One of the good news of the new year for Barbara Guarischi is his return to the national team. For now, we are only talking about the January retreat in Spain, but it is always more than for one reason or another she was granted in recent timesBeing very fast and experienced and on the eve of a season that seems to be gearing up for fast wheels, her presence in Calpe could be much more than just a hint.
"It was great to be there," he says, "for at least two reasons. One, because back home, the weather was bad on those same days. The other is that I did the last world championship in Doha in 2016 and then almost nothing.Last year, I was a reserve for the Italian national team at the World Championships for four days. So when Sangalli called me, I was happy to accept. Paolo has always been the one who patched things up and acted as a psychologist.I like his way of working. We're big, almost all of us come from teams with coaches and nutritionists, and we know how to manage ourselves. With this change, it was only right to make ourselves available. And in the end, the right climate between work and serenity was created."
Three years in Spain
Barbara is in her third year with the Movistar Team, in the squadron that is devoted almost completely to the cause of Annemiek Van Vleuten and Emma NorsgaardThe others, Guarischi above all, will have their chances when the two leaders are not there or do not have the right legs. Taking a step back to theme of leaders and followers, the Spanish team has given itself a rather vertical structure, certainly taking inspiration from the way in which that of men is organised.
«Now we go North – he explains – with the idea of being 100 percent for Annemiek and Emma, who are aiming for the big target. When they're gone, I'm thinking about other races in Belgium or maybe the RideLondon Classique; I'll try to get my own space. The team is happy that he is taking control of the race and I'm fine with that.».
How does your national team work fit into this busy season?
The European Championships and the Mediterranean Games could be an interesting prospectNot racing the Giro d'Italia, especially the second place finish could be a goal, given that they're raced on the same days. When I was talking at home about my relationship with the national team, My parents used to say that certain things happen in the workplace.. Instead, perhaps now we can try to make some choices, orienting the programs.
Why won't you be at the Giro?
I have never given availability, because it's usually hard and I suffer from the heatThis year my summer schedule includes the Women's cycling's Tour and then the Tour de France. Staying on the subject of teammates, I don't know how many companions Van Vleuten will want. It will be hot in France too, but maybe it will be less suffocating towards the north.
Meanwhile, the world is changing and your races are becoming increasingly tense and chaotic…
The big problem of this last period is that we run like men, with the big teams and the smaller ones in betweenThe difference is quite clear, so The continental girls try to get results by slipping into every gap and with the speed we have, it doesn't take much to fall.To protect ourselves, we go in groups, each leader with his own train. But if one team leads the pack and another can't keep up, just one uncertainty and chaos ensues.
You spent a lot of time in Spain during the winter, why?
I have been all December in Denia, because the team didn't have retreats and I organized it myselfIn January we went to Almeria, but there was a positive case and towards the end of the training camp they sent us home. Then Calpe with the national team, so I stopped in a little house that I have in Barcelona and from here I will go directly to Belgium for the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Has Movistar found a structure in terms of sports directors?
Among men there's been a bit of a reorganization, so Pablo Lastras and Jorge Sanz should be with us. But I think they'll send Pablo more often among the men, so in the end our contact will be Sanz.
What did you take away from your national team retreat?
The tranquility that was missing and a first contact with the under 23s that I didn't know, having always run abroad. And then there was a differently young girl, Tatiana GuderzoHe told us about the backlash last year, but we discovered that disappointment has touched more than one girlWe talked a lot and shared anecdotes. And early in the morning, over breakfast, we watched highlights of the Winter Olympics. It was a great return, the perfect way to reconnect.
