we find Jacopo Fly as he returns to the bus before the time trial Tour of PolandThe road is slightly downhill, we call him and he kindly stops. Jacopo has his hands low on the handlebars, and as we dodge team cars and other riders, he talks and we listen.
«I'm struggling with an intestinal virus – he says – now it's gone, The worst was between the third and fourth stage but I feel terribleI'm still out, I hope to finish within the maximum time limit for this time trial, this just to give you an idea of how I feel (Jacopo finished the time trial in 95th place, with a good margin over the time limit, ed.).
«I can't do anything for the team, I always do the little I can, but it's badAlso because I was returning to the race directly from the Giro, since just after finishing it I discovered I had mononucleosis. I left for Mont Ventoux and Occitanie but only because it was needed for the team, in fact I didn't finish the first one and in the other I retired at the second stage".
What did you do first?
I've been working at high altitude, I spent 25 days in Sestriere and I did everything particularly well. In fact, a week before coming here I was very happy with how I felt., after a difficult period I was starting to have positive feelings.
Were you alone or in company?
I did 10-12 days alone and the others with Elisa (Longo Borghini, his companion, ed.). Then she left for the Tour Femmes. We took advantage of those days to train and spend some time together..
What's your plan between now and the end of the season?
Archived in Poland I'll go to the Tour of Denmark. I'll race in America: Maryland, Quebec, and Montreal.Then a few more races in Belgium and Croatia and finally the calendar in Italy. I have a nice program, I can't complain, I'm really happy.
The Vuelta is coming, making his debut in a major Giro for your young Antonio Tiberi, whom we've often seen here near you. What did you say to him?
We were in training camp in Sierra Nevada before the Giro, and he was there too. It was also important to know the finish of the stage, which ended right up there. Then I actually saw that they changed that finish. But in those days we did some climbs that he will then do in the Vuelta and the only thing I felt like saying to him was: "Good luck!".
Do you think it can do well?
Antonio is definitely going strong, he is in condition and he will prove it, he will go there to gain experience. In the stages with the uphill start nI wouldn't be surprised to see him on the run and see him fight to the end.
Did you tell him anything else?
For better or worse, he's there. We need to wake him up a little because he's sleeping," she says laughing, "because he's young! But jokes aside, he has already shown us some good things since last season.. Then Antonio here at the Trek-Segafredo It's been well-maintained. Ours is a team that allows you to grow and mature at your own pace. We are followed one hundred percent and we leave nothing to chance.
Has he matured much since you've known him?
Yes, I have to admit, yes. He was under in the year of Covid and ran little, I wouldn't say he was penalized but he still has a great engine and from what he showed, he also has a desire to learn.
He also won his first professional race in Hungary…
Ha won a stage and this was a great step and a great confidence boost. He could have even made the rankings but in the first stage he was left behind in the fansThat's why I tell him to "wake up"! Because someone like him shouldn't be held back by these situations. But he has time, he's young, he's only 21... Lucky him!
Do you remember the first races you did with you?
I remember the Coppi and Bartali last year, it was his first stage race, He had only a few days of running under his belt and you could already see that he had the legs..
And do you have any goals between now and the end of the season?
I'll tell you, given how the season went I have no ambitions for results, I'm interested in getting back in shape and feeling good. Gain confidence and energy to start preparing for next year in the best possible way.
Did you say anything to Elisa about the route error at the Tour?
I must say that she made such a beautiful U-turn – she says with a smile – that I didn't feel like telling her anything. You can see he's good at cycling and that he did gymkhana when he was young!
