Marta Cavalli can't stop smiling and now she's starting to realize it too. Since she started dressing in the colors of the FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope the world has changed color.
"Everyone tells me," she says, obviously smiling, "that I seem to be in a great mood. That I radiate enthusiasm when I speak, that I seem happy in interviews, and that I even laugh in photos. But I have to admit that I found something I didn't expect and I really liked itNothing is left to chance. Organization and planningTwo weeks before the retreat, I received the training plan we would follow via email, so I could work with my coach on an approach that would allow me to arrive ready."
Debut on the walls
Twenty-two years. Experience on the road and track. With 6 European titles. Placements in classics such as the Brabant Arrow (2nd in 2019), Ghent-Wevelgem (5th in 2020), and Plouay (4th in 2019). Placements in challenging stage races (2nd in the 2019 Giro delle Marche). Second in the 2020 Italian championship. This is her road résumé.
The debut will take place in Belgium atOmloop Het NieuwsbladThe original plan was to start in Spain and arrive at the Strade Bianche having already raced. For the same reason, the Iberian debut was cancelled. The Belgian race will also serve to get feedback on the first training sessions, at the head of a winter of great changes.
«Not having the World Cup races on the track – explains Marta – I took a break for three weeks2020 was intense and hectic, recovering did me good. Then I had two weeks of adaptation to the new type of training, with a trainer recommended to me by the team. The most obvious difference is planning. I do large blocks of work interspersed with a recovery phase and for now I'm having good feelings, waiting for the verdict of the races".
To win
The first red circle on the calendar includes the April races – Ghent, Flanders and Roubaix – the classics that suit her and Cecile Ludwig who is the recognized leader of the team. On Marta, however, the project is long-term..
«I finally had the opportunity – explains Cavalli – to talk to Stephen Delcourt, who is the team manager, and the sporting directors Maire and Barre. They took me as a challenge. I'm young, I've achieved good placings and they want to take me to a higher levelTo do this, they care deeply about the well-being of the individual, as I've heard them say several times. I'll have a top-notch trainer by my side, a top-notch staff, and adequate materials. The investment will bear fruit, perhaps in a year, knowing that Maybe it will take me some time to process the change.I'll do my best to stay close to Cecile, but if I'm well, I'll have carte blanche too. They said they want to win with me, so I'll be in the best condition to do it. April will be the month of top form, but I don't deny that the best things often come later, when the tension of the big events has subsided and maybe you win without even realizing it."
Testto the Tour
The retreat went through two phasesThe first focuses on the volume of work, the second on technique, with a special focus on the team time trial.
«In the first part – says Cavalli – we did very intense 4-day blocks, with hours in the saddle, specific work and testsIn the second we made contact with the time trial bike and the automatics of the team time trial and in this my experience with the quartet is very much appreciated. At the Giro Rosa last year they lost ground in this specialty. And since the declared objective will be the 2022 Tour de FranceWe want to be ready for these stages, which are few but have a huge impact. Great harmony and clear communication are requiredAfter three days, we were already doing better, but if there are any gaps in the calendar, we'll organize specific meetings to work on them. The first one will be at the Giro Rosa, then we'll see."
Idea Tokyo
He didn't give up on the track, although at this stage of the year and of his career it is more of a training phase, since Tokyo is in his thoughts, but as we will see more on the road.
«I'm using Montichiari – he says – as an alternative way of working. We do sprints, starts, and reflex work. And then the weather here in the Po Valley isn't very good, so the velodrome is always a safe havenOf course, if it continues to be this cold, from now on, in addition to the track, I'll perhaps move to the lake to train in the heat. All in one day, luckily from this point of view, Cremona is doing well. As for Tokyo, I heard that Dino (Salvoldi, national team coach, ed.) would like to go and see the course in May. I know he's also bringing some athletes and I don't hide the fact that I would like to be there, because it would be a show of trustBut there's time. The team's program is for the first part, until April. We've got miles to go to see if the work done so far has borne fruit."
