Covi's return to cross-country, fantasy cycling... but not too much

And if one day, not too far away, we saw again Alessandro Covi in cyclocross? Rumors or reality, the city Punctual He's looking for heavyweight athletes with absolute power. He might recruit them by cultivating them over the long term, or he might try to lure some "big bikes" off the streets.

In the plethora of possible names – more ours than the city's, it must be said – we first thought of Trentino, who was also a cross-country racer. But we can also think of beasts of the caliber of Guarnieri, Oss, Dancers... People who have many horses and is able to make them explode with great competitive violence.

Of course, we'll have to see how much experience these riders have with mud and dirt, while Alessandro Covi has quite a bit of experience. And the most important experience, the kind you develop as a kid.

Alessandro, is this rumor that Pontoni contacted you true?

No, at the moment Nobody called me. But I can say that I would like to.I'm in love with cyclocross. I spent my childhood there, and I'd love to do it again.

So are you still following him?

I have friends who do cross-country skiing, but I don't follow the youth categories much anymore, but I mostly follow the most important races in Italy and internationally. I saw that this year he was dominating. iserbyt until Van Aert returned. While in Italy I enjoy the eternal duel between Joel (Bertolini, ed.) e Jacob (Dorigoni, editor's note).

Do you know them well?

Dorigoni was also my teammate at Cadrezzate And yes, I know him well. We've even bumped into each other a few times in amateur races. I know Bertolini less well, but we've had the chance to meet and we talk every now and then.

What kind of cross-country riders do they look like to you? What characteristics do they have?

Well, I'm referring to what I saw a few years ago, what I remember. Bertolini drives very well, but perhaps he's lacking a few watts. Dorigoni also has the watts, but he's a bit reckless and doesn't always manage his race mentally well.

And what kind of cross-country skier was Alessandro Covi?

I did it in the winter to stay in shape, but above all for fun. I never took cross-country skiing too seriously, even though I won a few races. It was a pleasure to go on away trips with the team. What kind of cross-country rider I was: a powerhouse. I wasn't too fond of gymkhana courses, but I preferred the more open ones, The ones where you had to push. And in fact, I was happy with the mud because if you don't push, you don't move forward; if you don't unleash your power, you get stuck. In fact, those are the ones I won, but there are few of them in Italy.

Well, you could say that's the perfect fit for Pontoni! Athletes of a certain size and power...

If it comes to physique, I might even be okay. I'm tall, I weigh 68,5 kilos, but if it comes to driving... I might have a bit more difficulty.

Which are the most important cross-country races you have done?

The most important races were the stages of the Giro d'Italia Cyclocross.

How long has it been since you last tried this discipline?

Quite a lot, since the early junior years.

But we hear you're passionate about this conversation. If a real call came in, would you think about it?

I would definitely think about it, I wouldn't rule anything out regardless. Every now and then I miss the cross, I get a lump in my throat, But now I think a lot about the road. And then it's like a wheel, if it stops turning you struggle to regain desire and motivation. If I weren't going fast, I'd prefer to continue training suitable for the road. Which isn't to say that cross-country isn't suitable: let's look at it. Van der Poel e Van Aert! But they've always done it that way. For them, the wheel has never stopped. We need to think about it carefully, that's all.

All UAE You're on a team with Trentin. Have you two ever talked about cyclocross?

Every now and then I make a joke, but I don't think he knows I made a cross.