The plane that brought Filippo Tagliani and his teammates home left Casablanca airport yesterday at 16,30pm. Behind the rider of the Monzon-Savini Due Wines the Tour du Maroc has been put onA category 2.2 race that took place from the edge of the desert to the northern coast of the Maghreb country. Nine stages in total with many pitfalls and a constant reshuffling of the cards on the table.
«Everything went quite well – he says Tagliani before boarding the return flight – It's a shame that I dropped out of the rankings in the fan stage. But I managed to get six top 10s throughout the race."
Not the first experience
It is not the first time in Tagliani's career that we read about Tour du Maroc, which the rider from Brescia had already competed in years ago.
«It was 2017 – he continues – and I was racing with Delio Gallina. It was already well organised at the timeOver time, I think the thing that's changed the most are the hotels. They've become nicer and more welcoming, although the same problems with food and water remain. Today, as then, the team brought food from home.We have never eaten vegetables or food that needs washing, because running water is not available. Even for washing your hands and drinking you should always use bottled water».
How did it go in that sense?
I managed not to feel sick, which was the most important thing. Ten days is a long time, or rather twelve, considering that we left Italy on May 29th.The race started two days later, on May 31st, from the south, almost on the edge of the desert.
How were the stages organized?
Optimally, nothing was left to chance. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's a very well-organized race compared to many others I've done., even in Europe. The schedule was extremely tight, and after the stage, we were all transported comfortably to our hotels.
Here, flagships in tow?
The organization provided us with cars and transfers were organized with a bus that took us riders and staff members to the hotel and the startWe only moved from one city to another three times after arriving. Often we departed from the same one we had arrived in the day before.
The level in progress?
There were continental teams, but we always went strong. The big difference in the race was made by the wind, which made everything more difficult.On the hardest stage we had a lot of it in our faces, even on the climbs, so much so that it was really hard work, it was practically impossible to take a shot. Average speeds were low, but watt-wise the numbers were high. for all nine days of competition.
Which teams were there?
There were three teams with Moroccan athletes who somewhat dominated the race, at least in terms of numbers. Three African national teams were present: Burkina Faso, Morocco and Benin.Then there were many European continentals and some Development Championships. There was no shortage of French athletes.
What was the atmosphere like in the group?
I think that races like this are real life experiences. I had the opportunity to bond and talk with the French athletes, as the podium was dominated by two riders from Nice Metropole. The great disappointment for me was that I had the GPM jersey until the last stage, I lost it right at the end.
Was it difficult to control the race?
For us, yes, there were five of us in the team, but at the second stage one of the two Hungarians had to withdraw because he had a terrible stomachache. His compatriot was also ill, but then he recovered.The Moroccans had superior numbers and had the advantage in the fan formations, so much so that they occupied the entire lane. To follow them, we had to open another fan, but it wasn't easy to organize ourselves. When I dropped out of the rankings it was because of this, in the end the group got tired of chasing.
How did you organize yourselves with the food?
We always ate things that were closed or that had to be boiled: pasta, rice, canned tuna and biscuitsPerformance-wise, recovery was complicated, given that we had so many dietary restrictions. But it was a great experience, also because the alternative was to stay at home and train.I think it's always better to run. I came out in good shape, in fact I would have continued running.
Where will you go now?
Italian Championships on June 23rd and then at the Sibiu Tour, in Romania.
