Exactly one year ago we had already had the opportunity to talk with Thomas Data, dopo his victory at the GP Industrie del Marmo and the enthusiasm generated among Tuscan enthusiasts. It took a year for the rider from Camaiore to return to success on the occasion of the Daniele Tortoli Memorial in his region and over the course of these twelve months something has changed.
Meanwhile, the Tuscan has changed category, leaving the under 23s. One would expect Dati to be disillusioned, but that is not the case. and it does not depend on success, but on a different mental attitude towards his activity.
"I can't deny that the thought is there, it's always there, but I experience it differently. Last year I experienced it badly, I was always stressed, I saw the end of the season as a Caudine Fork, I was looking for results and they didn't comeIn the end I understood that I had to change my mentality, to face this activity in a less harassing way and in this the support of the company who have been close to me, the sports directors have shown me their trust and kept me calm."
Do you think you've changed much from last year to today?
Definitely yes and I'm not saying this for the victory because even before that good results had arrived, especially in comparison with the pros, for example at Tour of Abruzzo. I realize that physically I have further evolved, I have greater existence, the numbers themselves have changed. But mentally, there's also been a change. I handle things differently, more calmly. Then it's clear that performances are what count, and they tell me I'm doing much better.
Let's go back to your season, how was it before Sunday's apotheosis?
It had started off objectively badly, not as I expected because I got sick right before the start, and I must say that some placings had even exceeded my expectations. Then I got better and better, racking up kilometers, and in fact when I was called upon… I didn't do badly even in the tests against the prosFor example, finishing top 10 in the final stage in Abruzzo was very satisfying. But clearly, a victory is a whole different story.
You mentioned the team earlier, and actually, speaking to the managers, they say they have a lot of faith in your abilities…
The thing that most disappointed me last year was not being able to repay so much trust. This year everything is different, I can even extricate myself from complicated situations, which means I'm doing much better.I've learned that when you can race with peace of mind, you achieve much more. It all depends on your approach during the race.
How did you win the Daniele Tortoli Memorial?
It proved what I was talking about. The initial goal was to stay under cover for the first 100 kilometers, but after just 70 kilometers, a favorable situation became apparent, and I tried to push, leading a small group of six riders. All the major teams were represented, so we were able to manage the situation by making regular changes. Then in the final we were left with 4: on the penultimate climb I had even created a gap, but the others came back to me on the last climb, but in the sprint I still had more energy than my opponents..
Now what?
Now we move on, in the meantime I have a trip to Switzerland waiting for me on Sunday, Radsport Fest Marwil where the home national team will also be present and Tudor, as well as many European Continental teams. Then there will be the Italian classics like the De Gasperi. I hope not to do like last year and to continue with the good performances and maybe a few more victories.
But do you still have hope of getting through?
That's still inside me, but I no longer experience it as a matter of life or death. And this is exactly why I say thank you to the team, because in the meantime I can continue to do my business., maybe the results could even open some doors for me. It all depends on them and therefore on my legs...
