The wheel tied to the net on the Col de Castillon, as last farewell for Rebellin, along the road that goes from Menton towards the interior“You will always be by my side on every single bike ride…”, wrote Davide Formolo on Instagram e Friends from many training sessions posed with him. Trentino e Covi, the Bonifazio brothers, Troia, and two amateurs. Then the conversation moves on to another photo. In this one there is Formolo, 21 years old, and next to him Rebellin who is already 43.
«It's the two of us together with Türkiye – he says – the first real efforts. There he asked me what year I was born, so I never forgot that 1993 was also his first year as a professional. We didn't get to train together very often; with today's training schedules, it's difficult to match up with others. But if I could, Whenever I saw him, I always turned around. Davide was like an open book to me.. And then, in terms of character, he also seemed very similar to me, honestly..."
Let's start once again
Soon it will be time to close the first suitcase and then Formolo will leave for the first European retreat of the UAE Team EmiratesFor the Veronese from Valpolicella, the upcoming season will be his tenth as a professional, with a two-year degree in his pocket and a strong desire to take back something he thinks he left behind along the way.
«The last one was a very special year – he says – especially the first part of the season. In January I broke my hand, I started running and as soon as After Sanremo I got the flu, so I spent the week in bed. I got back on my feet and went to the Basque Country. But having not touched the bike for a week, I got tendinitis in my knee which kept me out for two weeksThen I'm straight to the Giro d'Italia. I finished it and two days later I got CovidIt wasn't exactly a great start to spring.
«At that point we took a summer break to prepare ourselves well for the end-of-season classics, where I'm finally back to being the David I was used to., because it was a really complicated start to the season and suffered a lot also on an emotional level».
Why on an emotional level?
Unfortunately I was running and I was injured And this is the worst thing for a rider. Going to the races without being able to give your all. So now we start again hoping that everything goes well. Let's try to learn from mistakes and pay even more attention to details Compared to what we're used to. After all, this is what the new cycling style teaches us. We already have a comprehensive nutrition and training plan in place by November. Nothing can be left to chance, even in the winter months.
At Cannondale, they were talking about you as Basso's heir apparent: Grand Tours and leader's jerseys. Are you satisfied with how things have gone so far?
I'd definitely like to get out there more. But it's also true that, looking around, we're in such a strong team that for every race we go to, we have a captain who can win the classification, or a sprinter who can win the sprintsIf I could do my race, I would honestly be happy if I could get into the top 5 in the overall rankings. We have such strong captains that we can't play our cards against them.. And in the end, this is also a role that I like, honestly.
Can you be satisfied working for others?
I like to win. What I always struggled with when I was ranking on my own was defending myself on days when I wasn't great. That's why I like to win, I like the feeling of arriving after the victory. And if I can do a good job for a captain who then takes home the victory, Emotionally for me it feels like a win.
And don't you miss David's victory?
Of course, I'd like to do that every now and then, maybe even go on the run and win a few stages. I'm convinced that I will also be able to carve out some little space for myself.
They used to tell the kids who came by: "Reset everything and start over." Now they don't reset anything. How was it when you came by?
Very different. In the first year it was forbidden to do a grand GiroNowadays they come through and get on the podium in their first year. Ayuso this year at the Vuelta, Tadej two years ago. Or anyway Remco (Evenepoel, ed.) at the Giro d'Italia: last year he crashed, but this year at the Vuelta, the second major Giro, he won. It's a new cycling and we also have to adapt.. Certainly with the tools we have nowadays, they have a database of watts, calories burned per day, training method… Nowadays With such a large database, they can get the most out of each rider., even at a young age.
Earlier, you mentioned some major exceptions: do you realize they are not the rule?
They are phenomena, they are champions. If it had been five years ago, maybe Remco would have taken two more seasons to win the Vuelta, if not even 5-6. Instead he won at 22 years old. And that means he and a few others are three years ahead of their time.
In training with Tadej, can you tell he's a phenomenon?
He is another world, because the watts it already has in the medium range are a lot. Obviously, to have such a high threshold, it means that there is also a medium and a base at a completely different level than the others.
Where would you like to do well next year?
I really like the Strade Bianche. I really like it, for example, the Giro d'Italia. Or the Sanremo. May it be to win or to do an important job, for me it's a dreamWinning after doing a great job is just like winning myself…
