Everyone here in San Juan has their own goals. The sprinters aim for the sprints. The climbers await the Alto del Colorado. Some work for one, some for the other. And then there are those, like the Italian track cyclists, who grind out kilometres and pace for the objective of the European track champions which will take place in Grenchen from 8 to 12 February.
The blue spot is more nourished than what you see in the photos, because In Ineos Grenadiers, Ganna and Viviani are racing for the same purpose, so that in the end Marco Villa finds himself viewing a good portion of his group every day. Compared to the Olympic and world champion quartets, only one is missing: Jonathan Milan, which will debut on January 30 at the Saudi Tour.
All in half a year
Among the blues, Michele Scartezzini already knows that from now on there will be no more interlocutory appointments and that this race will allow him to build the basis on which to base the Europeans, but also the World Cup trials (Jakarta February 23, the Cairo 14 March, Milton April 20) which, together with the challenge of Grenchen and the World Cup in August, will form the basis of Olympic qualification.
For some of those dates, the road racers will not be there because they are busy with the classics and the weight of the blue will rest on other shoulders.
«Olympic qualification comes first», he says. «We are here in San Juan to make a nice volume and start 2023 off on a high note.It will be crucial for this season, which begins with the European Championships. Then there will be these three Cups, quite close together, and the World Cup in August. It will all happen in half a year…».
Let's say having a long bench should allow you to keep the bar high, right?
I definitely think that Marco (Villa, ed.) has, in quotation marks, the good fortune of always having half of the group available, because the others will be doing the classics. In the last few days I was talking with Elia (Viviani, ed.), who should come to Cairo if he doesn't do the Paris-Nice. That would be a nice thing.
Abundance, we have often said, is half an advantage and half a headache when making selections.
It's definitely difficult to manage. The problem also lies in the choices of the IOC which has removed another position (instead of the 6 riders foreseen at the last Olympics, the teams will be made up of 5 athletes who will have to participate in all the qualified specialties, ed.). It was difficult for Marco in Tokyo, now it will be even worse. We have already dealt with these hard and painful choices, but that's how it works. And if someone in the quartet isn't well, which I clearly wouldn't wish on anyone, we are fortunate to have valid players to replace him.
Last year you told us that your preparation has become that of a track cyclist: is anything changing this year?
No, let's say that for better or worse now my line is that: the way to make volume and the specific one that is done on the track insteadThat's what we need. I'm talking about myself, at least, Lamon, and also Boscaro, because we're with the Fiamme Azzurre. Now there is this project, so our goal is that Olympic.
Balsamo and Longo Borghini have left the Fiamme Oro. Does the military still represent a resource for you specialists?
Of course, because we say that with our system at the male level, it was already known that without these bodies and not being professionals, we would not have had a chance. Instead, among women, professionalism has arrived, they now apply all the criteria of the World Tour, so I understand that among them there is someone who needs to leave the body. These are choices that must be faced by evaluating which is the best one.
How does it feel to see Montichiari packed, now even with sprinters?
It's a beautiful thing, even for us kids. We're not the only ones in endurance anymore, but look at the sprinters: there are many of them and they're starting to go fast too.It's not that they just train. You see them working out; they're something we'd previously thought was limited to the Dutch and English giants. Now ours are growing up that way too., so I'm really happy to see them rolling.
Does playing in the World Cups also mean trying to win some?
Certainly, after the last few years, when I go to a World Cup, it's becoming almost mandatory, if not mandatory, to at least get a podium. I don't go there saying I want to achieve the best possible result. Already from the European Championships, if I have the chance to be an American, I'm going to win., not to say we're aiming for a podium finish. The time has come to always aim for the best.
