Simone Buda He had made a name for himself this spring with two close victories. Then the season went on, and more good results followed. Many more, in fact. So much so that he is the Elite-U23 rider with the most top five finishes at this point in the season.
A remarkable consistency of performance for a guy born in 1999—pardon the term, which is perhaps a bit strong, but it gets the point across—who is in his fifth year of amateur cycling. And fifth year in cycling today becomes a problem: theme which we have taken several times. Simone, let us remember, is a Romagnolo with the characteristics of a sprinter or in any case a fast rouleur who wears the colours of the Solme-Olmo.
Simone, how are you? You started out with a lot of good intentions...
I think those intentions have been realized. In fact, at a certain point even a little better than I thought.
We've seen a significant leap in quality: victories, placings, and great consistency in performance...
A leap in quality that was needed. I won two races and confirmed my performance in the following months. And confirming this isn't easy. Other important statements have followed. And these are things those close to me tell me.
How are you training lately? We saw you haven't been running...
I actually took a ten-day break after a stage race in Romania, where I crashed at 80 miles an hour. For a moment I even thought it was all over, but in reality it was just some major abrasions. But now I've started again and just this morning I went to the gym.
Gym in the middle of the season: why did you stop?
Indeed I've been working on it all season, in consultation with my trainer, Giovanni Pedretti. This way, I can work hard on strength alone—pure strength. It gives me something more in terms of strength, and that's it, in terms of explosiveness, in maximal strength. So, gym training and then cycling. Building strength on the road, the classic SFRs, means considering a thousand variables: the cleat not being perfectly straight, the potholes, the wind... So I can work on strength without any problems.
So you don't do the SFR?
I do them, but much less than in the past. Yesterday, for example, after the gym session, I did a couple of SFR boosters on the bike; before, I did a lot more SFRs.
Let's get back to the topic of the qualitative leap: why did it all happen at once?
I think it was a general improvement. To be honest, I'm not going that much faster than I used to. Yes, in sprints and uphills. The watts are a little higher, but we're at last year's levels. Unfortunately, in cycling, everything has to go well; it's not just about numbers. This year, the atmosphere is right... In the end, I struggled a lot in my first and second years and encountered several difficulties. In my third and fourth years, with Covid in the mix, I ran very little. Now, in my fifth year, I feel like I'm on the right team; certain mechanisms work well even when running. And I'm more mature.
You were born in 1999, and today it's a "problem" to go pro. A delicate issue, but a real one...
I speak with data in hand: my results. Since the beginning of the year, I've been among the most consistent riders. I've brought home 15-20 points every month. I have four wins, a dozen podiums, and I'm the one with the most top-five finishes. They told me I only won the "small circuits," but I responded with international victories and placings. I won a UCI race in Hungary, and I finished third in a stage in Romania that also included the professional races. I'm unlucky enough not to be able to do the U23 Giro d'Italia, or some international classics... which give more points and visibility. Despite everything, out of seven or eight international races I've done, I've placed in five.
So is there any team that has made its voice heard?
Just talk. And that makes me sad.
It was your consistency in performance that struck us, so we ask you: what was missing before?
Someone tells me: "You could have woken up earlier." I wasn't prepared before. I wasn't ready. In the youth categories, I actually won 20 races a year with almost no training. I went out on my bike, but if I wanted to one day, I'd go play beach volleyball. Then when I was under 23 the world changedI hit a wall and it took me a while to adapt, especially in the first two years. Then, in my third year, Covid hit and I did eight races. The following year, they promised me a thousand things and I only did 25. Last September, they told me the team was closing. At that point, I even thought about quitting.
But you're still here…
Then the people who were close to me convinced me to hold on. Guys, I turned 24 on August 14th, and they tell me I'm old. I'm not looking to the future now. If I think about it in the evening and I have my loved ones near me, I don't want to think negatively., but it's not easy. What I can say is that at this point it doesn't depend on me anymore. If I think that Roglic he hit the streets at 27. Van der Poel e vingegaard They made their debut at 24. I'm not saying I'm like them, but I'm not saying I'm old or unworthy of any attention either. Especially when I see and hear that there are people who pass without meritocracy.
Do you have an attorney?
I'm making a move. As I said, I was even criticized for not doing it sooner, but what was I offering about myself? It seemed like wanting to race on the road, but owning a mountain bike. A few results, a few placings, but I wasn't ready. Eventually dropping out without merit, without the right growth... no, it wasn't for me. So I worked on myself. I found a healthy environment that helped me through all of this, and I got down to it.
It's not easy, Simone. It's a really complex situation...
I've improved a lot, even mentally. I'm committed, they've always asked me to achieve greater things, and I've achieved them. I really don't know what to do. I'm not saying I'm desperate, but almost. It seems like a never-ending climb. If I had to give up cycling, I'd be devastated. I'd do it badly. I even took the third-level sports director course. I often go to help the youth teams, but what do I say to them in this situation? You go like this and no one gets in touch. No, I don't understand.
What's on your schedule now?
As I said, I've started training again, but I'm also recovering from the impact of the crash in Romania. And all in all, it was almost a good thing because it allowed me to really break away. Especially since they were constantly asking me about my results. I'll be back in competition on the 24th in Rosa, then on the 26th there's Carnago, which I don't know but they tell me is fast and so it might already be a good fit for me. but above all I aim to do well in the Giro del Friuli, where there are fast stages, and in the three-day event in Puglia.
