What happened to Ivan? Toselli? Italian Champion as a first year student, winner of the Gold Cup Last season, the player from Caserta had moved up to the juniors with great expectations and curiosity. Instead, in his first season he has been seen very little, with a couple of good placings at the beginning of spring and then nothing more.. What happened?
Speaking with the rider from Campania you have the clear impression of dealing with a boy more mature than his 17 years, Above all, he's aware of the many expectations placed on him, which he doesn't see as a burden. Let's analyze his approach to the new category.
«The winter had been very positive from a training point of view – says Toselli – but I knew that the first races were very flat and not really suited to my characteristics, and yet some good results had arrived. Then I fell and was out of action for a month due to a broken collarbone.».
Did this slow down your rise?
A lot. When I returned to competition, I immediately realized that I was far behind my peers in terms of condition, so I continued to push forward week after week, always chasing. I certainly can't be happy, but it's all experience that I'm accumulating, so this is also part of my growth.
How much has the racing world changed compared to what you were used to knowing until last year?
A lot, there is no comparison. The races are longer and above all they are interpreted differentlyThe youth tournaments are always a free-for-all, while among the juniors there's often a calm situation until the final stages. It's clear that the teams have much more influence.
How did you adapt?
I'm convinced I did everything right. My way of training has changed a lot, I combine cycling with a lot of gym work to try to gain a lot of strengthI'm thin and I definitely need to improve in this area to be more competitive on climbs, which is my forte. Luckily, since I'm competing at school, I'm allowed to leave early, and that helps me a lot.
Then there's the issue of the new gear ratios to use. How do you feel about the 52 and have you ever tried the 53?
The 52 is not easy to push at all, but I'm slowly getting used to it and I'm able to exploit it more and more each time., considering that my physique is growing, I think I'll always improve. I also tried the 53, but only in the time trial.
So is this first season weighing on you because of all the difficulties it has posed?
It certainly didn't go as I expected. I'm especially sorry for having missed out on important races that I cared about, such as the Eroica, I wanted to see how I was on dirt roads.When I returned to racing, it was clear I couldn't keep up. We'll try to gradually improve, also to repay the team's trust.
Does training alone penalize you?
As a rule, I always have someone training with me, but obviously the workloads differ and so we separate, but on the other hand, you have to be focused on what you're doing; during training, you're alone with yourself. I often train in Rome with my teammates, so the bond with the team is strong not only during the race.
What awaits you now?
A few more races to prepare for the Tour of LunigianaI hope that on that occasion, in front of the best in the category, I will have reached a condition that will allow me to make myself seen.
The team is waiting for him with confidence
We could not close the Toselli chapter without also testing the waters within his company, the Vangi-Sama Spare Parts-The PirateSports director Ugo D'Onofrio He knows that Ivan has a lot of work to do: «The first season saw him play very little due to circumstances, the collarbone problem took away a significant part of his season. However, Ivan still has to build up physically, put on a few kilos and above all a lot of strength, but I'm very optimistic, we've already seen another Toselli in the last few races."
From a technical-tactical point of view, where are we at?
He has a way of running that is still the product of his activity as a student: makes risky moves, often attacks on the plainsHe needs to grow, that's normal, and this year's lack of activity hasn't helped.
You followed Marcellusi in his youth career: are there points of contact between the two?
Few. Marcellusi He is a complete rider, strong on climbs but also fast, and already as a student he had the mentality and vision of a junior rider. Toselli is a pure climber, in whom both I and the sponsors have great faith. Give him time, that's all he needs…
