In the lair of the boys of the Beltrami Tsa-Tre Colli There are two boys, both born in 2002, on whom there were (not unreasonably) great expectations. These two boys are Davide De Pretto e Lorenzo Milesi. At times they shone, at times less so, but they always fought with great determination, despite being only in their first year in the U23 category, and also wearing the jersey of a continental team.
We also talk about them with Orlando Maini who follows them from the flagship Beltrami. A coach who knows his way around young players and has practically infinite experience.
De Pretto, steady growth
«I believe – says Maini – that De Pretto's is an absolutely regular progression that goes hand in hand with his physical development. He's a versatile rider. He's "quick," he's good on climbs, he's smart, he knows how to read the race. And these are all characteristics that are in his favor, especially considering his future. When I evaluate guys, I don't look at numbers or victories, but at their growth. I think he's had a good year. And it's not over yet... And in any case, if I were to look at the numbers, he showed some important qualities in the two team time trials he's competed in. This was also true in the Coppi e Bartali race (photo above, ed.) and in the Giro del Veneto.
«De Pretto is a “sniper” – continues Maini – so I would compare him to UlissiBut being so versatile, working well almost everywhere, it also comes to mind Accounts. Especially as an amateur, Valerio was like this: good almost everywhere and a winner."
"Better after school"
And De Pretto, the person in question, agrees that he's a complete rider. The Venetian admits he loves climbing and says, "I can even hold my own in sprints."
«It's been a pretty good season for me so far, even if I missed out on an important placing like a podium or a win, but from now until the end of the season… School was the hardest time, but since I finished things have improved, I've gotten into the swing of things. And it wasn't easy to adapt to the distances of the most important races either. Going from 120 kilometers in the juniors to 190 kilometers with the pros was quite a leap. It was an adjustment in every way, even in terms of nutrition during and before the race.
«But now there are some races coming up that I like. Saturday is the Zanè-Monte Cengio, which by the way is practically my home and with an uphill finish. And on Sunday there is the Poggiana Sports GPs.Doing well in these tests wouldn't bother me at all."
Finally, De Pretto denies the rumors that he already has one foot in Astana. "No! It's never been like that. And I have no contacts. I want to spend at least another year in the U23s, get some results and then maybe move up."
From football to cycling
And then there's Lorenzo Milesi. The Lombard has almost enormous margins. In fact, he only started cycling in 2018, as a second-year student. Before that, he was a soccer player. Despite this, last year he won the Italian time trial championship and the European bronze medal in the same event among juniors.
"But I like cycling better, in every way," says Milesi. "The relationship with your teammates is different. In football, you go out on the pitch, then you go home and you never see them again. Here, however, you're always together, in your room, at training camps... When I was a footballer, I was a full-back, almost always on the left.
«If you ask me if I'm satisfied with my season, I'd say no. At first I thought it would be harder, but then over the months it became less easy. Now I've been away from racing for a month. We'll see what happens... I had some problems with the positions in the group. I had two crashes on the downhill that caused me some problems."
Milesi instead in the ranks of theAstana It seemed like it was really going to end, but something changed over the course of the season. He's keeping quiet, but the move (which should happen anyway) is expected to be to another team, still WorldTour.
Milesi: the time trial and the climb
«Lorenzo is physically a very strong boy – concludes Maini – Sometimes he pays for his inexperience. Many riders these days start at a very young age, but he's been riding for four seasons. And in fact, he often struggles in certain situations, something that doesn't happen to someone who started out very young. The good thing is that he has plenty of time to improve.
«Milesi is a rouleur, a time trialist, but he's also strong on climbs. He was there for the two final Alpine stages of the Giro d'Italia under-23. And that's very important. It's something that counts..
