ZURICH (Switzerland) – Italy's Under-23 World Cup ends along with the last of Giulio Pellizzari's energy. On the initial climb of the Zurich circuit the Italian cannot keep up with the pace of the best, fresher and more rested riders.. The rider of Vf Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè he spent too much energy in the chase Jan ChristenFor too many kilometers he found himself in the middle between him and the small group behind, led by Belgium. 15 seconds, that's how long it took to write a different page of this Under 23 World ChampionshipBut racing is like that, you win and lose by a few meters, sometimes even less.
«What do we want to say – he immediately attacks Pellizzari as he broods on the steps of the bus – it was hard, very hard. The weather wasn't the best either, more sun was expected but that happensIt's part of our sport."
Tactics respected
A competition with many possible protagonists, but only one winner. The name of the German Niklas Behrens emerged from the scrum and selectionA big man of 195 centimeters, strong and with two shoulders much wider than the handlebars, who beat Martin Svrcek and Alec Segaert.
«We knew that the big names would move from afar – continues Pellizzari – so we tried to follow themWe did well on the flat, we took risks, and we always ran ahead. Once we entered the final circuit, we had to follow the best, we put in the effort, and that's how it went. There were no names to follow, there were so many strong guys in the competition. When Christen started on the penultimate lap I tried to close. I struggled a lot on the slopes of Bergstrasse, it wasn't an effort suited to my characteristics.We needed a rider with a higher peak power, but then on the next climb I got closer. Christen pulled away on the downhill and on the flat I couldn't get close. After all, he finished third in the world time trial. We're not just discovering today that he has an incredible pace on the flat."
«I didn't think – Pellizzari finally explains – that there were so many Belgians behind shooting. In under 18 races it is difficult to find a team that pulls when there are only twenty ridersI was hoping for a bit of control and to take the break in front, then maybe they would have caught me anyway but closer to the finish."
Biting cold
Davide De Pretto e Francesco Busatto They arrive in the bus area still shivering from the cold. The first one, in shorts, takes cover behind some cars and talks.
«We knew it would be a difficult race to control – he says – we also ran well, always staying aheadThen we entered the circuit and we knew we would make a difference right away. Many tried to raise the pace right from the first lap. I was also feeling good, I followed morgado in a stretch, then on the descent I caught cold and froze. However, if we look at the first ones, they are all heavy guys, perhaps they suffered less from the cold than many others".
Right roles
Busatto arrives straight from the race, puts down his bike, and goes up to change. He feels that, in addition to the cold, he's had a tough time digesting a bad day at such an important event. Un ailment in the summer he made him lose three kilograms, which he has not yet regainedLooking at him, you can see that he is very thin, a factor that influenced his performance today.
«I couldn't do much about it – he explains – we weren't expecting such cold weather. Runners like me, lighter, sufferedWith two laps to go, when I had always been there ready and active, I found myself at the back with no legs. The plan at the start was to be present in attempts to create good situations for the team. Where I saw opportunities I jumped at it, after all the World Cup is unpredictable.
«We supported each other well. De Pretto and I were present on the hardest climb, while Pellizzari went to close on the climb. Mattio, however, did a great job in the initial part, on the plains. We were always there, though, until the cold knocked us out. I think we were undoubtedly one of the strongest teams. It's a shame, if we had managed to get there with two or three players at the end we could have had our chances.In these cases, congratulations should be given to the winner and that's it."
Amadori's point
In the end, the one who has to take everything in hand, analyze it and then talk about it with the kids is the coach. Marino Amadori.
«As always – he admits – I ran the race without the radios. It's always the same old story, in certain situations they are useful but we can't do anything about itThe moment I would have needed it most? When Pellizzari was halfway between Christen and the group behind. I would have told him to get up and not spend too much. We tried to force the jury, but they wouldn't let us through and unfortunately Pellizzari was left in the middleIt practically ended there, we played everything. I'm sorry because he was going strong, he had good legs.
If he had hooked up with Christen we would have seen a different ending, but you can't live on hypotheses. It's a shame for De Pretto and Busatto, with them at full strength we would have had different options for the finale, unfortunately we didn't make it."
All in silence
On the day of the tragic death of Muriel Furrer, the young Swiss junior who passed away this afternoon after a fall in yesterday's women's race, the sky did not spare rain and cold. The UCI has organized a press conference at 17pm, coinciding with the arrival of the under 23 raceThe races must go on, but the closure of the mixed zone prevented the German's victory from being reported. The boys ran without knowing the news; the mourning of the Swiss national team and his family had to be respected, true, as did the effort the boys had put in.
