«Likewise, I saw a great one Soraya Paladin who ran well on the way back». The words of praise from the city Paul Sangalli towards Treviso at the end of the Binda Trophy – where he had seen many Italians on the rise, in addition to Balsamo's victory – were the starting point for a tactical analysis.
Now comes the intense period of the Northern Classics where you need the right attitude to stay ahead. The basis is knowing how to read the race and run accordingly, also taking into account the current form of the teams or the most credible ones. The final result can then depend on many factors, bad luck or luck, one's own skill or that of the opponents. Paladin is undoubtedly a long-distance athlete who, when in good condition, knows how to maintain it for a long time and knows how to make the most of it.. Let us therefore resume the initial incipit with her.
Fourth ten days ago, fifth last year and in 2021, third two years ago. You've always been strong in Cittiglio, but is there still something missing?
I really like the Trofeo Binda route and the race always comes out tough. It's never nice to finish fourth or, more generally, not win, but you also have to consider who's ahead of you.In an arrival like Cittiglio's it is very difficult to beat people like Balsamo and Kopecky. Also Pieterse finishing third was a surprise up to a certain pointShe's been training a lot on the road, and I'm confident she'll continue to be strong, just like she is in cyclocross. Personally, I'm happy with my placement and with how the team moved. We had to adapt.
What was the tactic of the Canyon Sram?
We had studied it wellThe ideal would have been to lead a small group, but we quickly realized it would be difficult. At that point, we tried towards the end with a few attacks. Bradbury and Chabbey were the ones in charge of stirring things up to try and remove some of the fast wheelsIn this sense, Elisa (Balsamo, ed.) was very good at holding on and deserving the victory, I give her credit for that and on the one hand, I'm pleased. On the other, it's obvious that we hoped to do better.
So you were the designated captain?
In reality, I started on par with Chabbey, but neither of us was able to make the difference and we were getting closer to a more or less narrow sprint. We decided on the fly that I would be the one to save my legs for the final since I have a faster start than him.
Is this what the coach means by “running on the counterattack”?
I don't know, I think so. Besides, we couldn't have done otherwise. If we had had a fast rider like Dygert at the start, we probably would have raced differentlyI definitely would have attacked too, maybe even earlier. In any case, we prefer to race like this rather than finish the race regretting not having tried.
In fact, you've never hidden yourself and you're not afraid to try. At the Amstel finale last year, you deserved better luck.
Sometimes you have to seize the moment and then hope for many things to get there. Good luck, condition, a team that covers you, opponents that look at each other, and more. Even in that Amstel, I had to do as I did in Cittiglio and wait until the end to play my cards in the narrow sprint. But I had seen how the race was going and so I attacked alone with eight kilometers to goIn the end, I finished fifth, but rather than filing, I like to attack and be the protagonist. I can certainly say that in cycling today, you have to avoid overrevving.
Is that why you started in Australia?
I wanted to start 2024 by riding in the heat to get into shape a little earlier than usual and I started again there after six years. I did unexpectedly well at the Tour Down Under (second in the second stage behind Ludwig, ed.) since I had to recover from a fall I suffered in the first few daysI returned to Europe in good condition, but I got sick the night before the Strade Bianche, where I then put myself at the service of my teammates. However, I quickly regained my fitness, a sign of good winter work..
Now there's a series of races where we'll find Soraya Paladin in front of us?
I trained well at home, then we'll see how it goes. I'll do Flanders, Roubaix and the Ardennes, trying to understand day by day whether to race in recovery or notUp there, races can take unpredictable turns. The hope is to do as well as in Cittiglio, or even better. I should be racing the Vuelta a Burgos in May, while we still have to plan the second part of the season.
You won two stages in Burgos in 2019, the last season you won. Could this be a seasonal goal, along with the "usual" call-up to the national team?
I really hope the victory comes soon, it would be needed.There is nothing new to add about the national team. Wearing the blue jersey is always an honour and this year doing it in Paris for the Olympics would have a special flavour, Since it already happened to me in Tokyo. Being able to participate in the Olympic race is a motivation that I live without pressure. In the end, I know that If the call doesn't arrive, it's because there was some teammate who deserved it more.There are many goals to pursue this year, but these two alone are important enough.
