Patrick Pezzo Rosola's change of pace came during the summer, and materialized in August. The first experience with the national team shirt, led by Dino Salvoldi, made him find a different pedal strokeFrom there, it was mid-July, came a fourth place at the Pian Camuno Trophy and the first victory in the junior road category. The smallest, and the most stubborn (by his own admission, ed.) of the Pezzo Rosola family he then achieved a second place of absolute importance at the Paganessi Trophy last August 31st (in the opening Patrick Pezzo Rosola in the jersey Petrucci Assali Stefen Marko, together with the winner Georgs Tjumins and the third place Anatol Friedl, photo FCI).
«Let's say I wasn't expecting it – says Patrick Pezzo Rosola – I knew I was in excellent condition since I had won the week before. Likewise, I was aware of the significantly higher level of Paganessi, I wasn't sure what to expect."
You finished second between the two Grenke-Auto Eder riders, what was it like racing against them?
Difficult, because they're going so fast. Obviously they train even more than me and most of the guys in the group., they have different materials and a completely different strength. Staying there with them and challenging them, however, is great; when you manage to keep up with them and detach them, it means you've gone really fast.
How many hours do you train a week?
Between fifteen and eighteen hours, then I try to do things well, to rest and enjoy everything that a 17-year-old boy normally does. I go out with friends, I go for walks, I go running every now and then. And then until I had school I concentrated on studying.
When you see them arriving in groups, do they look like aliens or normal like the others?
No, you can see right away that they seem out of the ordinary. Just by looking at them from the outside you understand that they are superior.
Is that something scary?
Maybe it's from the team name and even from their results you think you have superior riders ahead of youThey're not scary, but you know they can do anything at any moment.
Coming second means you've left some of them behind...
Sunday's race (August 31st, ed.) was tough and as the laps went by the selection became more and more important. The guys from Grenke-Auto Eder were on the move all day, but I knew I had to stay calm.I wanted to take my chance on the last pass on the climb, in fact I attacked and I reached the top with a ten second advantageAs soon as I started the descent, the Latvian (Georgs Tjumins, ed.) came to pick me up.
When you were left alone with that ten-second lead, did you believe it?
Not much more, I knew they wouldn't be enough to get to the end, then there were three Grenke guys behind and somehow they would have come back under meLuckily only Tjumins moved, once we were down to two I started to believe more in victory. I collaborated because in cycling you never know, but on the slight slope towards the finish he dropped me.
This was your first major result in a long and difficult race. Did anything change?
I usually find myself worse off in races over a certain mileage than in shorter ones. Coming from cyclocross, I've never been used to doing so many kilometers. Something changed with the summer, because after an intense winter running on the mud I didn't load muchThen I had school and I had to take exams. I attended a three-year vocational school, electrician, and in June I took the equivalent of my final exams. Once everything was finished, I had the opportunity to train more on long distances.
So much so that he even achieved his first victory at the Caffè Borbone GP…
In the end, all I needed was success, so it was a nice way to redeem the whole season. I haven't won on the road for a while. and after so many placings it was also nice to find the top step of the podium again.
Now we're heading towards your first Lunigiana, any emotions?
It's the first real stage race I've done, especially at such a high level. Morale will be higher than Baron, but we'll see how it goesI don't expect anything. I just know it will be my last road race before I take a break and prepare for the cyclocross season.
You are still the stubborn family member?
Still yes, but lately I try to listen to others more, especially my brother Kevin. As the years went by I realized that he was right about many things we "clashed" about.I'd say the main one is nutrition during the race. When I was a student, he told me to eat on the run so as not to arrive tired and exhausted at the end. I didn't listen to him because I was doing well anyway. Then this year I saw that everyone in the group was eating and taking gels, so I wondered if I was doing something wrong.I also started taking care of my diet and I saw that I was able to recover better.
Do you train together?
Now that I'm junior, yes, we manage to go out two or three times a week. But during training I decide whether to listen to it or not depending on how I feel. (laughs, ed.).
