As for the Ghent of men, too the women's race saw the victory of a Jumbo Visma athlete (Marianne Vos) and two Italians among the top five: Balsamo and Bastianelli. To tell the truth, on two occasions we also dreamed big. First when Longo Borghini and Paladin found themselves just a hair's breadth from the finish line and behind them they didn't seem to believe it. Then when Vittoria Guazzini took the group on her shoulders and led them to the sprint, leaving a foreshadowing of Elisa Balsamo's soloVos has brought everyone to an agreement, but those flashes of blue did not go unnoticedAnd if we have already spoken about Elisa Balsamo in the last few days, going into more detail the conversation with his coach Arzeni, a few words with Marta Bastianelli will help us take stock of the situation one of the two girls that coach Salvoldi has identified as leaders for Tokyo.
How did it go yesterday?
More with my head and heart than anything else. I'm aiming to get into shape later on, and I need to work hard. In 2020 I only participated in 9 racesI'm already struggling to find the right condition, but like this it was like stopped a large diesel engineBetween Covid and mononucleosis, there's nothing missing.
So you expected to struggle?
I'd taken this into account, looking at the training and race data. What you do at home is never the same as in a race. And up here we run every three days, just what I need. Let's be clear, I can't settle for a fifth place, and in a sprint at that. It might be a good result for the team's morale, but I prefer to raise my arms.
Do you also pay for cancellations of Spanish races?
Of course. At home I've done a lot of riding on a scooter, but I've never reached the level of fatigue that comes with running. You may think you've done a good job, but when you get here, you immediately see the difference.. So staying until Roubaix, even if there are no certainties about Roubaix yet, is useful for getting in shape.
What do you know, will there be a race?
The girls of the Fdj say yes. Some French riders are apparently collecting signatures to run it.It's not very clear.
Only 9 races in 2020 and then what else was missing?
I suffered not having done the usual strength work in the gymWe have some equipment at home, but it's not the same. It's clear that a young girl struggles less, but I'm not worried, because in May I'll be ready and a new season will begin for me.
What kind of race was Ghent?
Challenging because the wind was crazyIt was difficult to stay in a group, between fans and actions on the walls. Then Not all girls are able to move in certain circumstances and in fact there have been several falls.
Did you think Longo and Paladin would arrive?
At some point yes, because we were looking behind us. Then in a second they organized themselves and at that point they were too close to escape us.
You did the seated sprint again, why?
And luckily at least this time I had my hands underneath, usually I keep them on top. I got on the wrong train, because I got on the left, while Vos started on the rightAfter 140 kilometers, it's not easy to have this clarity, especially if you're not in the best condition. But if I finish fifth like this, I'm confident I can improve soon.
