LIUZHOU – When a few days ago we spoke with Luca Guercilena of the new Lidl-Trek purchases, between the lines it seemed to be understood of the disappointment for the departure of Baroncini towards the UAE Team Emirates. As for Tiberius, albeit for different reasons, the meaning was to have sown a lot, but leaving the harvest to others.
Baroncini is one of the most concrete talents that Italian cycling has expressed in the last five years, only the magic of the last season among the under 23s, with victories at the Giro U23 and at the World Championships in Leuven, was abruptly interrupted by a series of falls and related fractures. We meet him at a stage start at Tour of Guangxi, with the clatter of the signature sheet in the background, because here every day is a celebration. Reaching the station of the Lidl Trek we exchanged an amused glance with Jonathan Milan, besieged by dozens of fans. The presence of these riders is too good an opportunity to miss. for girls and boys who perhaps will never go to Europe and who knows when and if they will see them again (first, the Romagna on the uphill finish of Nongla, finished 27″ late).
Do you think Lidl-Trek might be upset that you're leaving?
I don't see why. They took me because they believed in me and I went because I believed in the team., but things don't always go as expected. We part on good terms., no one says that we won't meet again tomorrow.
You turned professional with a winner's mindset, ready to achieve results. Can we say the reality was much tougher?
Certainly the falls had a big impact, because every time I had to stop and start from scratch. So the condition would immediately go down and to bring it back up, maybe I would do things a little quickly to get back to the best possible state. This can be beneficial for a month, a month and a half, but then a decline in performance begins and this prevented me from obtaining the results I was hoping for.. In addition the fact of fall and break It influenced me a bit.
In what way?
It takes me to brake a little earlier to avoid taking risks. Like a few days ago, for example. When Milan collided with someone next to him, I was just behind and braked harder than usual. I have always been a great filer and perhaps this has led to a few too many mistakes.. To some falls that could have been avoided.
What have you understood about Filippo in these two years?
I definitely had the confirmation of the tenacity that I always thought I hadThese episodes reaffirmed that I'm resilient, that I never give up after bad experiences. They were a test. I have matured thanks to these misfortunes too, which also helped me grow in terms of inner calm.
Why change teams?
Let's start from the fact that I felt the need to change, to have new stimuli, to start almost from scratch to be able to relaunch myselfI definitely had a good growth in Trek, without much stress. Well, maybe I would have liked to have had more of that. Many times I create more stress for myself than necessary in my search for results., so maybe this was the only thing I wanted.
La UAE Emirates did he tell you what he expects from you?
They didn't take me to shoot, rather for grow and regain my confidence in the means that according to them I still haveThey were following me since I did those good results at the U23 Giro, there had already been a strong interest of theirs there, which they have always maintained. Let's say that this was the key that made me choose the new teamI need to regain confidence in myself and the team. That's the reason for the change.
The consensus among insiders is that you risk going after Pogacar if Tadej is in the classics you're also aiming for.
Welcome if there will be work to do for Pogacar, because Helping such a strong person definitely makes you growRather than being almost anonymous in the middle of the group, I prefer to make myself available and then maybe break away in the last 50 kilometers. Having a running goal is something that motivates me a lot., so it will definitely help me grow.
So the winner's head remains?
We know that nowadays you have to be good at everything, from making yourself available to trying to win. In these last two months I have learned a lot by helping the teamI think it's fundamental in cycling, so I feel ready for everything and my mentality has certainly never changed.
Is the time trial still something worth investing in?
More and more. Talking to men UAE, I understood that they are counting on me a lot for that too. So we will definitely develop the new positions, we will go to the wind tunnelThere's a good project behind it. From here in China I go directly to Dubai and then Abu Dhabi, where we will have a first meeting, certainly soft, more than anything to get to know each other.
What kind of emotions do you feel when changing teams?
When I am passed from Beltrami to Colpack, it seemed like a big leap to me and I feel like I'm reliving it a little. They are the same emotions, the same sensationsI really want a change of scenery, to start almost from scratch. Close one book and open another.
