OLIVA (Spain) – Sofia Bertizzolo is back on the dance floor. Obviously not to secure a spot in the quartet, but to train for the Tower Down UnderHe told us about it. Chiara Consonni, so one of the first things when the Bassanese of the UAE Team Adq he joins us, and makes her laugh by telling us about her day in Montichiari.
«No idea of a World Cup – he laughs – but It's true that before retiring, I made a comeback to the track. Obviously, I went without interfering with those who were preparing the Europeans. It's a workout that saves you from the cold, you can do specific work on the bike and in my case, where I have to anticipate everything, it was ideal.Well, it was Tuesday and it was snowing almost everywhere at low altitude. There were 50 of us there, and I thought, "Sofia, what a bad idea!" Instead, it turned out to be a very orderly day. Villa and his staff were very helpful, I think I will go back».
Sofia won the quartet's first Italian title in 2014, the same year as the European Junior Road Championships in Nyon and the silver medal at the World Championships in Ponferrada. The second one was won in 2015 (with Barbieri, Cavalli and Balsamo) and with the same girls he won the European championship in Athens, then swerved onto the road. In 2019 he achieved fourth place in Flanders at the age of 22 and today he is one of the pillars of the UAESofia is direct and frank. Sometimes, with healthy realism, she says that sooner or later such frankness will backfire.
The team has changed a lot. Marta Bastianelli has retired, and two girls like Gasparrini and Consonni have looked to you as role models.
Well, that's something I like to hear from girls. I'm 26, it's not like I have much more experience than them, but I realize that I belong to the generation that lived the before and after. For better or for worse, 2020 was a turning point for us., at least that's what I had this perception of. From then on there was an incredible push, because During the lockdown, women became passionate about cycling.
Why do they see you like this?
Maybe because I have a strong personality. I demand it, but I'm the first one to defend them when they're rightI want the best for them, while I expect the best from myself. the ability to understand when a young person is faced with a situation they are not familiar with, in order to be able to explain it to themThe biggest difficulty when I went was that no one explained anything to me.
What was it like before Covid?
The skills weren't there, the human resources weren't there, the money wasn't there. The sporting directors of 5 or 6 years ago were passionate, almost none of them had raced, and their vision was sometimes right, sometimes wrong, but unprofessional. Now the level has clearly risen, also because it is a job that provides the resources to live. It's no longer amateurism.
You said a while ago that you chose a supporting role because you're strong on climbs but not strong enough, and you're fast but not fast enough. What's your niche?
I am very objective with myself and with the team. I do my job well and it's obvious that the chances of finding my space are reduced., especially if you're honest (because not everyone is). The classics are the races I like the most, because up there experience counts.. Many girls start building it and then forget everything. The pressures, the relationships… Keeping a little baggage allows you to arrive up there already prepared.These are races with a lot of dynamics and rarely end with a bunch sprint, so that's my space. In stage races, however, I focus on the overall leader, or lead the sprints for the sprinter. In the intermediate stages, you can seize the opportunity; things are changing here too…
What?
We saw at the Tour de France, which I didn't race, that the races are taking this direction. Breakaways are rewarded, because everything is becoming more challenging. The distances are increasing, so those who want to aim for the general classification cannot do the mountain stages at full speed, from kilometre zero to the finish line. So even among us there is now a distinction between those who go for the stage and those who go for the general. Until last year, Before the Tour came back, it was a free-for-all from start to finish.. Now it's changing.
You've raced with coaches like Riis and Arzeni, and now Cherie Pridham has arrived: is it positive that a woman is finally leading an all-female team?
Nothing changes, because the boss has to earn his place. It strikes me when this question is asked, because I don't see what the problem is.I have yet to meet Cherie, I've only seen her twice so far, but my approach is the same. Perhaps the only thing that changes in front of a sports director is understanding whether he has run or notIf I'm at full speed, someone who's run knows when he can ask me to hold it for a minute longer. However, from the point of view of the role of women, I am very happy that the team is moving like this.
In most teams there are still men in positions of responsibility.
But I also realize that we are moving to a generation where athletes quit and then come backI'm thinking of Giorgia Bronzini, I don't know Tatiana Guderzo, or Marta Bastianelli, who could play a role in the Fiamme Azzurre. I hope they don't let it slip away.
Do you think Marta would be a good sports director?
No (laughs, ed.), because she feels the competition, she doesn't read it. She has something unique, if you have a meeting the night before maybe she doesn't get it right, then she gets to the final and doesn't miss a beat. Look at the opponent's report and understand what will happen. It's something you can't explain. Whereas my approach is more technical. We have the means to study the routes and the weather. I don't watch every kilometer, but I think having a good knowledge helps you run better and save a lot of energy. Maybe I have the right attitude to be a sports director, while Marta would have more charisma when speaking on the radio.
When he announced his retirement, you were the most moved…
We have been teammates for the first time in 2019, both of them playing outside of Italy for the first time. Marta is a very charismatic personHe always says, "A slap and a caress." And he's right, it worked for me. He's a down-to-earth person. If there's anything in the camper that needs cleaning or tidying up, she's always there to get it done..
What season would you like for Sofia Bertizzolo?
I would like to win again, after having unlocked myself in Romandie (opening photo, ed.). How do you say? Winning helps you win. But I think every athlete's dream is toOlympiadMy goal is the classics, I could find personal satisfaction and at the same time send a signal to the technical commissioner. The fact that the Olympics will mess up the calendar, because the Tour and the World Championships are postponed, is another matter. So for now I'm going to Australia to prepare for the classics. The goal is twofold: to get my name out there and to show that I know how to work for the team.I have some Italian teammates who rightly want to compete for a place in Paris and I will be ready to help them as they will help me.
Having finished fourth in the Flanders and being first in the U23s, does it give you a special feeling about the race?
It's still my favorite race. At first, I hated certain routes, but then I realized it was a lack of knowledge on my part and that of the team. I did the first Flanders with 7 pressure and I finished it without being able to open these three fingers that I had broken when I was little.I had to open them with my other hand because they were paralyzed. So obviously you can't have a good feeling when you're hit, but at the time no one was able to teach me that. But when you understand the secrets, then you adjust accordingly and it becomes your favorite race.It's dynamic, it can change at any moment. The beauty of cycling is that you never know how it's going to end. You know it's tough, you know it's cold, you know everything you want. But I think that from the fans' point of view it's the most beautiful. I have no doubts..
