When last Sunday Diego Ulissi he won the Industry and Commerce GP in Larciano and showed off one of his “workhorses”: sprinting in small groups (in the opening photo). The rider of the UAE Emirates He's a sniper when there are only a few of them. He's a good judge of timing, relationships, and sprint duration. Not to mention his physical abilities.
With Diego, starting from the Larciano sprint, we try to understand how these arrivals are managed. A topic that, as we will see, the Tuscan immediately made his own and the interview turned into a "lesson of anecdotes".
Diego, let's start with the Larciano sprint. I reach the bottom of the descent with the final kilometer flat. You, Gallopin, Verre, and Fedeli gain a handful of meters. How did you know that was the attack to follow?
They are fractions of a second. You have to think and choose the best solution in a very short time. Sunday, Hirsch he had been filmed and couldn't take the picture because he had just spent a lot of money, plus he was in front of the group and didn't see them take the picture GlassI, who was behind, had a more complete vision and I instinctively followed him. But it was a dangerous action.
Why?
Because we were at the last kilometer and we of the UAE There were two of us, so there had to be one. Verres pulled very, but I understand him because he is young and even a placing gives him confidence, and this helped my sprint. It allowed me to stay close behind. Gallopin started out long and you have to be cool there because The arrival was a bit tight and you can't leave too early, unless you have twice as many as the others, which you can't know. You have to be clear-headed. You need to accurately quantify the distance to the finish line and how much your legs can handle.
Clarity, distance from the finish line, thoughts: you need to keep a cool head…
It's needed, it's needed... While I was telling you about the Larciano sprint, the one in Agrigento at the 2020 Giro, with an uphill finish. A short and rideable climb, however, where riders like History e demareSo we wanted to get them to sprint with their legs crossed. Valerio Conti he pulled very hard. I went out with HonoreShortly afterward, the radio told me that Sagan was coming back. I turned around and saw him. At that point, I had two options: wait for him and outsprint him, hoping he'd waste a lot of energy coming back, or push harder to keep him from coming back. I had to think in a split second. I decided to wait a bit and catch my breath to beat him in the sprint, and that's what happened. So a lot also depends on the finish.
That?
From how it's made: if it pulls, if there are curves, if it's a bit downhill. For example, last year I was thinking with Covi after that in Sicily lost in the sprint with Valverde. Given that Alejandro is a champion, he didn't beat him because he had better legs, but because he had taken the final two corners in the lead and, following the trajectory, had no choice but to stay on his wheel. Valverde had anticipated the sprint. A lesson that might be useful to him in the future.
And do you always study them, especially when you know you can do well?
On routes that are not known, such as the arrivals of stage races, we display the arrivals with VeloViewer or at least we have technologies with which sports directors show us the finals in detail. This way we understand what awaits us and how we can interpret the sprint. And this is also important for talking to the teammates who have to lead you to the sprint. In this sense, the following comes to mind: Monselice stage always at Tour of Italy of 2020.
The Euganean Hills. Tell us about it...
That day there were about twenty of us and with me there was McNulty. At 300 meters we knew there was a double curve to the left, almost like a U-turn. We talked and I told him exactly what position I wanted to be in after the corner. And so it went. I came out third, right in front of Almeida who finished second by half a wheel.
Does knowing the arrival also influence the choice of gear?
Yes. I usually always use 53. I have good peak power for my weight, but it's not very high in absolute terms, however I can maintain it for a long time. And that's exactly how I won in Fiuggi (Giro 2015, ed.). There too, the finish was tough, and with one less cog, I managed to maintain my watts at all in the final 200 meters. Effectively beating the purest sprinters.
And what about a sprint you missed? A mistake you wouldn't make again?
A stage in the 2020 Tour of Poland comes to mind, on a slightly uphill finish. My teammates and I took the sprint a bit too far. There was then a slight drop in speed and at 300 meters carapaz he anticipated. When I finally got out, I rejoined, but it was too late. We made a mistake that day. And that can happen.
When managing these small-group sprints, do you baptize a wheel or do you go it alone regardless of who's there?
I usually name a wheel, but it also depends on the type of sprint you want to set up. Generally when a rider knows he is the fastest he puts himself in a position to do a “clean sprint”. He gets in front behind a teammate and gets launched to go at the moment he thinks is right based on energy, distance, wind, slope... If instead there is a faster rider, he looks for his wheel. Try to ride his slipstream and hope to jump him.But it's not easy. For example, in the sprints of the last Coppi and Bartali with people like Van der Poel e Hayter you look for one of their wheels, but then one of the two remains free and maybe makes a better sprint.
These arrivals are usually tense, especially if you know that the group behind you won't be coming back and you have to keep an eye on each other: how do you manage the tension?
If a rider achieves victory early in the season, he also manages those moments better. He takes more risks, stays calmer, and tends to make fewer mistakes. If, on the other hand, he strings together a series of placings, he gets nervous. In general, you have to try to stay cool, trust your teammates, and think half a second before your opponent. But it's not easy. And a little luck always helps. And winning helps you win.
Does the old rule of moving to the barriers to check only one side still apply?
Yes, it always applies. Let's revisit the Larciano sprint. Verres had just shot and I knew there wasn't much more he could do. Fedeli He was on my left and had no room. Gallopin was in front. I had full visibility. I had the situation under control. So, of three opponents, I essentially controlled only one: Gallopin. He got away a bit long, but I did so when I decided it was the best moment. At that point, I gave it my all, hoping, as always, that someone wouldn't overtake me from behind. It's important not to lose focus.
A technical-tactical masterpiece, so many things to keep under control...
I'm also thinking about Tirano's arrival at the 2011 Giro.
Oh, we knew you'd pull it off. Otherwise, we would have! That sprint was pretty complex...
There's a whole reasoning behind that sprint, it wasn't a random sprint.
Explain everything to us…
There were four of us: Bakelands, Slabs, Visconti and me. Lastras was “quick” and could even start in the last kilometer. And Giovanni was the strongest and the fastest, he was mature and a winner and for this reason he was the one I feared and controlled the most.I had the advantage of being a new pro and they didn't know how fast I was. I caught them a bit off guard by starting long. Plus that day I mounted the 52, instead of the 53The straight was a bit tough, it was the third week and I was tired… the fact is that as soon as I started, being more agile, I immediately took those 10 meters. But Visconti remained. So I threw myself into the spot where I was most protected from the wind, but not completely at the barriers. I gave him that space (covered by the wind that was making you want to go, ed.), where, however, I knew he couldn't get through. Let's say he fell into the trap. I studied it carefully! The important thing is that no one got hurt.
A true argument! At the beginning, Diego, you spoke of instinct. And it's true: experience is fine, with which you can improve, but certain things you either have or you don't. Is that true?
For timing, instinct is important, it's true, but I also believe you need to know the riders. when I'm at home I watch the races and study the opponents. You never know. Because the sports directors' tips are fine, but your vision, that of the rider, is different.
