Felline's Giro d'Italia project lasted as long as Ciccone's. When the Abruzzese native had to abandon his ambitious goal due to the notorious cyst and the related surgery in early February, la Lidl Trek he remodeled the team and very little remains of the group built around GiulioThe Piedmontese had plenty of time to come to terms with it: the announcement came on March 14th and since then his schedule has been rewritten.
Fabio has never been an ordinary rider and is probably worth more than what he managed to achieve, which is still a lot. These days he is at the Tour of Hungary and the victory of Nys Yesterday's stage will probably see the team defending the leader's jerseyBecause Felline came to Lidl-Trek to work, putting his personal ambitions aside.
The Giro from outside
When the American team found itself with the children of the Motovelodromo of his city, Fabio stopped backstage at the event he had helped organizeThose who were there saw him as a bit melancholic, as is easy to imagine if the Giro d'Italia starts from your home and you're not part of it.
«It's a shame – he says – of course it's a shame, but I have no problem recognizing a physical limitation. Last year I was supposed to do the Giro d'Italia, but I couldn't go, it was a tough period, so in the end I was even happy to skip it. Let's say that when the choice is not based on a question of watts or strength, but on tactical reasoning that does not depend on the rider, it must be accepted in a professional mannerIt was a choice; if anything, I could now hope to join the Vuelta squad. But mine wasn't the disappointment of someone who's been left out; I'd known for a long time that I'd change plans. All the races I've done from March to today were not aimed at the GiroThe idea for the Motovelodromo was born when I was still in the Giro d'Italia group. I contributed, but it was such a noble, important, and beautiful project that it was right to do it regardless of my presence."
How is the return to Lidl-Trek going?
I'm in God's place, I've always felt at home hereIt was my first big team, then I went to Astana, but there wasn't much of an emotional connection. We parted on good terms, but after the first two years the team changed its skin and its goals. One by one the leaders for the Giro disappeared and I found myself without the references that previously valued my work.I arrived when Vlasov and Fuglsang were there, then Nibali came and I had a great time, then the team changed its objectives.
What's on your schedule now?
I had considered whether to drop out, also because I'm not in the Tour group. But we decided to hold on until the Italian round, doing Norway and Belgium. This means that I will run until June and then I will make the real break after the Italian championships.
Do you work for anyone in particular in Hungary?
Honestly, we started out pretty free. The other day we tried to sprint and finished fourth with Vacek. I don't do bunch sprints anymore, so I moved to the last kilometer and a half After keeping my teammates ahead, yesterday there was an uphill finish where I was free to hold on. He won NYS, who had already won in Romandie. Our goal here wasn't to rank, let's see what changes now.
After 14 years as a professional, have you set a deadline or are you moving forward?
Last year, honestly, I thought about quitting. I found out in July that I would be coming to Lidl-Trek and I saw the light again, but before I was quite downI've been a professional for 15 years and I think I've done great things. Maybe not everything people expected, and I've always suffered from that. The fact is that They always pointed me out for what I didn't do, rather than applauding me for what I managed to do.I've won 14 races. I've finished on the podium nine times in the Grand Tours, but nobody knows that. When I came over, they expected me to win the world championship, Liège, this and that. I don't know if I didn't succeed because I didn't have enough qualities, but I'm not one to feel sorry for myself.I'm not one to vent on social media, flaunting past misfortunes. Yet, when I stop to talk about my life as an athlete and list all the injuries and unfortunate coincidences, it's truly a joke.
What was the moment you decided to become a domestique?
When At Astana I understood that I was giving more guarantees by helping a captain, who was looking for the result for me. Furthermore, there has been a generational change and it is objective that there are young people who are going very fast and who have changed cycling. Perhaps my biggest regret was having missed the first 7-8 years in which I was more ambitious and perhaps I would have had the chance to turn things around.
You turned twenty and immediately went to the Tour: super young too?
I don't know, but I know that the following year the team went bankrupt and I was afraid to go to a big team again. I could have gone to Liquigas, but I thought I didn't have the necessary solidity and went to Androni. I owe Savio a huge thank you, but if I hadn't had that psychological block, maybe my growth would have begun at 22 and not at 25 when I joined Trek. So to get back to the original question...
Have you given yourself a deadline?
I know the team is happy, I was clear about my intentions. I said that I think I can continue my work for a couple of years: I would like to and hope to be included in their projects again.I don't want to be a rider who drags himself along or who people look at wondering why he hasn't stopped yet. I'd like to leave cycling with my head held high., saying that I was useful until the very end. Right now, however, I'm not entirely sure of anything; perhaps if we talk again in a month, I'll have a clearer idea...
Is it frustrating to work if you don't win in the end?
No, because I know winning is incredibly hard. So you don't hold it against those who don't win, while it's frustrating for those who rate you. The value of an athlete and what he can do should be related to the type of teamOf course, you have to ensure athletic performance, but if you're always where you need to be and help the team well, then you've done your part. I'm happy with how I'm doingAnd in the end, I'll be satisfied if I can continue doing my job the way I'm doing it now.
After so many years, how much passion is there still?
You realize that sometimes you hate cycling, if you can say that. It happens when you put in a lot of effort and it doesn't pay off with satisfaction. But then, as soon as you find the common thread, the passion returns. I challenge anyone to have passion if they sow, sow, and sow again and in the end nothing comes of it. After a while, it gets tough, no matter what field you work in. They are phases that come and go.I really like what I'm doing now...
