Squeezed into the calendar, reduced to being the only Nations Cup event for this strange season, the Konya stage was, for track cycling, a truly special moment. It did not receive any particular attention in the media, also because, except for the 4th place in the The evening in the sprint, there were no blue flashes, but it was an important test, the first of the "after" Villa"The mentor of Italian track cycling has now been called to the bedside of road cycling and his sector must restart and he has done so from the most important international gathering, World Championships aside.
Lots of news in the blue jersey
In Türkiye, the Italian national team showed up with a significantly revamped squad, featuring many young players and missing some of its big names. It can truly be said that the journey towards Los Angeles 2028 began a long time ago, starting with giving experience to the youngest. In this context Davide Boscaro He suddenly found himself in a new role. Once the youngest member of the group, he's now one of the most experienced, called upon to introduce the kids to a new environment.
«Villa's absence was felt – Boscaro said on his return – Salvoldi He had already warned us that he would not be able to follow us on the trip and that everything was left to him BragatoWe're used to working with him, both us men and the girls, let's say that this allowed for a smoother transition, moreover I know he often spoke with Villa too. Diego is a bit of a glue, but I know that Dino, the new manager, has worked with the boys who are now moving up a category.He knows them, the choice to succeed Villa makes sense."
A new role for Boscaro
Have you had the opportunity to meet Salvoldi before? "I knew him by sight; we often ran into each other in Montichiari. I spoke briefly with him, as well as with the other members of the national team, he already told us that the real work will begin in April., to set up the appointment for the World Championships at the end of the season and all the work that will be needed for the 2027 Olympic qualifiers. There will be plenty of time to measure ourselves».
There is no doubt, however, that your role has suddenly changed: «I won't deny that initially I felt a bit lost in finding myself the guide., the one who has the most responsibility together with LamonI tried to be close to the younger ones, to give advice especially on how to approach the race considering that we had very little time to ride together and certain mechanisms are not invented overnight."
There's something good in a 7th place too…
The Italian quartet, which has always been the main reference point for the endurance movement, especially now during a period of profound change, finished in 7th place. This might seem like a disappointing result, but it has some positive aspects: «I don't look so much at the placing as at the time and having made all the previous considerations, it must be said that we went strong. Me, Lamon and Galli We had competed in the European Championships, but the others were completely new. We knew it was a transitional phase. Unfortunately, the event was very time-sensitive, and this led to some race overlap. For example, I competed in the elimination round in the middle of the two team pursuit events; my legs were tired during the race..."
A moment of transition just for us? «Well, I also looked carefully at the others and many were in our situation.Denmark, for example, brought a team of young people, not even their first choice among them. France changed all the members from the European Championships. Australia, which won, had a mix of experienced, multi-titled riders and younger ones. In the other events, however, there were experienced athletes; Spain, for example, won the Madison with two champions in the sector such as Mora Vedri e Torres Barceló. What struck me, however, is that, beyond the track being actually very fast, many quartets achieved great times, even nations that were not usually in the top positions».
Now a long way to go, to prepare well
And now? The track season is practically over already… «Dino told us that he wants to use these months to work a lot on the track, at least once a week, then we will prepare for the class 1 races and for the Italian events such as Fiorenzuola and Pordenone which will be very important, real tests. In the meantime I have moved on to theGoodbye and like my teammates I will compete on Sunday to maintain my condition and do important work in function of the track".
As mentioned, the best Italian results came from Miriam Vece, who replicated the fourth-place finish from the European Championships. In her case, it's important to consider that the speed scene featured almost all the big names in the sport in Konya: "It's a positive sign, the confirmation of a growth trend, it means that my presence among the best is no longer a coincidence and there's still a lot of room for growth. In Türkiye, the speed sector was truly worthy of a World Cup."
The natural fears of novices
What kind of atmosphere did you find? "A beautiful and very fast track, a great event, unfortunately not adequately supported either by the media or by the public. As for Italy, I was with two young people like Fat e Baima, at their first experience at these levels. It's always a complicated approach but they were able to metabolise the natural agitation of the eve and Anita would have done even better without the fall.They knew it was an exceptional opportunity, to be able to compete in their first year in the World Cup against people who regularly compete in World Championships and Olympics."
In his sector, on the other hand, little changes, except the fact that Forty He is now fully responsible: «In fact, for us everything remains as before, we continue on the path we have taken which is bearing fruit, especially in the men's field, where Ivan has led the very young to compete like the junior world champion Of the Doctor».
It's time for a little rest now
Even in his case, the Konya test closes a very brief parenthesis: «I don't mind. I've been pulling the cart for a long time, chasing the Olympic qualification and then everything else up until today.I deserve some rest, then I'll start preparing for the World Championships to get back on track and continue progressing, but I think a break will also be useful for that."
