Alessandro Verre He is one of those young Italians on whom we can place our hopes. An excellent climber, this year the Lucanian rider concluded his first season as a professional in the ranks of Arkea-Samsic.
A season that, especially in the first half, had been positive. Verre had also achieved a top ten finish in his first stage race, an eighth place in the fifth stage of the Etoile de Besseges and a fifth place in the Giro dell'Appennino in late spring.
Alessandro, what kind of season was this, your first as a pro?
A season of ups and downs And I still don't know exactly why. I imagine it's because at certain specific moments there were some small setbacks that prevented me from making another qualitative leap. And we underestimated them.
For example…
For example, we were at high altitude with the team and practically everyone got sick. From there I went to do a stage race in Belgium (Wallonie, ed.) and Between the strain of the altitude, the illness, and the fatigue of the race, I never recovered. And by then it was the end of July.
But, as we were saying, the start was good. How do you explain that?
It was actually better than expected. How can I explain that? I don't know! Maybe because... I had trained very well the previous winter. I won't say more, on the contrary, the working hours overall had been even fewer, but I had never been to Spain on retreat, for example.
It's often been said that Verres was one of those guys who should have waited an extra season before moving on. In hindsight, would it have been better to wait?
I am confident in the choice I made. And even more so in Italy: every year you play under 23, it seems like you have less chance of advancing. Nowadays, the juniors are becoming pros...
Was there a particularly beautiful moment this season?
There have been many. For example running with Nairo Quintana It was a privilege, a beautiful experience. And I was able to learn a lot about how to manage yourself in the race, about the position in the group... And then I liked some of the placings I achieved, because Both I and the team have understood that when I'm on form I can do well. Even though the second half of the season didn't go the way I wanted, at least I know I can learn from my mistakes.
Speaking of Quintana: was the impact of his positive test at the Tour felt?
Honestly, I was on retreat at the time, with another group. Then he was the one who decided to leave the team. I don't know much about this story.
Who did you bond with the most?
With the Colombians – laughs Verre – and I laugh because they all leave and I have to start all over again! They are very similar to us Italians: hotter, habits almost the same and even with the language it was easier.
Let's look ahead. 2023 is approaching...
I've already started training again. Having finished earlier (mid-September, ed.), I started again earlier. It's still very little and only a few days ago. It's not official, but I should start racing as early as January at the Tour Down Under.
And you find yourself in a WorldTour…
Let's wait and see! The scores are fine, but we'll see how the official licensing process goes...
Okay, but basically you might be at Tour of ItalyWill you raise your arm to be there?
I'd definitely try to ask him if we had to! There are several stages close to home. However, it's also true that I'll have to prove myself in previous races, mostly to see if I really have the potential to run it well or not.
Alessandro, what's the next step? What's your goal for 2023?
Do some WorldTour races, which I haven't done this year. And then manage to do some training with the brakes on harder.
That?
Well, last year I was also quite free from the preparation point of view I often overdid it in training. Between travel and training sessions, I'm exhausted! This year, we should be monitored more closely. With the WorldTour, the number of coaches will increase from three to four.
In light of the long commutes, are you thinking of moving elsewhere?
Yes, in Tuscany to get a little closer. But everything is still evolving.
What do you need to be among the best? Especially uphill, your terrain...
As I said, when I'm on form I can do well, but even when those good moments happen I lack a bit of experience. But in general I say that there is a lack of regularity, of consistency of performance even in stage races. I always struggle a bit too much in the first half, but then I gradually get going, even though I train pretty hard the day before. We'll study this with the team. Maybe we need to rest more. And all of this will be part of the more general discussion of easing back a bit in training.
