so a home win is worth double.
What differences are there between Dalla Valle today and the one of the last two years?
Certainly year after year there has been growthI'm coming from two years in which I ran very little (63 days between 2020 and 2021, 44 so far in 2022, ed.) and It's difficult to be highly competitive without competing.These races are certainly the starting point. The benefits of a good year are found especially in the following season.
In July you said that the big goal would be the Veneto Classics at the end of the season. Do you agree?
Definitely yes. In fact, within a couple of days. I'll go up to Livigno to do 12-13 days of good preparation. I want to work well for the end of the season.
How did you celebrate after the second victory?
In a sober way, also because it started to rain in the afternoon. However we treated ourselves to a pizza.
Getting back into the game
The final comment is up to Stefano Giuliani, long-distance commander, capable of reading deep into the eyes of his riders and bringing out what has gone unnoticed elsewhere.
«Nicolas is a boy with excellent technical qualities – he explains – you need to be consistent to achieve maximum results. The hope is that some professional team will notice his performancesOur philosophy is to promote those who deserve it to the higher categories and in our small way these victories give morale not only to the athlete but to the team and the staffWe have the perseverance to not give up, and this gives us hope for the end of the season. The appetite comes with eating!
