In those 19 seconds at the end of the Sibiu Cycling Tour there is the difference between an athlete who couldn't find himself and one who tried to win. And agreed that the Romanian race was not the Tour de France and the greatest phenomena of world cycling weren't there at the start, but sometimes the results need to be contextualized. And for Fabio Aru to be there fight against Giovanni Aleotti it was an important momentIf you're interested in understanding why, keep reading.
The role of the journalist
You love Fabio, like when you meet someone as a kid, share their dreams, watch them come true, then slowly slide into unexpected directions. You ask yourself a thousand questions, and you ask them of him. You can write some things down, but not some. But initially it doesn't matter what you write, it matters what you can tell him trying to help him.But in the end the journalist has the obligation to tell, so this time the call is to write, with the mutual pleasure of explaining and understandingIn recent days, speaking with other riders, the question mark was not so much about his ability to train, but rather about the great expectations that are not always easy to face.
Fabio is returning to Lugano after a couple of days in Turin. The weather is looking awful, and even though it's never particularly hot in those parts, a cool down is in order. He would have liked to run in Sardinia at the Italian Week that has just started, but his team is not participating and the national team has riders for TokyoTalking about programs will be a sideline.
How did it go in Sibiu?
Hats off to Aleotti for how things went. I could have played better in the stage where I finished second, but the next day I attacked him hard and I couldn't drop him.. Not much to say. It went well and I made good values. I came home with a good feeling, like I haven't had in a while., after a well-organized and high-level race. I actually did quite well in Lugano too. I finished 14th, but I attacked first. Oh God, maybe from too far away, considering that there were 100 kilometers to go…
Are you okay?
In the last two weeks, even in training I noticed a nice change in sensations and valuesI finally have good results on the climbs. I paid dearly for the discontinuity of the past yearsIt wasn't normal to finish every race with cramps. And not cramps from dehydration, but from being unaccustomed to fatigueMy head would have pushed me to go further, but my legs couldn't handle it. Furthermore, I had done a top-notch calendar so far and I had to accept the fact that I wasn't yet at the level to do well. Instead, Coming in front in even a smaller race gave me morale and allowed me to run differently, not to be subject to the rhythm of others.
A nice change in feelings and values?
In the last two weeks I have been setting some hill records. I'm not one to post on Strava, but maybe some fans would like to read it sometimes. But now I need to be consistent. My coaches and I have counted on that. From September 2019 to the beginning of this year, so in about 18 months, I only did 26 days of racingBoth physically and in terms of confidence, I arrived at the restart with some gaps.
Why did the Italian championship end with a withdrawal?
That wasn't my level, I was disappointed too. I had unexpected negative feelings, but right after that day I chose not to go to the TourI don't know what it would have been like in France. Now, however, the trend is positive and my morale is different than when I always had to chase.
Do you think this new habituation to fatigue is complete now?
I should have found it a few months ago, but it hasn't arrived. But on my way back from Sibiu, I wanted to test myself on climbs I know and I was impressed by myself.We're talking about Marzio, who is in Italy, or Carona.
Bernal won the Giro saying he's finally having fun again. Do you still have fun?
There is a need for it. This sport has become much more professional, You rarely hear people tell you to go up a hill by feeling to understand how you are feelingSometimes having so much data is detrimental. It's one thing to take your time on a climb, but it's another to constantly have to chase numbers... Because in the end it always matters who gets to the top first..
Having fun on the bike
Bernal's example is fitting. The bondage of schedules and numbers isn't accepted equally by all riders. There are those who find shelter and discipline in it and others who do not find the horizon for which they chose to do this job.The fact that it was David Brailsford who… pulled the plug on Bernal, allowing him to approach the Giro with fun as his guiding principle, confirms that the argument is indeed valid. The environment certainly doesn't help. Among the conversations, which went on for a long time, a brief mention was made of the relationship with journalists. It's not easy to be a top rider, because you always have microphones and targets pointed at you and sometimes it can happen that you don't have things to say or you're tired of always repeating the same things. (Ask Caruso how his life has changed since finishing second in the Giro.) If that also creates pressure, it becomes difficult to concentrate on the sensations and training. After a while, all this becomes overwhelming, and isolating oneself risks seeming like the only solution, which unfortunately isn't always the right one.
No more mistakes
Those 19 seconds at the end of the Sibiu Cycling Tour made the difference between an athlete who couldn't find himself and one who tried to win. The next step, after a few days in the mountains with the family, will be to establish a calendar from which to start againWill the Vuelta perhaps take place? Fabio dismisses expectations; the concept is very simple.
«Mindful of some mistakes made in the past – he says and greets – I've decided that in certain races you only start if you're physically and mentally well.. To be less than at your best would not be healthy and a moral blow would be the last thing I need right now. We'll make plans, I want to run. But right now I don't know where yet. That's all..."
