Over half Tour of Italy It's behind us, but the best is yet to come. And among this great anticipation, we also include Davide Piganzoli. With the rider of the Polti-VisitMalta We took stock of the situation more or less at the halfway point of the Giro d'Italia.
He has run well so far. He has shown his worth and is right there in the top ten overall: 17th at 3'59" from Del Toro and the tenth position at 1'26”. It must also be said that compared to last year, excluding Tadej pogacar, the average level of competition for top positions is much higher and more crowded. Yet after every difficulty you browse the rankings and “Piga” is there.
Davide, how's it going?
Honestly, I started well in Albania; I think I performed well. Then I had a fall on the day of the big crash, which weakened me a bit. But hey, I think I'm recovering. We managed to get out of the dirt roads of Siena unscathed, so that's already a good sign..
San Pellegrino in Alpe, but also Tagliacozzo and Siena have been the most important stops so far: how did you feel?
In Tagliacozzo, I was coming off the crash the day before. I had a bit of pain in my butt. You know, after a crash, you're always a bit weakened, but hey, I dropped off when I started the tough section. At that point, I tried to hold on and stay there, without losing too much. I knew it was going to be a tough day.
And in Siena on the dirt roads? On TV, we thought we saw you come back a couple of times...
I'm satisfied because in the end I was in the second group behind the first 15. They're all experienced and very strong people, so I think I defended myself well. And the team also did a great job of getting the dirt roads right.
If you had to make a comparison with last year's Giro, after 9 stages, how do you feel?
The level has definitely changed because this year we're really going much faster than last year, because there are more people going fast uphill. Last year, Pogacar was there, then there were four or maybe five behind him. This year, however, there are actually ten who can compete for the Giro. And they're all there every day, wanting to be at the front. So the pace is higher, and there's more competition. But I think I'm doing well in terms of numbers, above last year's levels, so I think we'll have a lot of fun in the final week, and if we're in good shape, we'll try to make a bit of a difference.
And speaking more concretely: recovery, approach to the stages, stress... How are you experiencing it?
I definitely feel better, I feel like I've grown both in terms of the amount of training I've done and in everything else. I believe and am confident that it can be a great Giro, even I worked hard on the time trial. Even on the Teide, after the Tirreno. That detachment may seem like nothing when you think about the last few days.
Starting today, three stages begin that, in theory, should be a little easier. Could they be active recoveries? Stages where you can save as much as possible?
We'll have three days less difficult on paper and it is important to try to spend as little as possible, to be up there so as not to get holes, but to try to stay in the rankings without spending too much.
And how will they be managed from a food perspective? Have you developed a different plan for these sections with such low elevation gain?
We have a nutritionist who works with us who evaluates everything every day our caloric expenditure and then plan the next recovery meal. The recovery meal, snack, dinner, and bedtime snack will vary based on how much we've consumed each day, so everything will be carefully calibrated.
Your team manager, Ivan Basso, for example, would always have run at the front. Is it possible to take a little less risk and stay a little further at the back, saving a bit of energy? It used to be said that "flats were wider" at the back...
Of course, it's much better at the back, but there are also many more risks, because a crash certainly never happens in the first five positions, but always from thirtieth, fiftieth and above. If you're in the top 30, you can dodge it. If you're behind, you'll be involved even if you don't fall and will be forced to reroll to get back in.. Or maybe you get a hole you would have gladly done without.
Clear…
As I said before, at a high level there are many teams that want to stay ahead and this creates nervousness, It creates speed, and I think this is why the averages are so high right now. If things go well, with 30-40 kilometers to go, everyone starts pushing because the leaders want to stay ahead. Otherwise, it happens right from the start of the stage, as has happened several times.
Speaking of being at the front: often, when talking to other Professional riders, when you go to these big races, the theme comes up that the WorldTour riders arrogate to themselves the right to be at the front, almost as if it were a pre-established hierarchy within the group. Pellizzari, for example, comes to mind; this year, he's at Red Bull-Bora, and he's consistently at the front. What's your take on this?
There is a bit of hierarchy. I respect all the teams, in the end you understand that if a rider from the same team passes in front of you... UAE Emirates or of Red Bull-Bora, it's almost right that he's in front given the leaders they have. However, there are moments in the race when this must not happen and you need to know exactly when. We need to understand when the right moment is, because if one day we want to compete for a stage win with Lonardi, it's only right that Polti-VisitMalta also stays ahead and keeps their leader ahead. The day I want to try to ride the uphill stage, it's only right that I too have a chance to take the climb with the leaders.
Talking about PellizzariYou're the blue hopes. Do you ever talk to each other in a group? What's your relationship like?
Giulio and I are truly great friends. We talk about bikes, but not only that. We keep in touch outside of cycling, too. Our girlfriends are friends, we go out to dinner... We exchange ideas about everything, not just cycling. The bond we've developed is wonderful.
How do you see him pedaling?
Well, it's really going strong. In the Siena stage it went like a plane. When Roglic punctured he brought it back in and then pulled to contain the gap a little. Yeah, he's doing really well, so I wish him the best.
So we'll ask him the next question, let's see what he says when we ask him: how does Piganzoli pedal?
Let's hope he says: strong!
