There are places of honor that you don't know how to interpret, especially if you're a cyclist who's been taught that only one person can win. Because that's also true, but you also have to consider how and when that second place arrives. In the case of Thomas Capra, the second place at the Kranj GP, which was a declared goal for many participants, It has a particular meaning, of rebirth in a season that had taken a truly difficult path.
The Trentino of I have to team up of Bahrain Victorious He had set out for this 2025 with many expectations, but then things didn't go as he expected: «Let's say that for me now the important thing is the second part of the season given how the first went. At the beginning of the year I felt good, I also achieved some good placings like the 5th place at the Young ridersster in Belgium and also at the Tour de Bretagne I was strong, with 3 Top 10sIn June, however, I had a drop in performance, and in July I had to take a course of antibiotics. So recovering was complicated. I went to the West Bohemia Tour Taking it mainly as training, the race in Slovenia was the first one that really suited me and in which I wanted to stand out."
So you saw the result in a positive way…
Not entirely, because in the end it was a race that had gone particularly well, but I made a mistake on the last corner, I went out too wideI think that with a little more attention in driving I could have even preceded the Mexican. Prieto, but looking back I still say that it was a missed victory, but it still gives morale.
Did you set out with the goal of winning?
Yes, definitely, like in all races, but this one was special.I knew it was very suited to my characteristics, also because it had a slightly uphill finish and I really like that type of sprint.
How did you find the team? This is your second year with Bahrain...
Very good, because in any case many of the staff remained from last year when it was still CTF. Some other foreign sports directors have arrived, some new teammates but a good atmosphere has been created, where the new ones have integrated well.We've made a great team where we work together a lot.
Has the WorldTour team's direct entry made a difference? Does the team retain its Italian influence, at least at the lower levels?
Yes, there is still a preponderance of Italians, but from an organizational point of view, even in terms of travel, there has been notable progress. The organization is something else entirely, you can feel that we are now part of the WorldTour, we are at the highest level.There's clarity about the future too; for example, they've already guaranteed me a renewal for next year.
Is this also expected to involve more activity with the first team?
In the programs, yes. Having one more year of experience, the goal will be to do a lot of racing with the professionals and to grow in that aspect, because racing at the highest level is something completely different. I did two races with the main team this year and it's a completely different thing, you have an extra push.
What's next for you? Which races do you want to extend this positive momentum?
There aren't many races left, and that's disappointing. There's the Giro del Friuli, but the staff deemed it too tough, diverting me to the Giro di Romania. There are, out of 5 stages, at least three that I have already seen to be very suitable for my characteristics, so it is the right place where I can do well.Trying to finally get that win, which would be important for me, both for how the season went overall and to project myself well into the next one. Then I hope to close out the year by returning to race with the "big" team. After all, in Italy we can't do national races, so we only race in international races, of which there aren't many.
Speaking of which, except for San Vendemiano and the Italian championship, you've always competed abroad: is this an advantage or a disadvantage for an Italian who's in a devo team?
I really like running abroad, because for the most part they are routes where I feel more comfortable., or as a striker for sprints or even to work for my teammates. Not being able to race in Italy isn't a handicap; I'm really comfortable anywhere. It depends a lot on the type of race we find. In Italy, for example, right now there's the San Daniele, which is too tough for me. And then abroad there are always lots of stage races, and in those there's room for all types of riders.
