These days the suitcases of Dino Salvoldi they are constantly being renewed: first Rwanda, then France for the European Championships, then the finishing touches in Montichiari and then on the 16th the departure for Santiago de Chile, for the track world championshipsA delicate event precisely because it is post-Olympic, free from obligations linked to qualifications for the Los Angeles Games, but in which the Italian national team has decided to experiment and give experience to the younger players, putting results in second place.
A dean among the youngest
We also have to take into account the distance and the costs, so it will be a fairly small expedition, no more than 7 riders called to interpret the endurance tests, but with what prospects? «Yes, it will be 7 athletes more Elia Viviani who has this sacrosanct desire to end his career with these world track championships. So I will have three athletes, Viviani, Sierra e Star, engaged in group races and in these days we have to define the distribution by specialty, even if It has already been decided that on the last day of competitions, Elia will be eliminated, because it is the competition he cares about the most and Stella and Sierra will be the American's coupleIt's clear that they are two very young guys, they will be able to race without pressure. As for the quartet and the individual pursuit, we will have a very young group. Except Lamon, unique of the old guard, we will have the young people Favero, Giaimi, Grimod and one between Galli e Woodcutter. The meeting we're having these days helps me to define these details."
How do guys introduce themselves on the date?
Net of unforeseen events, I'm really happy with the training period we've had and with the guys' availability.I'm very demanding in my training, and I've had good results. That said, I don't know what results to expect without seeing the starting lists, but I know that other nations have made more targeted choices for the event. I'm interested in doing a good performance compared to ourselves for what we've trained for.Without making any predictions about placings, I would keep my feet firmly on the ground and without illusions.
So as a yardstick, especially in the case of the quartet, will you look at the boys' past, when you had them as juniors and under-23s, to see if there's this growth process going on?
I'd definitely say yes, also considering that times are sometimes correlated with environmental conditions, because they greatly influence performance. I do, however, expect young athletes to improve compared to their junior years, that's for sure. I would like to have a good team and individual performance so that each of the boys sees opportunities for next year.I can't forget that this year I've only had the boys for short periods, with intermittent preparation. But lately I've had them all available. The continuity that comes from a year of work, from an annual planning both in terms of preparation and in terms of a calendar shared with the teams, was completely missing.. For this reason, I thought that, being a post-Olympic year, it is the most useful one to be able to experiment, to try new solutions.
The quartet, from what you've described, will essentially blend two old and two new members. How do you go about building a completely different crew? How do you find a challenging blend in a short time?
Certain times are the result of growth or the habit of training at certain paces; they require a long adaptation period, rather than those related to the technical situation, i.e., to changes rather than to the start or the lines to follow. It's really a question of preparation, of getting used to pushing harder and faster relationships over time and young people need to be given this time.In fact, from December to April and then another two months during the summer, that's six months where the guys came to train very little or never. That's at least 24 fewer training sessions I've had. I'm not going to be protective, but it's a factor that needs to be considered.
Stella and Sierra are a fairly established couple in Madison, but they're very young. Could this be a crucial experience for their growth, especially considering the point we just made about their bond?
Yes, to help young people grow, a prestigious event is also needed – confirms Salvoldi – Regardless of the result it may bring, this is a step that must be taken.Otherwise, you might find guys who are already mature, but who have never competed in a world championship or a higher-level race, because the result always takes priority over everything else. And so you tend to bring only the guys who give you certainty of results. This is a "historic" moment, we must exploit it.
Will the fact that you're competing in such a remote location, in completely different weather conditions than usual, have a significant impact on the results?
In my opinion, no, in the sense that the teams that will go with their best players will run to get a result, for example Great Britain will put in world championship-caliber performances, either timed or individual.We're almost at sea level, and with the climate we have at that time of year, which is our spring, the conditions inside the velodrome will have an impact, whether it's hot inside the track. But whoever wins the medals will perform at a World Championship level; it won't be a subdued World Championship. But be careful: no one will have as many of us from the 2004-2006 generation as us...
