Team first, personal goals second. Canyon//Sram ZondaCrypto's aim is Giro d'Italia Women's cycling will be focused on the general classification. This is evident from the video conference organized yesterday by the German team directly from the 2.000 meters high Kuthai in which Chiara Consonni and Soraya Paladin appear as "musketeers" at the service of their leader Antonia Niedermaier (top photo facebook Canyon//Sram zondacrypto).
The captain's role will fall to the 22-year-old former vertical racer, who already won the Ceres stage in 2023 after a very long breakaway. Niedermaier has made further leaps in quality in recent years. The German will have the task of confirming and possibly improving the third place obtained last year by Snow Bradbury and she knows she will be able to count on the support of her two Italian teammates. However, both agree and Paladin They know that they have a couple of fractions that are suitable for them to play their cards. And Both will run the Italian championship in Darfo Boario Terme on Saturday 28 June with different ambitions.
Chiara's emotion
Usually, these types of online conferences are also an opportunity to take stock of the season so far. Consonni is as smiling as ever. He's enjoying his 26th birthday with the team. just twenty-four hours after celebrating – she who won gold in Paris in the Madison with Guazzini – Olympic Day.
"This year," explains the sprinter from Bergamo, "a few things have changed, with a new team and a new coach. It's never easy to adapt immediately, and in light of this, I can say that The only thing missing was the victory. Everything else went very well and I'm happy..
«I'm excited to run the Giro Women's cycling with Canyon – he continues – because it starts just a few kilometers from home and I know it will be special. I can't wait to get started and be able to support my teammates.».
Consonni and the lead out
Chiara's mind, however, is focused on the Giro d'Italia Women's cycling and how to tackle this challenge, before possibly also racing in the Tour de France Femmes, so she'll know more about that later.
«Al Giro Women's cycling there are two stages for the sprints – Consonni analyses, correcting himself immediately – or perhaps only the one in Monselice because the one from Trento on the third day includes the Tonale Pass at the beginning which could mess up the plans. I will try to aim to win a stage (he has always won one in the last three years, ed.), but first of all I will try to be of help to the team and to Antonia".
The list of her sprint rivals isn't yet clear, but Lorena Wiebes will certainly be there. The Dutchwoman from SD Worx already has 11 wins, and Chiara has finished behind her on three occasions. The duel is renewed.
«Lorena – he says with a sigh – in the sprint he has those initial three seconds of power that are scary and the differenceThe sprints I did with her gave us some benchmarks. During the training camp, we worked towards this, training and perfecting our lead out. One tactic might be to anticipate his sprintWe'll see how things unfold in the stages that suit us and try to get the best results. I'm ready."
Soraya and an eye on the tricolour
Connected next to Consonni there is also Paladin, in his fourth season at CanyonThe 32-year-old from Treviso echoes her partner, but for her first there is a tricolor in line inclined to her characteristics.
"The route," Soraya replies, "is tough and could be suitable for me. I haven't run since Itzulia in mid-May, however." I worked well at altitude in Austria so I hope to have good feelings, even if I know that coming straight from the training camp it's always a question markI also know that the Italian championship is always a strange race. If I'm healthy, I hope for a fairly selective race so I can take off the fast wheels and play my chances intelligently."
Paladin Guarantee
Soraya has always come close to success in the most congenial stages of the women's Giro d'Italia and after so many years he deserves an important personal affirmation to definitively consecrate her role as a team woman.
«Looking at the track – he continues – there could be several opportunities for breakaways. With so many tough stages, you could race more conservatively and therefore you will have to be good at getting into the right moves.I could carve out my space on a couple of occasions, but as Chiara said the priority remains to take care of the general with Antonia and help her in every situationThe final three days and the final stage will certainly not be a final parade. The altimetry of the Imola stage could mean anything if the gaps are minimal.
"Experience has taught me," Paladin concluded shortly before saying goodbye, "that mental energy counts a lot in a stage race, especially if you're in a good environment. We at Canyon are very well placed from this point of view and we are aware of it.. Then, personally, it also gives me a lot of morale to have a stage close to home. This also helps to better face a race like the Giro Women's cycling».
