Federico Savino's days pass between training, recovery and a few laughs with his teammates in the still summery climate of Belgium. Tuscan is located in the apartment made available by the Soudal-QuickStep together with four other teammates from the devo teamPesenti, Favero, and the two Spaniards, Munoz and Zafra. After competing in the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen, the five athletes will also be at the start of the Grote Prijs Stad Halle, where Savino will start wearing the number one jersey given his 2024 success.
«The Belgian summer – Savino tells us – will probably end soon and on Sunday we will be racing in the rain. These days between one race and another we are training but without neglecting recoveryWe also had the opportunity to visit Ghent, our companion Viktor Soenens acted as our guide. If we have time we will also go to Bruges, travelling by train we have to see if we will be able to fit a trip in between the various commitments".
First of all, how is this racing season going?
Pretty good, I had a physical slump mid-season from which I recovered. Once I started again my condition improved until the victory at West Bohemia, a race where I also found excellent sensations and performances. Even at the Muur Classic I felt I had good legs, then I punctured at the start of the Geraardsbergen wall and the race is a sprint away, it happens.
Did the victory against West Bohemia give you something extra?
I was missing a success in a stage race. In recent years I have won a one-day race (the Stad Halle, ed.) and a stage at the Circuit des Ardennes, so I'm happy to have taken this further step tooLast year at West Bohemia I had collected a nice third place, so I knew what kind of ride to expect.
Tell us…
The route is tough but not enough to dig big gaps, the victory is played on the edge of seconds and bonus pointsThat's why I started the first stage with the idea of breaking away and winning all the intermediate sprints, and that's what I did. The initial prologue had gone well, so I knew I had a good chance of taking the jersey.
You took it and never let go.
It's a tactical and very nervous race, I knew where and how to be ready. In the following days I moved well and I achieved a great final victory.
A success that you were missing and that could be useful for the Federico of the future?
In these two years, the third is underway, since I have to team up of Soudal-QuickStep I understood that I am a rider who can be competitive on wavy and nervous pathsI've always had a good time between France and Belgium, as well as at West Bohemia. I really prefer races with lots of ups and downs, where it's hard to catch my breath.
Do you feel different compared to when you left for Belgium?
Technically no. In my last year as juniors I knew I had certain characteristics and I improved them over the course of these seasons. I grew up, that's for sure. Otherwise, I'm still a rider who wants to attack, and I see a lot of myself in the athlete I used to be. Probably the area where I've improved the most is on short efforts., between 5 and 10 minutes.
Growth that could lead you to make the leap to the WorldTour next year?
I'm still talking about it with the team. There are several aspects to consider and which we must discuss.I'm definitely not afraid of spending another year with the Under 23s. The team isn't rushing me, they have clear ideas and trust me. I have full support and I don't feel like rushing things.I've already had the opportunity to race with the professionals.
And what do you think?
That the leap is big, very big. The idea for 2026 could be to stay another year among the under 23s (it would be the fourth and last, ed.) and gain even more experience with the WorldTour team. It would be a way to "lighten" the leap and arrive even more readyThe risk is getting burned, and I don't see why. And then there's the national issue.
In what sense?
With new UCI rules barring professional athletes from racing for national teams under the age of 23, there's an added incentive to stay in the category. If we think that this restriction will also be extended to the Nations Cup trials then the situation becomes very limiting.Staying among the under 18s would give me the opportunity to gain further experience and try to enrich my list of achievements.
What is missing?
An important victory. But it would be enough to start winning more frequently. In short, I want to move up to the WorldTour and carve out more space for myself. Soudal is changing a lot, the farewell of evenepoel will revolutionize the team. We are focusing a lot on Paul Magnier and on building a young team capable of supporting him. I would like to be part of it, true, but without giving up my personal ambitions..
