Salvoldi he had been a good prophetAt the beginning of the season he had indicated Davide Star the ideal link for the junior track group, taking the experience gained last year and passing it on to the new arrivals. The rider of the Gotthard Caneva Games He did the job as best he could, first of all entering the quartet (where last year as a novice he was reserve) and guiding it towards gold and the world record, then peppering his participation in the world championships in his category in China with gold in the elimination and silver in the madison.
Considering the European and World Championships, Stella boasts 10 podium appearances with 7 titles won. A true track animal, one of those jewels that, in the normal post-Olympic renewal period, must be looked after with the utmost attention. The Friulian, on the other hand, is one of those who are truly in love with the track., makes it a cornerstone of its future even if the road activity remains primary.
Back from China, he still has in his eyes not only the joy of the results, but also the sensations experienced in such a distant trip: «It was a strange, different demonstration. I was struck by the views, the buildings, and the people's manners.. Initially you're a bit taken aback, then you get used to it and in fact I appreciate this sport that allows me to have similar experiences."
Were there people watching the races?
There were so many, on some days it was packed, with banners and lots of cheering for the local riders, but not only for them because other fan groups, even with fewer people following, also made themselves heard. In this sense it was very beautiful, a World Cup experienced deeply. A World Cup of the highest level as well, as demonstrated by the times achieved.The track was very fast and the competition was fierce, both in the time trials and the group races. The results achieved were hard-earned, I can assure you.
What was the atmosphere like in the Azzurri house?
Very calm and this favored the results. I must say that Dino worked hard on the group, trying to find an understanding right from the start of the year.The result was a close-knit group formed, made up of friends more than athletes. It almost felt like we were on vacation when we were away from our bikes. This had already happened before the European Championships, and in China it was even more evident.
Last year, you'd already won gold and set a world record, and it seemed almost impossible to do better by completely changing your lineup. How did you manage it?
Much of the credit goes to the coach who prepared us in the best possible way.After the victory in the European Championship, he asked us what our intentions were and we said that the world's gold was not enough for usWe wanted to improve our record. Dino worked hard to achieve this, taking us to the high altitudes of Livigno, working in Montichiari, and taking care of the group's cohesion and automatic mechanisms.
What were the roles?
Rib it was at the launch, then it was up to me to pick up the pace and keep the rhythm high and then pass the hand to Magagnotti and I can assure you that when he shoots it's not easy to keep up with him. It could have been Magagnotti himself who closed it down or Fantini. I can actually say that he was the surprise. At the start of the season, I know there were some doubts about his abilities; he wasn't performing as well as the others, but Salvoldi continued to believe in him, and he emerged at the right time.
But you didn't limit yourself to the quartet, also taking home a gold in the elimination round and a silver in the madison...
Honestly, I was aiming for elimination because it's the specialty I do best and the one I like the most, but initially it wasn't supposed to be me but BortolamiThen Salvoldi changed the assignments the day before, so I found myself doing it. What can I say, it's a specialty I'm good at... The next day there was the Madison, Salvoldi had thought to save me the previous effort, but to tell the truth I didn't feel the fatigue. We finished second but we could have also won, only that Sporzon He fell, and when we restarted, we found ourselves staggered compared to what was planned: he sprinted during my turns and vice versa. This created some problems for us; without his fall, I'm convinced we would have been in the running.
You have a huge CV now, do you intend to continue in the velodromes?
Surely, it was a conditio sine qua non for the team I will join, I said it in every contact I hadI've already chosen the team, but they've asked me not to say anything yet. However, they'll give me carte blanche to do track activities.
Last year, you said you'd neglected the road a bit to stand out on the track. How did you manage this year?
I had decided to dedicate myself more to road races, especially in the first part of the season, and then move on to the track for the title races. I got my satisfactions with three victories up to May and the success at the DMT GP just before leaving for ChinaCompared to last year, I've scored a few more victories. Now I'm ready for Lunigiana, which I'll tackle with the condition I've acquired on the track, but also taking advantage of the heavy training I've done in Livigno.
