In a cycling that is always faster since the boys are in the junior category Does it make sense for a continental team to focus on fourth-year riders? The question arose after an interview with Renzo Boscolo, team sports director CTF Victorious and it echoed in our heads for a while. The fact that we were at the Eroica Juniores, then, made us even more curious about this topic.So yesterday we started talking with Boscolo and some interesting ideas emerged.
Exceptions, not rules
In recent years, among the notable riders within the CTF, only two have reached their fourth year in the U23 category. The first was De Biasi, the second is Stockwell.
«At the CTF – he tells us – as a fourth year boy we only have Oliver Stockwell. The choice is due to the fact that he missed a year due to a fractured femur, so the decision to keep him with us seemed natural to us. As it had been for De Biasi, who had come to us in the year of CovidHaving lost a year, we thought it was right to let him continue his journey. Regardless of cases like this, we at CTF believe that we don't want to keep a fourth-year student."
Why?
We realized, with the numbers in hand, that it doesn't make sense. The growth path expected for the boys lasts three years, the fourth year in the category adds very little. Looking at the data, we see that the improvement curve develops, at its peak, between the second and third year as an U23.
Are the margins lower in the fourth year?
Besides being minors, you risk the opposite effect. A fourth-year student finds himself up to his neck in water, because in this category it is seen as a last resort.The situation then changes radically when you move up to the elite level.
There are guys who have gone from elite to pro.
Are these Italian or international exceptions? As we see it at CTF, elites don't make much sense.We are a development team from Bahrain, so our reasoning is different from those who have a continental team. In other countries a continental team can play the role that the professional teams have here.For example: Poland has a good movement but doesn't have professional teams, so their continental championships have a different logic than ours.
In Italy there are professional ones…
And there are also the continental teams that think about victories and wanting to look like professional teams. Then they take big kids to race with the pros so they can show off.The argument works for them, but not for us.
How long have you been putting aside the topic of fourth years and elite?
Since we started touring Europe a lot more. In the last 7-8 years the market has changed, before even elite riders used to pass through, now we look for the boys first.
If you think that Kristoff, winner of two stages at the Eroica Juniores, he already has a signed contract with a WorldTour team…
You understand? I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but the market is going in this directionWe also have guys who already have a contract with Bahrain for the next few years (Ermakov and Erzen, ed.). This is the system that has been set up and we need to think like this..
Would you do it even without a connection to a WT team?
Yes. I believe that a continental team must help its players grow. We have just been to Gent U23 where Village he came fifth (Opening photo: Ieper.Fietst, ed.) He's a first-year player, we have five players on the team, so our choice is to focus on young players.
It's a question of choices, either you focus on young people or on more mature riders, but the two cannot coexist.
That's how it is. As we interpret the activity, it is correct to have first year studentsIn general, we prefer to start slowly and increase the caliber of the races month after month. Placing a fourth-year student in a facility like this risks making it explode..
Why?
A fourth-year rider must start strong to achieve results and make his mark, because professional teams already have their rosters sealed by June. Bringing in a boy like that would mean changing our calendar. and lead the team to take on challenging races right from the start, like Laigueglia. But what's the point of having a first-year boy run a race like that at the beginning of the season?None. I repeat, our choice is to focus on young people and help them grow, not to showcase them.
First-year players like Borgo, Capra, and Mottes already have significant experience…
Borgo finished sixth at the Young ridersster and fifth at the Gent U23. Capra He didn't win, but he was fundamental for the team and Mottes he was able to compete in important races and learnI could take these to the local circuit and they would win, but what would be the point?
