He hurtles through the snow at the start of the final lap with insane speed. It passes in front of us with a small jump and upon landing the impact with the icy path has a dull and compact soundVan Aert also ran his race today, riding like a great driver along the gutters and traps of the Vermiglio course.
He allowed himself time to find the right setup and then set sail, despite Vanthourenhout's attempt to stay put. While the great Belgian is biting into the last snow of his crazy weekend, started yesterday with the victory in Essen and continued in Val di Sole, let's think about a phrase said yesterday by coach Pontoni. "On this route, power won't be much needed – the Italian coach said yesterday - as much as the ability to ride a bike». The reasoning could have been shared, but it was shattered by the great Belgian's ability to drive very well, expressing all his power.
Val di Sole, 10 with honors
There were: curiosities and some doubts about this race in the snowWould the fund have held up? Would it have been a sustainable event or something folkloristic? There's no doubt about Val di Sole's ability to host the event, given its tradition of hosting major mountain bike events, but what about in winter?
«We are very happy – says Fabio Sacco, president of Visit Val di Sole - Why this experiment was successfulWe have created a common thread with MTB, hinting at some possibilities for opening up to gravel. We brought cycling into the winter seasonThere was curiosity and the right respect for something new, but everything worked well. The Val di Sole organizational machine has demonstrated its knowledge of the world of events and we faced everything in the best way possible."
More skill than strength
If you find it in front of you no more than half a meter away, you understand that nothing is by chance. Wout Van Aert, like other great Belgians before him (Tom Boonen and Johan Museeuw come to mind) is a statueAnd when a physique like that manages to find the feeling with the bicycle, You can put any path in front of him and he will bend it to his will.Over the past 12 months, the Jumbo Visma champion has won in cross-country, time trials, climbs, and even sprints.
"I think that Today a bit of cyclocross history was made – he says – it was nice to run in this scenario and it was my ambition to be at the startI think everyone knows I love racing in Italy, I love the fans and their enthusiasm. That's why it was great to put on a show and celebrate with them. Today was more about skill than strength.You had to stay on the bike as much as possible, and that wasn't a given at all. The goal was not to make too many mistakes. The route changed with each lap, at the end of the race it was colder and the surface was icy.».
It's hard to go fast
Pidcock, who yesterday seemed disinterested and unenthusiastic, talks about cold and ice, instead today he fought tooth and nail.
«I froze to death – says the Olympic MTB champion – doing something different from what is usually done in cross-country. It was a successful experimentIt was nice, very technical. It was difficult for me to go full speed ahead, because I had to manage the balance.I probably prefer skiing in this weather, but it was beautiful to see and I certainly enjoyed it."
Widen the base
It's been going on all weekend There's been a lot of talk about the Winter Olympics as a possible destination for cyclocross.The argument holds. Cross-country is a winter sport and from today we know that it can also be raced in the snow. But the problem is not technical, remembering when one of the cornerstones of Olympic cycling as la 100 kilometres It was cancelled from the programme because too few nations could be represented..
«I think it's possible to get to the Olympics with cyclocross – says Van Aert – when the sport is at the highest levels that's its destination. But for now the base is narrow, a broader platform would be needed. When I was a kid there were no World Cup trials outside of Belgium and Holland, now we are in Italy and before we went to America, we are improving. We can be a winter event, but we need to have better numbersMaybe the Italian kids who watched us today became passionate and will be the champions of tomorrow."
Cross, a matter of the heart
His lucidity is matched by his athletic ability. So, to reconnect with his words after Boom's victory, we asked him: what relationship did he have with the snow in the end?.
"In the second half of the race," he says, "it was really tricky. All it took was a crash or a problem with the bike, and everything could change. My lead was reassuring, but I could lose everything by doing the wrong thing.It was exciting to do the last lap alone, and I also had time to think about how easy it would be to relax a bit in the winter and train for the road season. But I like cross-country. It's good training, but above all, it's a matter of the heart.».
Goodbye free time
Wout will not be present next weekend in the World Cup rounds Rucphen in Holland and Namur, in Belgium Jumbo Visma wants him in the Spanish training camp to prepare for the road season and he didn't have the heart to contradict them. He will return to cross-country Dendermonde, on December 26, where he will also meet again… his friend Van der PoelFor now he gets away with a joke.
"I'd love to have time to go skiing," he smiles, "but I practically don't have it anymore. The last time I skied was two years ago in March, after a great cross-country season. Then I had the brilliant idea of starting to run on the road too and at this point I would only have time to ski after Roubaix. But it always ends late and by then the snow has all melted."
