A loot of 22 medals, with the conquest of the medal table (which is becoming a pleasant habit for Italian sport) and the addition of 4 world records. This is the exceptional blue balance at the European Junior and Under 23 Track Championships hosted again in Anadia (POR). It is the exaltation of Dino's work Salvoldi with the juniors, who after a year of getting to know a world that was completely new to him is achieving great results and above all is starting to see the fruits of his method, the one that has made Italian women's cycling great.
When we relay the compliments, Salvoldi responds with "it was just luck," which isn't just a modest, polite phrase. Some grit their teeth at the expressions of esteem he receives. but there are incontrovertible data that demonstrate how the Italian coach is redesigning the basis of Italian cycling in just a few monthsPerhaps charting the right path to try to get out of the crisis.
"When working with juniors," Salvoldi warns, "you have to keep in mind that every year is different; there are some with a lot of talent and others with less. Beyond victories and medals, I like the fact that we did well in every test.: In the eight I follow directly, we've won seven and finished second in the other, which means we have a future. We achieved a lot last year too, and I know that by continuing on this path, we'll achieve a lot in the coming years too."
Did such superiority surprise you?
Honestly no, because we were coming from the excellent base of last year.Even though I didn't know the strength of our opponents, I knew we had a great chance and, above all, an extraordinary team unity. We're strong everywhere, and this is something new for the movement.
What's striking is that the names that emerge are practically the same ones who are active at the highest levels on the road...
When I took office, I immediately said that I wanted to merge the entire road/track endurance category into a single groupOnly in this way can we plan at the national and international level. The results create prospects and interest, setting in motion a virtuous cycle that will lead us far.
The impression, however, is that you're carrying forward somewhat the same working criteria that you applied among the elite women: what are the common elements and what are the differences?
The method is actually very similar considering the double activity, but the main difference is that before I had direct relationships with the athletes and therefore with the teams, here we work in reverse. For me it was fundamental last year, contact over 70 teamsI get to know the managers and technicians because they're the ones I interact with. I've found highly competent people who are constantly learning. The results wouldn't be possible without their input; it's as if the entire movement is becoming one big group.
Did the quartet's time improvement surprise you? More seconds were shaved off the world record...
I already had three of the four boys last year, I saw how they grew. I can say that we left for Anadia with this idea in mind, knowing that the World Championships at the end of August will be at high altitude and on a semi-uncovered track. This was the perfect opportunity. The boys were desperate for the record; in Montichiari, they had grown convinced they could set a great time. Then, in the final, with the race component, they achieved a time that, to be honest, even exceeded my expectations.
Given the way you work, it's to be expected that some of these guys will also be competing in the Glasgow road race…
I can't name names yet, but at least a couple will be there. Others who will be in the selection have also worked on the track during the year, practically only the Italian champion. Gualdi He doesn't perform at the velodrome. They do the same abroad, after all: in Great Britain the city is unique and will bring many riders present in Anadia, the same as Germany and Denmark, to give some examples.
Speaking of the World Cup, do you think the matches at the end of August in Colombia will be of the same level?
It's hard to say, many factors change. The level of the Portuguese races was very high and the trip to Colombia is very expensive, not everyone will be thereWe'll face less competition in terms of numbers, and I don't know what the level will be. On the other hand, we'll also be starting 40 days after the Anadia matches, with Glasgow in between. It won't be easy to repeat ourselves; we'll have to be good at managing the physical and mental stress.
Glasgow is just around the corner, what do you expect?
The World Championship will have infinite variables, and making a prediction is impossible. But I'm sure of one thing: we will have a strong team and we will be protagonists, as for the results, they are written in the future…
