"Challenging the big girls, looking them in the eye. This is what I try to instill in my girls." Davide Arzeni there is certainly no lack of grit.
Its Valcar-Travel&Service He concluded his training camp in Puglia a few days ago, specifically in Ostuni. We took stock of the situation with the Lombardy-born sports director ahead of the upcoming season. His team isn't a WorldTour team, but it's among the most feared and successful in the world.
Davide, why did you go to Puglia?
I chose Ostuni because I know those areas well. Inland, there are many hills with 3-4 kilometer climbs, not difficult but ideal for training. And also because in those days in Lecce, not far away, there were... Italian cross country skiers and I had the Perch , Brawls, so I could support them better.
How did you work?
A morning warm-up session followed by a lot of kilometers. We worked on our endurance. In the afternoon, we hit the gym, did some tests, and rested.
You mentioned Arzuffi, let's start with her. Alice is a comeback...
I have been Arzuffi's coach since 2011, even when he was with other teams. It was known that his departure would only be temporary. She wanted to do a lot of cyclocross, we were focusing more on the road. This year she's done fewer CX races, and I'm convinced she'll be able to do very well on the road; she'll be fresher. I don't know exactly how many she's done, but not her usual 35. Plus, we've changed our preparation a bit. Usually, we started strong in CX to do well at the European Championships and in the Superprestige. this year, however, we focused on the finale: the Italian Championships (winners, ed.) and the World Championship.
What characteristics does Alice have on the road?
For me, it may seem like a paradox, but she is more of a road biker than a cross-country biker. He can go strong in long races, because he has great endurance and stamina, so I'm thinking of the Northern Classics: Flanders and Liège.
Let's move on to the queen: Elisa Balsamo...
Its goal is the Olympics on the track. And we've changed our preparation a bit for her too. Without the World Cup on the track he worked much more on the road than in other years. But she continued to go to the track a couple of times a week. This is good for her in my opinion. She's been less cold and she's getting those same workouts on the road too. She'll be more lively at the start of the season. And the training camp she did recently in height on Etna Even though it's aimed at Tokyo, it will also be useful for the road. It will do well until the Northern Classics, after which its road activity will drastically decrease.
How much has Elisa increased her workloads in percentage terms over the years?
She is a heritage of our cycling that must be protected. Let's remember that we are talking about a girl who is 22 years old and hasn't reached her peak yet. How much has it increased? I don't know in kilometers, although now it can run up to 5 hours. More than anything, the intensity of the work has increased. After the Olympics, we'll raise the bar on the road.
So he won't race on the track anymore after Tokyo?
No, the track must not be given up! I say that maybe in 2022 he will make more progress, also because from 2023 he will have to think about Paris 2024.
Then there are the two terrible girls you took: Eleonora Gasparrini and Matilde Bertolini…
Both made a great impression on me, especially with their desire to work and grow. They made themselves available to the team. Gasparrini has important skills, I'm not saying she can immediately win in the WorldTour, but yes, she can win the races just below her.
Are such young athletes fascinated by champions like Arzuffi and Balsamo?
Yes, they are important examples for them. They find themselves reliving Elisa's own journey. For now, they're quiet when it comes to joking, but with a girl like Chiara Consonni I'm sure this silence won't last long. You can't stay asleep! Sooner or later it'll get to you.
What goals will Chiara Consonni have this year?
Her goal is also the Olympics on the track. My idea is to give her more space so that she doesn't just have to be the one who takes the shots like Balsamo. He's already had his chances, but he deserves something more, especially because he's in his fourth year as an U23 and is maturing.
Is she a girl who bangs her fists on the table? Do you have any athletes like that?
I had it (the reference is to Marta Cavalli, (Editor's note)! She wanted more space. But as I said, we're still her fans. In general – Arzeni pauses briefly – this group surprises me… the group. Guazzini, Pirrone, Sanguintetti, Persico… many and all sacrifice themselves for the team.
Deignan said that the difference between WorldTour teams and the others is now noticeable. What do you think?
I don't feel inferior to any team – Arzeni replies with determination and pride – My girls look their opponents in the eye. They challenge them. And it's okay if they underestimate us. Even though we're professionals, we've won WorldTour races. Okay, those teams may be stronger overall, but we have completely different budgets. We've always grown a bit over the years. I'm not just their sporting director, but also their coach: I know how fast they are and how fast the others are. In fast races I think I have one of the strongest teams in the world, Made up of many young people. We have one of the strongest teams on the planet.
