After the third place obtained in the Italian cyclocross championship, Federica Venturelli he wasn't exactly happy. Of the three on the podium, she was certainly the one who smiled the least. Perhaps because she expected something more from such a smooth ride, given her power and leverage.
But not all days are the same, and especially at 18 (and you've just turned 18, by the way) there's plenty of room to look forward to. At that age the future rhymes with hope and then the smile can shine again on the face of the standard bearer of the Selle Italia Guerciotti Elite.
Let's start with the Italian race, Federica: how did it go?
I already knew that on that route I would not be favored, because even if it was very fast there were a lot of curves, but above all Those two drops of rain that fell just before we left were a low blow for me. Something that has disadvantaged me because I am less good than the others on the technical side.
But there were also some nice straights…
Yes but these straight stretches were not enough to recover for what I had lost following a fall, among other things, a rather stupid fall that left me with some problems on the bike.
Your "bosses," Guerciotti, told us that perhaps during that moment of the ski sprint you even lost your mind a bit. Is that true?
No, I don't think so. I have always been determined to return, But I also had some problems with the tires, I lost about thirty seconds and I couldn't close the gap. There was a moment when it seemed like I was getting closer, but On a fast course like Ostia, recovering the 30” lost in one go was not feasible.
Let's look ahead. You're tall, powerful, and have the physique of a road racer... And it's no coincidence that the future on the road is called Valcar...
Last year I had some good results, but there are many opponents stronger than me. I've already seen some first-year girls who will be very strong. But in addition to the road, I will also try to focus on the track, which gave me so much satisfaction last year. I hope to be able to reconfirm my individual pursuit world title.
But before Christmas, you hadn't had a great time; you had strep throat. How are you doing now?
My health problems seem to have been resolved. I stopped, I got treatment, and there shouldn't be any further relapses. Let's hope it continues like this, without further setbacks, because I've already given my all for this year. I'd like to regain the consistency needed to do well.
How will you handle cross-country skiing?
I want to finish the season on a high note, especially thinking about the World Cup. I saw the course last year and it's quite fast, almost all pushing. So it might be quite suitable for my characteristics, but I hope it doesn't rain too much because mud and I don't get along very well! After the world championship, if I'm tired I'll take a break., but in any case it won't be long because I've already rested a lot this winter. I'll try to prepare well for the road and start this season in the best possible way with my new team.
Is the idea to start strong right away and take advantage of my cross-country form, and maybe rest in April, or do a good break and then get back on track?
I believe that I need a little break, though, because I also have to focus on school. I've already missed a lot of classes, and I have my final exams this year. One more thing to think about! It would be more of a mental shift, then. But it could also be useful for graduating and improving my fitness before the World Championships, which will be in the middle of the road season.
Road, new team, is there anything scaring you? Maybe the mileage...
I'm still a second-year junior, so they don't scare me. Last year I didn't struggle much, not even in the open races. If anything, we'll think about the kilometers next year. Rather... I would like to use the time trial bike more. Last year I missed the European podium by a few tenths and I hadn't used it much.
