In chronological order, one of the latest developments for the new season was the confirmation that the CTF Victorious would change its name from this year. The team coordinated by Bressan and from Boscolo it had entered the panorama of the Bahrain Victorious a few years ago and now it has officially become the I have to team up. This is a final step, almost a formality, but it nonetheless changes the rules of the game. In fact, the Friulian team changes affiliation and becomes a continental team registered with the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Everything old, everything new
The boys of I have to team up They have just finished their training camp in Spain, during which they laid the foundations for the season that is about to begin. The first news is that Boscola and his boys will not be present at the Coppa San Geo, the national race that opens the Italian under-23 calendar. This is because teams registered in countries other than Italy are not admitted to national races.
"The retreat went well," Boscolo says. "We're happy with how we worked and the time we spent together. Soon, it'll be time for us to get started, too, and I'd say we can't wait. We will start with something new, namely races on the island of Rhodes at the beginning of March.: two short stage races and one one-day race. Then the calendar will be similar to that of previous years with international races in Italy and BelgiumThere will be work to do to organize the various trips between staff and riders, even if it won't be that different from other years."
So your way of working won't be different?
Since we joined the Bahrain team, we have taken on this international dimension. Now it will surely be even larger and more organizedI'd say it's another step forward for us. From the first day Bahrain started working with us, the growth has been continuous.
You are part of a structure that you have already had the opportunity to get to know…
The strength of a WorldTour team is different and being part of it 100 percent is different, in some ways. We already knew the structure and the working method, over time we have grown and the Bahrain team has given us a great hand in this respect. Now we find ourselves with even more strength, personnel and resources.
Is team management different?
From the point of view of how we work with kids, no. Both in terms of selection and training method and working mentalityThe retreat in Spain is a good sign, but many are doing it now, even smaller continental teams than ours. What has changed is what you can't see, there are many new figures: the additional masseur, the nutritionist, etc...
Do you work the same way when selecting riders?
In previous years, the Bahrain team had already brought to our attention some young people who were in their area of interest. Runners like these have passed through us Van der Meulen, Herzen, Ugly mess, Tumblers, Skerl… Bahrain has made a very intelligent choice over the years, that of having a supply chain that starts from the juniors. From this came Borremans and Omrzel, to name two who will be racing with us this year.
The roster remains rich in Italian riders, with three arriving from the junior category: Consolidani, Andreaus, and Basso.
We are not limited to hiring Italians, but rather to selecting interesting candidates with potential. In our opinion, the comparison with the best opens up growth opportunities for riders and teams.One thing we regret is having to give up national races.
A price to pay if you want to make the leap into an international category, right?
On one hand yes, but there are many Italian guys who run in the I have to team up who will not be able to participate in these competitions. It would be nice to see the junior world champion more often (Lorenzo Finn, ed.) run in our country. But since it is part of a I have to team up he won't be able to do it.
Il I have to team up Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe may not be interested in running our national races…
True. However, national competitions should also be opened to Italian athletes registered abroad. It would allow these kids to run in our country and compete with their peers.In my opinion, it would also be a way to raise the general level in Italy.
They would find themselves racing against guys from continental teams or clubs who don't have the means of a I have to team up.
It's a broad topic, and this could be a stimulus for everyone to improve. It doesn't really matter to us. But having Italian kids in their first year as under 23s and not being able to have them race in national races I consider it a shameWe would be happy to do so, and for them it would be a way to approach the category progressively.
