The first hand of poker was his. In a month since early March, he's racked up four victories, all with a powerful sprint, his trademark. Tommaso Marchi has shown himself to be the most consistent sprinter in this part of the season, also thanks to the work developed by Borgo Molino Vigna Fiorita.
In his second year as a junior, the 18-year-old from Mareno di Piave (pictured above, Lisa Paletti) is staying true to his growth path, which has seen him win forty youth titles so far, starting with the novices. These are important numbers which however need to be evaluated from a statistical point of view so as not to distract attention from another fundamental aspect., that of becoming a rider.
Seen from Pavanello
When we decided to get to know Marchi better, we couldn't ignore the opinion of Christian Pavanello, its sports director and great connoisseur of the youth scene.
«First of all I have to say – he opens the speech – that Tommaso should be praised because he is a good boy, polite, with good manners and who works hard at school.A child every parent would love to have. From a cycling perspective, however, over the past two years, and especially last year, we've worked hard to improve where needed, especially on the cross-country and uphill sections. And we're already seeing the results. Winning a race like the Colli Marignanesi in Romagna is no small feat. And even in Altopascio, Tuscany, things weren't easy.
"Now I think he's a more modern rider than the classic sprinter," Pavanello concludes. "Of course, we're still talking about a guy who weighs 80 kilograms, so we'll never see him with the leaders on the Zoncolan, unless he leaves the day before (he tells us smiling, ed.). Jokes aside. I think that Tommaso over time can become a fast man who is also strong on pace, but there is a lot of work to be doneIt takes patience. Victories have their meaning and are useful, but then tomorrow counts. Resources permitting, in the juniors you have to learn the trade to be able to express yourself tomorrowWe don't think about what happens too often to the kids these days who go straight to the WorldTour."
Tommaso, let's start with your introduction. Who are you off the bike?
I'm a boy who he attends the fourth year of accounting at an institute in ConeglianoIn my free time I like to spend time with my girlfriend and friends, especially to unwind. Unfortunately, I often have to say no to them due to competitive commitments, but they are understanding. And even at school, when I'm excused, they manage to explain to other classmates and teachers how difficult and complex cycling is these days. I don't follow football; I'm passionate about Formula 1 and, of course, my sport.
How did Tommaso the cyclist come into being?
I started cycling at G2 by chance, almost by mistake. One day I followed a friend of mine to a training session who was already competing in the Pedale Marenese, whose sports director was a neighbor of mine. I didn't know about cycling, but watching those peers of mine got me excited and went home telling my dad I wanted to try racing. He was surprised, but he obliged, and my passion grew. Even now I feel like a child who enjoys cycling and it helps me not to feel the weight of training.
Let's imagine that the company you run in also matters.
Yes, absolutely. There's a calm atmosphere in our team and we're doing well. This year we have many kids making their debut among the juniors who have to learn, or rather who want to learn.I see them as very attentive, improving, and they helped me win. We're a good group.
Taking inspiration from what your sports director said, what kind of rider do you consider yourself to be?
Cristian said modern sprinter, I still don't know how to define myselfI stick to short climbs and last year I took tenth place at the Trofeo Piva Junior which revealed some new characteristics in me. I've been working on longer climbs for a while now and I feel better.Already at the start of this season I had values like those of mid-season last year. I definitely need to improve my sprint explosiveness. Right now, I'm a long sprinter.I throw them 250 meters from the finish line, and if I can keep up the speed, then I'll bet. In fact, as a student, I won a national championship in keirin on the 400-meter Dalmine track.
By the way, how are you doing with your dual career?
This year, speaking with Pavanello, We've decided to focus only on the road. On the track, I should only compete in the Italian championships., but I would like to start doing both again in 2026 because we know that multidisciplinarity is important.
You'll be playing in the U23s next year, and you'll surely be on the radar of many teams. Do you already know anything?
My agent Alessandro Mazzurana (from the Teamvision Cycling agency, ed.) keeps me updated. I'm not running with the pressure to make the jump to the U23s in a certain wayI know there are a couple of teams interested in me, but I'm not thinking about it or at least I'll think about it later.
Have you taken inspiration from any pros over the years?
Not one in particular. When I started running my idol was History, also because he was a nice character who was good for cyclingNow I like a rider who is far from my characteristics (smiles, ed.). I like evenepoel Because now when he runs, he's never anonymous. He's someone who always tries.
What are Tommaso Marchi's medium- and long-term goals?
The Italian championship is one of these, even if we still have to understand what the path will be. In July at the Piva Junior, I'm curious to see the difference from last year, but In general, I aim to earn a call-up to the national team for the European Championship or other international competitions.I wore the blue jersey as a student in 2023 at the EYOF in Maribor. It was a wonderful experience, but not a lucky one. During the time trial, it was pouring with rain and the wind was so strong that one of my teammates blew off his glasses. In the road race, however, my race didn't last long. Three athletes in front of me had fallen, and I was caught up in it. If I were to wear blue again, I would like to make up for it or at least be luckier.
