These days Andrea Raccagni Noviero it's in France, at Tour of Brittany, with the aspiration of continuing the positive series of results he has achieved in this first part of the season. The Genoese rider is increasingly coming to the fore in the team devo of Soudal Quick Step and comes from a podium of great importance, to Ghent-Wevelgem of the category which confirmed that the investment made by the Belgian multinational was far-sighted.
Artz, on the run secretly
At the end of the race the Ligurian, beaten in the sprint for second place by the Dane Pedersen, had no great regret for the victory that slipped away much earlier, when the Dutchman Artz he took courage in both hands and launched the escape which later proved decisive.
"When someone like that, with such an impressive resume, wins," he says, "you just have to accept the verdict of the road. I'm more than happy with my third place. I was coming off a period of lacklustre, this race was a goal and having partially achieved it is a source of pride. I didn't know he was on the run and the flagship then warned me that he was attacking with Harteel, a teammate, so I couldn't move. When the latter was caught, I hoped the wind would give us a hand to catch the escapee, but I also had to think about the sprint."
You've run for 15 days so far, how did it go overall?
The assessment is positive, even if when you don't win you always have a bitter taste in your mouth. The first part was good with 3 podiums in 4 days of racing, then Before the Roubaix of the category that I really cared about, I felt bad sensations, even if I continued to go fastAfter Roubaix (which I finished in 35th place, ed.) I started to feel better and at that point I was waiting for my chance.
Given your results, you're increasingly identified as a sprinter, but does this definition reflect you?
I don't like it very much, I'm convinced that I'm not, or at least that's not all I'm talking about. I'm more of a fast paced rider who also fights in crowded sprints., but there's a long way to go from that to being a top sprinter. I struggle to go above 1.350 watts in the 5 seconds, and these numbers show that you need more to win. This is also reflected in training, where I should be doing test sprints, but I often resist certain workouts.
And which ones do you prefer?
I like struggling uphill more, even though I know I'll never be able to excel on that terrain because I have too much weight to carry, being over 75 kilos. I believe that the most correct definition is a classics rider, strong on pace and capable of emerging even on complicated routes, able to make the difference in the sprint when the group is small.
These results are important for the project you'd already announced: earning a pro contract at the end of the year...
To tell the truth, I expect an answer even sooner. When I was a junior, I was convinced that three years in the higher category would be necessary to… find my dimension and learn what was necessary, but then you realize that this world moves terribly fast and by the second year you already hear the clock ringing. It's clear that all these results are just hay in the barn, They're useful for making yourself seen, but for me it's necessary to find that blessed contract to have more security. A few days ago I was thinking about the future: I could even move to a continental team, but that financial security wouldn't be there, quite the opposite. In my opinion, that's the difference: in a WorldTour team, you're covered for a good while.
What are they saying in the team?
There's a lot of sensitivity towards me, my results are also leading to a review of the programs. After Bretagne I had to stop and go uphill for the Giro Next Gen, but they want to bring me with the senior team to 4 Days of Dunkirk where in at least 4 stages I would also be the man in charge of the sprintIt's a great show of confidence, even if nothing is certain yet.
Objectively, would you choose to go abroad again?
Without any doubt, although I must say that, compared to when I went, I see that some Italian teams are increasingly better equipped, work well and grow in levelThere was a gap that they're closing, but being on a team still makes a difference.
In your group, do you feel the influence of what happens "at the top", that is, in the larger team that certainly hasn't achieved the classic outstanding results?
The division between the two entities is very strong, despite the fact that we can occasionally switch to the other group. They don't make us feel bad about the situation; they want us to continue working calmly and focus on our own races. We have the feeling that they want to strengthen the team with the best of our team, making it the backbone of tomorrow. And in fact, they tell us that if we have quality, we'll have room to show off and emerge. We'll keep working hard, hoping it brings what we desire, me first and foremost...
