Antonio Tiberi glides towards the Vuelta Espana, your before major stage race, a great first experience for a young boy but one who deserved the call-up on the pitchJust 21 years old, with already one season as a professional at home behind him Trek Segafredo.
He built these good results thanks to the consistency of the work done last yearMany small steps that brought him close to the edge, ready to take flight and glide over the Vuelta.
In search of rhythm
Antonio we meet him at Tour of Poland And we take advantage of his kindness and availability to talk to him almost every day. After all, the beauty of racing is being able to look the riders in the eye, capturing every grimace on their faces.
«It was the first race after a period of absence from racing – he says – the last race was the Italian championship. In the middle there was the classic high altitude period where we worked to recall the condition.
«In Poland I got used to the race pace again. To the maximum efforts that you obviously can't do in trainingI'm using this race to get as close as possible to the Vuelta."
The last steps
Before leaving for Utrecht (this year the first three stages of the Vuelta will be held in Holland) Tiberi took his final steps to arrive ready and charged.
«To be honest – says Antonio – I also took a bit of a break, to recover my energy, both physical and mental, I've never done three weeks of running, it's a good test. The fact that having intensified training, especially the long ones, and having done quite a few stage races It helped me. It's my first experience, and you learn by doing. Then I went to high altitude where I did quality work, with some climbs but also a lot of time trial (the Lazio native won the world championship in the specialty in Yorkshire in 2019, in the junior category, ed.).
«Here in Poland I did some finishing touches. And then… off we go! I'm not quite emotional yet. I will definitely think about it from today, that is, in the three weeks between the end of the Tour de Pologne and the start of the Vuelta."
Goals and ambitions
Talking about ambitions and goals may seem paradoxical, but a professional rider, as such, sets goals to achieve, proportional to his age and ability.
«We haven't talked specifically about what I'll do yet – explains Tiberi – the team has already mentioned to me that I will have to go there with the utmost tranquilityThis is also one of the positive aspects of the team, they leave me the space to grow and gain experience, without pressure.
«The fact that we worked quite a bit on the altitude time trial is partly due to the fact that there will be two very long ones in Spain (54 kilometres in total, ed.). Then it is It's a discipline that I really like, so I always try to take care of it a little. And in fact I was hoping to do well in the time trial."
Unfortunately, during the time trial, Tiberi was the victim of a fall that compromised his final performance.
«Besides having me left some nice marks on the body – says Tiberi – I have marks on my legs, a nice bruise on my back and one on my side too. Let's hope it doesn't compromise my approach to the Vuelta, but there's time to get back on track"
Tough slopes
At the finish of the third stage of the Tour de Pologne, Sergio Higuita he had told us how the gradients encountered on the final climb (1,5 kilometres with peaks of 13 percent) were very similar to those found at the VueltaThis is why many riders who will compete in the Iberian stage race pass through Poland to hone their legs. How did Tiberi cope with these gradients?
«So let's say that I'm also quite happy – he laughs for a moment and then replies – but on slightly longer climbsI struggle a bit with such short, high-effort sprints because they're designed for explosive climbers.
«Poland was a good test, there are many competitive and strong ridersI'll give you an example: in the stage that Higuita mentions (the third, ed.) last year I finished 21st, 25 seconds behind the leader. Yesterday on the same climb I finished 34th, also 25 seconds behind. But that's fine too. I came here to do some crazy stuff and work hardIn the days between the end of the Tour de Pologne and the Vuelta I won't do much in terms of preparation, most of it is already done."
