Giacomo Villa's season started with a great victory at Piva Trophy (Boldan photo in the opening), the second in the under 23 category: the first had arrived last year at San Daniele. The one on Sunday among the hills of Valdobbiadene was an unexpected victory for many, but perhaps not for Villa, who always believed in his qualities.
Advance game
The rider of Biesse-Carrera, at the finish line of Col San Martino he anticipated all the favouritesA long, but well-calibrated, sprint to bring home a victory that has a different flavour. The call-ups for the Liège U23 and U23 teams will be released in a few days. Villa hopes to have convinced the city manager amadori.
"The race, overall," he tells us, "was very calm, perhaps too calm. Since there were no clear favorites, everyone tried to take control of the race, without much success. As the final laps began, with the climbing of the San Vigilio wall, in addition to that of Combai, the fuse was litBut, even though everyone tried to take the shot, there was little conviction. When Martinelli, From Pretto e Tumblers they started to push on the last pass and I felt it, losing ten meters that I quickly recovered on the way down.
«At the moment of the sprint everyone waited a long time, the last bend was 300 meters from the finish and no one decided to start. So, once I passed under the 150 meter sign I closed my eyes and took off, beating everyone else.From the images you can see that Zamperini, who was right behind De Pretto, first moves to the right when I take the shot and then suddenly changes side. They weren't expecting a shot from me».
Route change
Winning at the beginning of the year changes the prospects, even if for Giacomo Villa these had already seemed different from the second half of 2022From that moment on, his performances continued to grow, leading to his first training camp in the Azzurri jersey, under the watchful eye of Amadori. The same coach was also present on Sunday at the Piva…
«The coach – says Villa – was curious to meet me, Since June of last year I have had a great leap forward in terms of my qualitiesIt all came after the Giro d'Italia U23, I saw that from that moment on I had a good physical shape, which it allowed me to shine with good placings, like fifth place at Capodarco and the Ruota d'Oro. And finally, sixth place at the Piccolo Lombardia was added. Shortly before these events, at the end of July, I fell in training, breaking my toe. During that week of stoppage I didn't lose concentration and I rested., arriving in good shape for the end-of-season appointments.
“Being called up to the national team for the training camp in Puglia,” he continues, “was a dream in itself. Wearing the blue shirt and seeing the name of your country written on it is incredible., really exciting."
Gradual growth
Giacomo Villa, born in 2002, can be considered a gradual growth. Arriving in 2021 at the Biesse-Arvedi anchor, he took the measure of the new category, bringing home many experiences, without being suffocated by pressure.
“My goal, in my first year as an under-23,” he says calmly, “was to learn. I had to understand the races, the routes and make myself available to my older teammates., as Ciuccarelli o waistSacrifice and gain experience, these were my dogmas: it didn't matter whether I finished a race or not, the important thing was to give my all for my teammates. In my second year I found my first victory at San Daniele, that one also arrived with a sprint played in advance. There I understood that when the conditions are right, I can have my say and make the difference."
Tough races and short climbs
"As I said," he continues calmly, "the training camp in Puglia was the first time I wore the blue jersey. Now I don't deny that I'd like to do it during the race too, a first opportunity could be the Liège under 23I know I'm among the ten riders eligible to run it, and I hope I've convinced Amadori completely. The days we spent together in Puglia were very beautiful, and at the same time peaceful. The goal was to train well and get to know each other, both among us guys, but at the same time with the coach. It was especially important from a human perspective. I think Amadori already has his choices clear in his head.
The U23 Liège is a tough race, with short climbs that require good explosiveness, like the ones Villa will face in a few days at Belvedere and ReciotoMaking a comparison with the Italian internationals might sound a bit extreme, but it's not so much the route that makes the race, but the riders.
«I like tough, challenging races – explains Villa – whether it's in terms of altitude or pace. I noticed that when the race heats up I have something extra in the finalMy body responds well to effort. I have good acceleration on flat terrain and on short climbs, 2 or 3 kilometers. The Liège route closely matches these characteristics.
«I also do not hide the fact that going running abroad is a step I would like to takeI spoke with Foldager and he told me that the races in the North are unpredictable. Another teammate of mine, too, D'Amato, who was at the Ghent-Wevelgem with the national team, he told me many thingsLet's say I wouldn't be prepared for it, but they've put a flea in my ear."
Beyond Liège
But what are the 21-year-old Lombard's goals for 2023? The dream of Liège is fine, but then the season continues and the wish list is certainly not empty.
"I want to be ready," he concludes, "always. It won't be easy, but that's the goal. I would like to try running the Giro d'Italia U23 with the aim of making the ranking, but not yet knowing the path It's hard to know if it will suit my characteristics. Then there are the end-of-season classics, like Capodarco and Ruota d'Oro. Even if, the big dream is to win the Piccolo Lombardia, the home raceI train every day on those roads and racing on them is a great feeling, let alone if I managed to win."
