Paolo Artuso changed his number. He returned the one from Bahrain Victorious and waiting to receive one from Bora Hansgrohe he will keep the same good as always. The move happened under the radar, because usually the riders' transfer market makes more news., however, the three-year contract offered to the trainer by the German team, which has already met between Germany and Austria for medical visits and a team building in Soelden, did not go unnoticed.
«Every so many years it's also right to change – Artuso smiles – to have different stimuli and grow furtherI had been in Bahrain for six years, practically from the beginning, and I saw the team's philosophy change. The first three years were Nibali's group. Then in the fourth year Rod Ellingworth arrived with McLaren. and he revolutionized the team in terms of protocols. He brought Sky's experience, however there was only one year left. So in the last two we have found a middle ground between the team's initial philosophy and Rod's, taking what seemed best to us."
And Bora?
We had a chat and I really liked what they told me. The project they have especially for stage races is importantThey have some very strong young people. There are Hindley, then Konrad, Schachmann, Buchmann, higuita, Cjan Uijtdebroeks I still don't know how to pronounce it. Then there's Vlasov, that is... The team is really competitive and there is also Aleotti, that we don't yet know how far it can go.
Why did you decide to accept?
They wanted me strongly and when you go to a place where they want you so much, you start off on the right footThe project is long-term, with a three-year contract for one staff member. it means trust and that the team is financially stableSo I decided to make the leap, moving from Bahrain, which has a strong Italian influence, to an entirely German team. There are some Italians, but the base is not Latin, and it intrigues me.
Have they already assigned you athletes to follow?
I have five. bookman, who finished fourth at the 2019 Tour. Then Patrick Conrad, who in my opinion is a winning rider because he can hold his own on climbs and is also fast (the two are together in the opening photo, ed.). Schachmann, who comes from an unlucky year, but still won Paris-Nice twice. So Sam Bennett, who wins sprints because he arrives there fresher and is not just a sprinter. Finally Jungels, that is it operated on the iliac artery and made a nice second part of 2022 after victory at the Tour and in his palmares he has Liege.
Colbrelli quits and you and Sonny worked hard…
We worked together ever since he arrived in BahrainI have some great memories with him, like the first victory at Paris-Nice in 2017, the team's first WorldTour race. Every year it has grown a little, until the great 2021 season. I'm also sorry for leaving Matej Mohoric, who came to us in the second year of Bahrain and we immediately established a great relationship. Through ups and downs, in short, We also managed to get some good ones right with him.And then there's Caruso, who I'll miss on a human level. I'll miss so many, also Jonathan Milan which is another phenomenon.
Milan himself: do you think he can become a very strong sprinter like Caruso said?
Let it be strong, it is strong. In fact, he's fast, because he has extraordinary numbers. But he also has a good aerobic base., as seen in Croatia. So in my opinion he can be a sprinter and the classic manHe's still young, 22, and still a work in progress. He's already achieved many results. He's a world champion and an Olympic track champion. He's trained little on the road, yet he's already winning. He should work harder and more consistently, compared to the one he had for various physical problems.
Do you think Colbrelli would have had another great year?
For sure he had 2-3 others at the topLast winter wasn't perfect, with all the commitments. But someone who beats you like that and has had a season like that means that... he had unlocked himself and was running with a clear objective, also on the part of the teamHe no longer had to earn the role of captain, would have had a completely different approach.
And Caruso?
In my opinion he still has the means to go fast. He was competitive in every race he entered.From Andalusia, where he worked for Poels, who won, to Tirreno, where he finished seventh in the standings, with a fifth place in the Carpegna stage. He worked at Sanremo and at the Giro di Sicilia he won two stages and the overall classificationRomandie was a goal, but he had problems with the chain on the uphill finish, lost time and ultimately finished sixth, 50″ off the podium. He finished fourth at the Dauphiné and he left the Tour with CovidIn my opinion he had a great season.
When the coach changes teams, does he leave the responsibilities to those who remain?
In Bahrain, as well as in Bora, the platform is used Today's PlanThe training files belong to the riders and remain theirs. For everything else, there are two accounts on the same server. Therefore, when you leave, the files remain where they are, I simply no longer have access to the platformI have always seen training files as a vehicle to make fewer mistakes and plan preparationThe actual test should be done in a laboratory in a controlled environment and with the same ergometer. The tests we usually use are used to calibrate training rhythms, understand where the athlete is most lacking, where to workI still have my wealth of experience. And all the work I have to start doing with my new athletes.
