After a spring without head or tail, Enrico Battaglin begins to recognize some correct feelings. In fact, he warns, he's been feeling good for a while.
«But if you rely on Procyclingstats – he smiles – then it might seem like it's a disasterDon't look at the placements, because from the Adriatica Ionica Race I worked for the team and then also at the Italian championships. I solved my physical problems. However, that site is hateful. There are all the results and based on those, it might seem like I'm in really bad shape».
At the 2016 Giro, Battaglin was an excellent support for Kruijswijk in the pink jersey. In 2018 he won the Santa Ninfa stage, still wearing the LottoNL-Jumbo jersey
At the 2016 Giro, Battaglin was an excellent support for Kruijswijk in the pink jersey. In 2018 he won the Santa Ninfa stage, still wearing the LottoNL-Jumbo jersey
Restart at the Sazka Tour
The long break after the Sibiu Cycling Tour is over and On August 4th the Vicenza native left the Sazka Tour and is now heading for the Tour du Limousin which starts on the 16th. In the meantime he has rested, he has worked well, he says, and He followed the live coverage of the Tour de France, where his former team ruled the roost. And this generates curiosity, given that Enrico arrived at the then LottoNL-Jumbo in 2016, when the project was still in its infancy.
Could you have thought they would reach this high?
Compared to my time, I see that the staff has changed, but the management is the same. They had declared that they wanted to reach the podium at the Tour by 2021-2022 and they succeeded.At the time the man was Kruijswijk, after what he had done at the Giro. Then Roglic and Groenewegen have arrivedWe started winning races like the Basque Country and also did well in the 2018 Giro. The growth could have been imagined, but it was Van Aert who encouraged the leap in quality.
The team stands out for its attention to detail: was it like that back then?
It wasn't all as exasperated as it is now, it was a different kind of cyclingBut I remember we had a chef, they looked after us in everything. The mattresses at the races were the same as the ones we had at home. I would say that the exasperated search for detail began in 2019The ultra-light bikes. The carbohydrate study. The repeated retreats. The clothing. They invest a lot in details and the results are visible..
Today I am the point of reference for everyone…
But they started from a common basis for many. I think that in addition to studying, the level of the riders had an influence.. One could imagine Roglic, by Van Aert and Vingegaard, no really. Ditto for Kooij, the young sprinter. Guys who came out at twenty, with the watts and the mindset of already experienced riders and immediately capable of achieving results.
Pozzovivo said that those who couldn't adapt to this… surge in performance found themselves in trouble. Has that happened to you?
I spoke with “Pozzo” at the Sazka Tour. The problem is that everyone raised their barIt will be the training or the bikes, the kids have such a high standard that what we used to do is no longer enough. We need to take care of the details to bridge the gap. Plus, your stress level increases because you're always pushing the limit.This is why I don't believe in long careers. Even for leaders...
That?
When I passed by, real captains aimed at their goals and in the rest of the races they worked or left space. Now they too are always at 110 percentThere's an absurd level in every race, not just the Tour.
And how are you?
Pretty good. I started working again in the Czech Republic for Zana and Fiorelli. I am the one who is used first, because I have background and experience, but I hope that at Limousin I will have some chances too. My contract is expiring and I would like to get some results. to stay or find somewhere to stay. I think the start of the season was a struggle, but at the Adriatica Ionica Race we ran really well as a team and we wonThings have been going well since May, and we hope to continue like this until the end of the year.
Reverberi didn't seem very happy with you and Modolo...
Ma Bruno is like this. When he invests, he would like an immediate returnIt was a difficult start to the year, but when I recovered, I think he saw that I worked hard for the teamTeamwork is crucial; you can't just rely on others to get you out of trouble. It's about running for a couple of riders, with the group at their serviceWhat they say isn't true...
What is being said?
That I've lost my edge and that I don't work out. The fact is that over the years I've faded away. I'm having a hard time battling with the leaders. Staying ahead is getting harder and harder.I can't wait for the endings, so I help others. And if I take the right escape, maybe I'll still find the inspiration to play it...
