Maria Giulia Confalonieri with fists clenched with pride, while Elisa Balsamo, crying, thanks her companionsMaria Giulia Confalonieri who passes by on the finish line of Leuven with her arms raised like her national teammate. Who smiles while looking around, feeling part of a bigger story. Then the words of Saul Barzaghi, the physiotherapist of the Italian team. On the fact that Mary had to earn that blue jersey. On the fact that someone like that, with his ability to work as a team and ease tensions, she should always be in the national team. And if she had been at the Olympics, perhaps there wouldn't have been so many problems.
Cross and weekend
A few kilometers from Seregno, his home, the Giro di Lombardia is about to start, while the other girls are still in Great Britain. The team, the Ceratizit WNT he chose not to go, so after Roubaix his season is overIt's time to take some time for yourself, to cherish your memories and to understand if there's room for some cyclocross training. Together with his cousin, Alice Maria Arzuffi, champion of Italy.
"I've always trained with her," he smiles, "but now I have to figure out if I can get organized with the team. If I can find a bike. The season starts again in February, temperatures have dropped and it would be a nice way to do somethingNo overly exotic vacations this year. Yesterday I went for a hike in the mountains with my dog. I'm spending time with my family. And maybe my partner Mattia and I will do something... a few weekends around Europe».
So let's go back to Leuven, shall we? What did that blue jersey mean?
Wearing it always made me incredibly proud. I really cared about it. I knew that the World Championships were finally right for me, after two years as a climberI had been banking on it since the beginning of the year. I knew that on that course Elisa (Balsamo, ed.) could at least get a podium finish. When I then saw that The Dutch gave us the gift of not attacking from afar., I understood that the air was good.
Always the Dutch…
They were the ones to beat, but at some point you also have to look at the numbers. And of the twenty-three that were playing the final, we were five.Five who ran with a single goal. We were good at sprinting, while Marianne Vos was left alone.
Balsamo world champion.
Elisa is not just a teammate in the national team, she's also my friend off the bikeThe world championship is a fitting reward for a year in which she dedicated herself body and soul to the track.
You were an exceptional group, one might have thought?
I have a good relationship with many of the girls in the blue team, but We are women and we can't always get alongBut we were a really good group. Elisa, Marta and Vittoria (Balsamo, Cavalli and Guazzini, ed.) and I have always known each other. About the fact that with me tensions go away, as Saul says… I'm definitely more relaxed than others.
Saul spoke of being excluded from the Olympics as a bad moment.
At the beginning of the season, that call-up was a goal, as was the World Cup. In the quartet, I never proved to be as good as the starting four, but I could have been a reserve and then done the MadisonLet's be clear, the exclusion was acceptable, I didn't take it too badly, because the others deserved it. It's also true that I could only do the Madison, but I'm sorry that things weren't said until the last minute.
Many people learned at the press conference…
Which I did not follow, because I knew I wouldn't be carriedWe fought for five years, but that's the beauty and the shame of being part of a strong group.
At the 2019 European Championships in Apeldoorn, he won gold in the individual pursuit. Apeldoorn 2019: Confalonieri with Salvoldi after winning gold. Also in Apeldoorn, he participates in the madison with Letizia Paternoster
At the 2019 European Championships in Apeldoorn, he won gold in the individual pursuit. Apeldoorn 2019, with Salvoldi after winning gold Also in Apeldoorn, he participates in the madison with Letizia Paternoster
Can we think about Paris 2024?
I do not believe. The other girls are young, they will have the chance to play for that goal and will achieve great results. I am 28 years old and I want to dedicate the last years of my career to the roadI want to give myself some satisfaction.
Close your eyes, what image comes to mind when you think of the Leuven Day?
There are two. Singing the anthem all together under the podium. But first, the moment when I saw Elisa from behind raising her arms to the sky.I felt like I'd won too. Cycling is a team sport, but only one person wins. That day we all wonWe will forever be part of this victory.
