A weekend to understand where we are. Today the Italian national team left for Middelkerke, Belgium, for the European cyclocross championships concentrated in two daysA packed race schedule, three events on Saturday and three on Sunday, with the forced (and painful, for Italy) cancellation of the team relay. The Belgian venue is a cornerstone of grassland activity and normally hosts one of the last classics of the season, but anyone thinking of seeing athletes competing on the classic 2022 Belgian championship course will have to think again, as the national team manager explains. Daniel Pontoni.
"The race area is completely different," explains the Friulian. "We're on a military base, and that also required a different approach. I went to check it out when I rode for the Gravel World Championships. From what I've seen, it's a similar route to the one in Koksijde, with slightly less sand. There are also a few dunes because you run along the seashore for a stretch. The surface is mostly sandy, with grass on top in some places, but there's always sand underneath. There's a fairly long stretch you have to walk after leaving the beach, where you'll first descend on a sort of slide that leads from the base to the sea, then you climb back up and walk there for a dozen seconds, maybe even longer. Then there's also a short concrete section.
Was the lack of international competition a problem when building the team?
No, in building the team I was helped by the various Italian races in October, in which I saw everyone at work, then Single house e Viezzi They also had some releases abroad, which were positive. The selection was quite easy and reflects current values.
Which categories do you think are currently most competitive internationally?
Pontoni assures us, "We have good ambitions in at least four categories. I don't want to get too specific, but I think we can even aim for medals. The only ones outside of this category are the under-23s and the men's elite event, where we're still a bit far away. There's a lot of curiosity." I think that the race being entirely on the sand penalises us a bit compared to the locals, but I am confident in the guys I bringI saw good results last year also on similar courses, for example in Zonhoven where Agostinacchio He won the World Cup, so we have important cards to play.
You mentioned Agostinacchio. There's a lot of interest in seeing both him and Viezzi in action in the under-23 category. Given their experience in the category, do they come with different perspectives and goals?
I believe they are pretty close in performance at the momentStefano certainly has the advantage of starting ahead, compared to Mattia, who has to climb the rankings all the way up, but he has a good explosive start and could close this gap almost immediately. So I'm optimistic about both of them; they can be in the thick of the action.
What about the juniors?
We have very promising and very competitive players. I think that due to their adaptability to the path, Patrick Pezzo Rosola can do a lot of good. The same goes for Grigolini. crawlers e Vaglio They're in their first year as juniors, it's their first experience at this level, we'll also have to see how they get there. They are there to learn but that doesn't mean they can't achieve a good result.. As well as among women where we have Giorgia Pellizotti which comes from last year's bronze. Then we have White e Azzetti who were already with me last year while Righetto is the youngest of the group.
Then there's Sara Casasola, and it's clear that her results this early in the season place her among the favorites…
He can certainly do well - Pontoni states - as he has also shown us in the last races in Belgium. Even if I have always been convinced that above all the race in which a title is awarded resets everything, there the feelings of the day count, how the boys will be (the girl in this case) and the feeling they will find on this route. However, I am confident because I have seen her pedal well, she knows her skills, she has started to dare and no longer has that reverential fear that perhaps at the beginning you have towards those you consider the sacred monsters of your category. So she competes on equal terms with the Brand which is the number 1 favorite.
What do you think of your opponents?
We will see who will be at the start, for example the presence of the Van Empel. But more than looking at our opponents, we have to think about ourselves, respect everyone but fear no one because I have maximum faith in the guys I have with me.
