Ludovico Mellano answers with a firm and calm voice, without having him face to face It feels like you're talking to a person much older than the eighteen years he has on his identity card.The mustache resting above his thick, bushy lips gives off a sense of experience. Beneath it, however, shines a youthful, sweet smile that captures the hopes and dreams of a boy in his first year under 23. Marino Amadori, the national team coach, wanted him with him at the Orlen Nations Grand PrixMellano didn't disappoint, taking a stage victory (photo by Tomasz Smietana) and second place in the overall standings.
One commitment after another
The commitments and days when you are young pass quickly, the boy who arrived in the under 23s with the I have to team up of XDS Astana now it's at Ronde of l'IsardIn France he will gain further experience and put miles into his legs. Al Giro Next Gen There will not be. Mellano He shrugs, knowing that not all experiences can be made in the first year. This one he'll enjoy later.
«Now I will race in France – he told us on the eve of the Ronde de l'Isard – because the team wanted to test me in this type of raceI don't even know how I'll react to longer efforts and such challenging climbs. It's still a good test, and I'm curious to see how it goes (yesterday, Friday, Mellano won the third stage of the French race, ed.)".
For your first year as an under-23, you've started off really strong...
Yes, I started running in Greece at the beginning of March. It was a "soft" start with a level that is not too high if we compare it to the races in which I have tested myself now. It was a good test to find out how to move in a group and to see my reaction over distances much more challenging than the junior category.
How did it go?
I didn't feel much of a difference. Among the under 23s the competitions are held in a much more orderly manner And this allowed me to reach the various finish lines with the strength in my legs to sprint. I think the credit goes to the new training method.
Tell us…
Over the winter I did a lot of mileage, focusing a lot on volume. Even specific jobs have become much more demanding and intenseAt the moment my trainer is Alberto Nardin, he lives near my house (Cuneo, ed.) and often follows me on my outings. For me, that's a great thing.
What specifically has changed?
I introduced much more work on the climbs, so medium-long efforts. In specific workouts, such as 30/30 or 40/20, I maintain a higher intensity at the end of the repetition. So once I finish the last sprint I keep a fairly high pace, to simulate the race. It was tiring at first but my body adapted well., so much so that as time went by I felt my leg was different, fuller.
Did you expect to see these results right away?
I had a good winter, which definitely helped my condition. Running with structured periods, and not every weekend, has allowed me to have peaks in formAt Piva and the Circuit des Ardennes, I felt good, and in fact I got excellent results. Right after the first race in France, Marino Amadori contacted me and said there would be the possibility of racing in Poland with the U23 national team. At the same time I was supposed to go with my companions to high altitudes, but the chance to wear the blue shirt was too tempting.
You also managed to win…
It's always nice. Being able to do it on your debut in a new category is a huge motivation and a great feeling. Honestly, I expected to do well, from the training sessions I saw really encouraging numbers.I had already seen in the Ardennes that if I wanted to emerge I would have to push those watts.
But numbers are one thing and the sensations during the race are another.
In France and at Piva I understood that I had to believe in it and that if I did, I could play my chances. Well, I didn't think I could win, but I thought I could get among the first with a good placing.. It was definitely a great step towards the future.
Now what?
After Ronde de l'Isard I will take my final exams and finally I will dive into the second part of the season.
