Giovanni Aleotti He's already at high altitude. It seems absurd, but he already finished the first block of races at the beginning of March. "I'm in the warm Sierra Nevada sun. Even though we are at 2.500 metres, the daytime temperature here is around 10 degrees and down below where we train it can reach 20 degrees". says the standard-bearer of the Bora Hansgrohe.
The Emilian started his second season as a professional well. He raced first in Spain and then in France. In these races, he made himself available to the team and, above all, he tried to find the condition.
Giovanni, second season as a pro: how are you feeling?
I started a little later than planned due to Covid. Unfortunately, I took it at the wrong time.
That?
At the end of the retreat. I was training well, but I still needed to complete the first part of my preparation with some races, and instead, there was nothing to be done. A stop in the middle of the race.And in fact, I arrived at the races with zero running experience, while the others already had a few. So I'm not in the best condition yet. The first thing was to find the right pedal stroke.
And when do you want to be fit?
The goal is to arrive in the best condition in spring, for the Ardennes Classics and for the Tour of Italy and in fact before these appointments I will do another retreat at high altitude. This current one will last fifteen days, then I will go down for the Milan-Turin, the Sanremo, the Coppi and Bartali and I'll be back up here for another ten days.
You said you should have started earlier: where?
In the Majorcan races, but with Covid I clearly couldn't. I stayed in Majorca an extra week. Alone in the hotel. Stopped. We have a protocol to follow. I started training again as soon as I got the eligibility (the Return to Play, ed.).
Over the winter, have you adjusted your preparation a bit compared to other years?
No, it's more or less always the same. The only thing that's changed is the location of the retreat: last year on Lake Garda, this year in Majorca.
Yet many of your colleagues told us that they have implemented the dry part, the gym...
I did it too, but no more. And to be honest, I don't like it very much and I haven't increased the workload. Also because in December you're already on retreat, between Gran Canaria and the team camp, and there's not that much time left.
And what about the mileage front?
We worked a lot on the aerobic base. In January, I started taking on my first specific jobs, but as I mentioned, when it was time to make the leap in quality, I contracted Covid, which stopped me.
But has the feeling with the group, with the pace of the pros, improved?
Yes, definitely better! At the Ruta del Sol I was at my first race (actually he had made his debut at the Paraiso Interior, a single race, but he didn't finish it, ed.) and the others had a better pace. However The good thing is that even though I was suffering a little, I felt like I was recovering. Every day I was getting better. And that made me optimistic.
Bora-Hansgrohe a little Italian with Enrico Gasparotto in the flagship…
I was with him at the Ruta del Sol, and I'm in his running group. I met "Gaspa" this winter, and I have to say I really get along with him. His experience with young players is a valuable asset. He has a keen eye for the rider.
You speak the same language, in short…
Exactly! He's closer to us riders in many ways. He raced until two years ago. Last year, he was still in the peloton as a regulator on the bike, and that allowed him to see even more. The advice he gives us is the same advice he would have given two years ago as a rider.
Giovanni, you mentioned the Ardennes and the Giro: how are we going there? What personal ambitions might you have?
At the Giro we present a very strong team with three captains: Hindley, bookman e KeldermanI'll be at their disposal, and if there's an opportunity at some stage to have more space, I'll try to seize it. I can tell you this: overall, I'm very happy with the program they've planned for me. The first Sanremo, the first Ardennes… And then with Gaspa in the team car who has won two Amstels, it will be cool to go racing up there! I will add a nice piece of experience.
