Last night and this morning were crucial hours for the Italian track team. Marco Villa is called to solve some puzzles and to draw up a precise race program: who will run what. The last to join the Italian expedition to Roubaix World Championships was Elijah Viviani, who ran on the road until the end.
"The air is good," says coach Marco Villa. "They sanded the track because they were having problems with the wood. A Velotrack representative who was working on it told me, but I don't know what the problems were. However, they didn't do it to make it faster: they sanded it and re-impregnated it. And I hope they put it in place in time. At the World Cup in Poland the guys ended up on the ground on their second test lap because the paint hadn't dried!
Ganna and the quartet
"Pippo," says the coach, "had some problems with his ribs and missed two half-days of training. Two sessions, not much. Then he slowly recovered. The fall during training penalized him a little, but now he's fine».
The major "doubts" regarding Ganna but I'm not so much on the after-effects of the fall, but on his endurance, even mental, during a very long season for him. Has he managed to keep the attention high after the world triumph in Belgium?
"For me, yes," Villa says. "Pippo seems focused, and in fact, in agreement with the team, he's decided to skip some road races to better prepare for this world championship track championship. It's his great end to the season. No, no... he's showing the utmost professionalism."
Ganna will be involved in both the team and individual pursuits, a significant amount of effort. Yesterday there was also talk of the possibility of saving him a few games, but Villa seemed much more steadfast in this regard.
«In these two days of testing I am collecting data and the latest sensations of the guys to decide – explains Villa – I have until an hour before the start to decide which quartet to field. But this changeover discussion doesn't concern Ganna. If, let's touch wood, we were to go ahead, there would only be the final before the individual. It's basically just four kilometers, and for someone who's used to it and has already done two Giro d'Italias, I don't think it will be a big problem.
The choices are then not influenced by the possible Olympic qualification with a view to Paris 2024. It will all start next year. However, according to Villa, it's important to maintain the lead in the rankings, or close to it, to be able to start last and race on the others' times. "Set your timetable according to others' times and without necessarily having to go beyond the limits."
In any case, three-quarters of the pursuit team should be certain: Lamon starting, Milan in third position and Pippo in fourth.
Milan and Viviani…
The other big one is called Jonathan MilanThe young man from Friuli has just won the European pursuit title. Much is expected of him. And he wants a lot himself.
«Jonathan is going very strong. The European title gave him more confidence... and he needed it. And then, guys, he ran 4'05", a sign that he's doing well. Is the individual podium within reach? Looking at that time, I don't think many in the world can do it. An all-Italian final would be an honor. It's not easy, but as I said, only a few people can do that time and I don't think that in 4-5 months 7-8 athletes have arrived who are capable of doing 4'05". Of course, Lambie (the American world record holder, ed.) is the favorite. We'll see if he recovers."
And then there's the Viviani chapter, what will Elia do?
"Elia arrived a little later than the others. He shows up with a few less specifics. He ran on the road until three days ago, but I know he is in excellent condition and in any case he also trained on the track.
«It's important to understand what he wants to do, what he wants to focus on more: whether on the Omnium or on Elimination, but I would also say it Scratch, which is one of my worries. But for that I also need to understand what's going on in his head and in the heads of others."
A team effort
«My idea in fact – continues Villa – is to make all those I have called up run. In the individual pursuit, for example, we're fielding three: the two called up, plus Ganna, who is the reigning champion. And in fact, the youngster will also be racing, Manlio Moro who after the good European Championships he had, knew that I would bring him here to Roubaix. Davide Boscaro, instead he will go the kilometer. And also based on the choices I will make with Viviani, we will see what to do with Liam Bertazzo e Michele Scartezzini for Madison."
And here Villa relaunches like a river in flood…
"Why I want to work on Madison in view of Paris e so much. It's one of our favorite events, and one we can do well in. And for this, just two men won't be enough, and "Scarte" is one of them. No, no, for the Madison, we have to work right now. You don't become a specialist in the last two months before the Olympics.
«The Madison that I will deploy is therefore to be evaluated. It is not necessarily true that they will be Simone Consonni and Elia Viviani, especially considering that Sunday is the Elimination round, which I know Elia cares a lot about. We'll see."
