Little by little Laura Tomasi too is starting to appear more and more frequently in the upper echelons of the WorldTour. The girl from Miane had a very busy, but also important, August, with significant placings that have given her back a smile that had faded a little in an objectively difficult season.
In an Italian women's cycling team that was always in the spotlight, from the classics season to the stage races, the Venetian was almost never heard of, then In August important placings began to arrive with stage podiums both at Tour of Scandinavia that the Simac Ladies TourWhat happened before? His story is a calendar of misfortunes.
A bad head injury
"In March, there was the first fall in Belgium, with a blow to the head," the Venetian begins. "Covid arrived in May. Then, just the day before the Giro d'Italia, another fall, this time not on the bike but with more serious consequences: a head trauma that required some checks and a lot of cautionI was out all July. Luckily, the team never failed to support me and put their trust in me as I looked ahead to August."
As soon as you got back to fitness, your schedule became incredibly busy: Tour of Scandinavia, Simac Ladies Tour, now the Vuelta…
It's fine with me, first of all because I've run very little, before leaving for Norway I'd only done 25 days of running, then because I've been absent for so long, I also have to give my replacement a chance to breathe. Now I will do all the WorldTour races until the end of the season.
Not only did you get to compete, but you also had the chance to shine…
The opportunity had to be exploited. The team, not having Garcia e Bastianelli on the roster, he had given all of us the opportunity to exploit the situation since there was no designated captain. It would have been a race to establish the hierarchy, and when I was called upon, I answered the call. Now I'm ready to go back to carrying out my duties in function of the others, at the Vuelta Mavi was our guide, but if other opportunities arise I won't let them slip away.
Let's talk about Laura Tomasi's beginnings: did you immediately identify cycling as your favorite sport?
Not exactly. As a child I liked figure skating the most, but then I started to experience cycling as my favorite activity., competing since I was a beginner. I must say that my family was a bit resistant at first: my father, who had been active when he was young, advised me against trying, saying it was too demanding, but then they always supported me in my decisions.
How have you evolved technically?
Let's say that I'm not a climber, that's for sure... On short climbs I can defend myself brilliantly, but my characteristics are more related to speed, to sprint. This is why races like the ones in Norway and Holland are the most suitable for me.
Since you're fast, what are your team duties?
I'm in the train working in function of Bastianelli, but when she's not there I can also finish, especially if I'm in a breakaway. I feel very comfortable in small groups. When in big teams like theUAE Team ADQ you have important captains it's right to give everything you have for them, but there is no shortage of opportunities to have freedom in a season.
You said you weren't very good at climbing, but if we look at the events of the Dutch race, the fourth stage almost seems to contradict you...
It's a little true. It was the stage that featured the Cauberg, the climb made famous by the Amstel Gold Race, which I had to tackle three times, and I ended up finishing fourth. A breakaway of about twenty athletes, including me, got away, and I did my part in the sprint. However, I've been told that the Dutch classic's route is a little different, more complicated.
How would you deal with it?
Always at the service of others, of those with the best chance of succeeding. I want to be useful, I hope I can stay. I haven't signed the renewal for next year yet, but I have good signs in that direction.The important thing is that I maintain my current condition and have opportunities to show off, also in light of the others. The latest results have given me peace of mind and this is also thanks to the work undertaken with the psychologist after the incidents of the seasonThey have had a huge impact and I hope to continue doing so.
