Dino's Days Salvoldi, these spring days are full of commitments, perhaps even more than when we had to deal with the entire women's sector. His discovery of the junior world continues, but if at the beginning of his adventure, in the first international tests, he necessarily had to rely above all on what he had done last year, He is now building on his considerations and is implementing a plan that is maturing week by week..
The Italian coach is back from the trip to Peace Race, the most important stage race in the junior calendar, a stage of the Nations Cup where the Italian national team returned home with the beautiful stage seal of Federico Savino. Proving that his choices had been right.
«I knew that this was a fundamental step in the season – he says – and I reasoned knowing that we would find the best of the international category at the start. Furthermore, we faced very demanding courses, definitely more so than in the Italian trials this season. So I decided to opt for all second-year athletes, considering that the first-year athletes had never done stage races before, and it would have been absurd to start immediately with the most important and difficult trial."
How did you handle the call-ups?
I based myself a lot not only on the races, but also on the work we do on the track. So I brought in the elements I'm focusing on for a quartet, plus a couple like Cocoon e Arrighetti more suited to that type of race. Incidentally, it's the same system implemented by France. I think I'll do the same for the next stages, except for the Tour du Pays de Vaud which requires more climbing skills.In the next race, however, I will make a U-turn and call all the boys to be first-years.
How do you rate the trip?
When we had the meeting with the guys before the start, I explained to them that we didn't have a suitable team to aim for the ranking, Because it's clear that right now, even at the youth level, we don't have any stage race specialists. It's a phase, and we have to accept it.So I wanted a team that would treat each stage like a road race, racing boldly. The time trial wasn't our cup of tea, and even the key stage that was supposed to decide the overall standings wasn't a success, but in the others we always stood out, and Savino's victory was the highlight of the week.
What kind of rider is he?
I'm getting to know him. At the beginning he struggled on the track, but he's grown a lot in a very short time. He has a peculiar characteristic: he knows that to get results you have to attack. In Italy we have too much of a tendency to aim for placement, which is why we don't take risks to win.. He has changed this attitude, he tries and I like that. Technically it's still very raw, but I think it can grow a lot everywhere, especially in time trials on the track and on the road.
Have you got an idea of our value compared to the movements of other countries?
Yes, and we're behind, that's for sure. That's why I say we need to be patient in judging the boys and their away games; we shouldn't expect the moon from them. There's a difference against a good portion of the group, and that's due to the type of competition they face. I am convinced that things will change from June onwards. We are dealing with school which takes up a lot of space and a lot of time, even mentally and in some ways our calendar contemplates this, offering more performing races in the summerThis is why the trials of this period are important, but in my opinion they say little in terms of title races, whether European or World Championships.
It seems, however, that you are very demanding regarding the dual activity of road and track. You want an ever-increasing number of young people to try this opportunity and then make their preferential choice later on...
Not only with the track, but also with the MTB. You saw it with the first call-ups, with Mattio e MilesiWe will involve more and more bikers, keeping in mind that calendars overlap and it's not easy to combine the various disciplines. However, in a training process like theirs, it's essential to develop one's skills. However, I strongly emphasize one concept: those who ride on the track should not feel penalized for riding on the road. And this is where collaboration between companies is most needed.
There's often talk of increasingly younger kids transitioning to professional racing, and many have suggested expanding the age group to 3-year-olds as one solution: would you agree?
It would be a smart choice, considering that In Italy there is a school system that is different from many other countries, with young people having to take their final exams at 18-19 years of age, which is an important step in their lives.There would be a way to develop the talent of the young players more calmly and allow the clubs to develop a real pipeline. Considering that, if you look closely, from when they move up a category to when they have to make the next leap, they have the players available for less than two seasons. For this to happen, however, an international regulatory agreement is needed; we cannot do it alone.
What are your next commitments?
We'll be hosting the Trophée Centro Morbihan in France on May 21st and 22nd, the Tour du Pays de Vaud in Switzerland from the 26th to the 29th, and the Saarland Trophy in Germany from June 9th to 12th. These will all be very useful experiences for the kids. but in the meantime we continue with the weekly appointments in Montichiari, you can't do without those…
