Holidays for women's cycling? Maybe yes for many athletes, but not for all, including the city. Paul Sangalli. After Tour of Romandie – scheduled from tomorrow until October 9th and the final race of the Women's cycling's WorldTour – the calendar has had an unexpected twist that concerns the national team. An Italian team has in fact been invited to a 2.2 match in Argentina
More precisely in the northern part of the country, about 1.200 kilometers north of Buenos Aires on the border with Paraguay. She will participate in the Vuelta a Formosa Feminina Internacional from 21 to 23 October, Along the lines of the men's race held in April, the first two stages are flat (139 and 125 kilometers, respectively), followed by a third day split into two with an 8-kilometer individual time trial and a finale on a 6-kilometer street circuit, repeated 13 times.
The city Sangalli has decided to bring four U23 girls to Argentina and, taking inspiration from this long journey towards the South American spring, we did with him an overview of the category looking ahead to 2023.
Paolo, who will you bring to Argentina and why?
Regardless of the choices, I would like to thank the teams that have given me their athletes because it is not easy to find them given that it will be a rest period.I will bring Valentina Basilico because she is a very smart sprinter And when he's in shape, he runs well. This year he's had a couple of wins, and that was the best of his first year. Carlotta Cipressi will be there because she has finally solved her back problems and finished the season in good shape. Both had the maturity and improved well in the second half.
Who are the other two?
I called Giulia Giuliani who I consider an interesting prospect. She's the only one of the four who rides in a non-continental team. She's a rouleur-climber I'd brought to a training camp in Livigno, and I wanted to see her in action up close. Finally, There will be also Cristina TonettiI like the way he runs, very brave.. And I also really liked his choice to stay next year in the Top Girls where he will be able to take a further step in his growth in the right environment.
What are your expectations for going there?
We'll leave with a calm spirit. We're happy they invited us to be their guests. For these girls it will be first and foremost a life experienceLong flights and intercontinental stopovers, a stay in a less touristy area than others. They will have to adapt to the demands of trips of this magnitude. Then obviously there will be the competitive aspect and we will only see that when we are there. We'll have to maintain our fitness for a few more weeks, but we're not under any pressure to achieve a result.
In 2023, athletes like Guazzini and Zanardi will become "greats." Do they leave a lasting legacy?
Vittoria e Silvia They have won a lot both on the road and on the track and it won't be easy to do the same but we have a good replacement movement behind us. Of course, the two of them have always had the opportunity to do many international races with their club and this helps a lot to raise the levelI hope many of the current U23s can do the same.
What should be done to make them grow further?
The best would be run a stage race with the national team before a European or World ChampionshipI'm thinking, for example, of a race like the Baloise in Belgium, but without the participation of one of the girls' team I'd like to call. I would never leave one of our invited teams at home to bring just one of their athletes to the national team.I already have a draft of the 2023 calendar. I need to take a good look at it, and then I'll discuss it with the various teams before deciding where to participate with the national team. However, competition schedules are increasingly compressed and intense, and sometimes it's not easy to do something like this.
How does the Italian U23 movement look in the coming years?
It has a lot of room for improvementWe have many promising girls who will move on to the elite level and others who are still in the process of growing up.You have to be patient because the first-year athletes are always maturing, and it inevitably affects them until July. Then, finding the right form and racing right away isn't easy because you go fast in every race.
Which U23s will lead the way next year?
Personally I think that the lighthouse will be Eleonora GasparriniShe'll be in her third year as an elite rider, during which she's raced extensively, managing to win both the Italian title in her category and a race in Belgium. She'll be joining a team where she can further grow, working with important riders like Bastianelli, who will teach her a lot. Well, if the Glasgow World Championships will be the same as the European Championships won by Marta in 2018, I think Eleonora is very suited to that type of path..
If you want, there is a nice list of other important and promising names.
Yes exactly. Matilde Vitillo this year he has shown that he can win in the WT and she will also be the other girl you can count on. Camilla Alessio I hope it can solve some health problems. Sofia Collinelli she has great potential (there is talk of her moving to Cogeas-Israel, ed.). Gaia Realini he will be in one of the strongest teams like Trek-Segafredo. Francesca Barale at DSM he will be able to run moreFederica Piergiovanni and Gaia Masetti are also worth following. Then there are those I will bring to Argentina. And finally we have Ciabocco, Pellegrini, Sawn and all the others who come from the juniors that I will take into consideration without too much pressure precisely because they will still be going to school. I tell you, the list I made is long and there are a lot of girls I'll keep an eye on.
