From time trialist to time trialist, Pinotti welcomes Sobrero

Matteo Sobrero will pass to the BikeExchange and in this team he will find open arms waiting for him Marco Pinotti. Marco, in addition to his past as a rider (and as an excellent time trialist), is also a very good technician, especially when it comes to working with younger people and in the time trial sector, clearly.

The Piedmontese's move seems to be a natural fit for him. Besides being a wonderful story, one of those "swings" often seen in cycling where experience and knowledge are passed on, this switch of allegiance also arouses curiosity. How will the numbers of Pinotti, sport director and engineer, reconcile with the dreams of Sobrero, a young athlete? A nice mix to ponder..

Marco, Sobrero is coming: an Italian time trial champion just like you…

Yes, but he got there first! He arrives at the BikeExchange already with an excellent pedigree. It's clear that at Qhubeka andAstana He's been working well. I've been watching his workouts these past few days. I've been analyzing his workloads, making sure they've been done progressively.

And what is the answer?

Who worked well. From 24.000 kilometers in 2018, it has grown a little each year up to 26.000 kilometers this past season. Gradual growth. I think Matteo can do well in short stage races. Then maybe even better in the future. Nibali He didn't immediately win any Grand Tours when he first arrived. From what I've seen, he's a guy who works well and is precise.

And how will you work on it? Let's start with his position: Matteo is well-positioned. He's very closed up front: where can he improve?

In the details – Pinotti replies dryly – Matteo is a natural timeman. He could even find the position himself. In his case, the biomechanic must not create obstacles for him. in seeking more profitable positions. First, let's start with its measurements, which aren't bad, and then we'll look into going into the wind tunnel to improve something without distorting it. The second step will be to work on the materials.

In Leuven, Sobrero told us he wanted 3D handlebars…

Well, it's not something that happens overnight, but I can say that among our riders he's at the top of the list to get it. But I'd also like to say something. This handlebar offers real advantages with components that aren't perfectly integrated. If you have a "dirty" bike at the front: wires, edges, bumps. But if the starting bike is already clean, its benefits aren't even quantifiable. We saw it at the Olympics with From the mill or the Deceuninck riders who had a clean bike. If anything, it's more of an added confidence for the rider who has all the best materials he wants at his disposal.

Sobrero is an atypical time trialist, if you will: he's "small," not too heavy. And we also saw it at the World Championships between Affini and Ganna in the team relay. How does he manage to ride so well?

In fact, it goes well on undulating and not too flat courses. At the World Championships, it couldn't have done better. However There have been similar time trialists in the past. Levi Leipheimer comes to mind.He was quite small, around 62-63 kilos. He had excellent aerodynamics and a very high threshold. Matteo isn't there yet, because he weighs a little more and has a few less watts, but he can grow, he can shave off some weight, and consequently he'll find that even on the climbs. We saw him at the Tour of Slovenia, where he fought with pogacar, and at the Giro d'Italia. He finished it well and worked for VlasovThe challenging races he won as an amateur he can win here too.

Will you follow him directly? Even by following him in the car?

Yes, I will follow him. I will follow him in the retreats and before some specific events, maybe the next Italian championship, then no: he'll work from home. As for the rest, I'd have him make small improvements compared to this year's workload, but not so much in terms of volume. In that sense, he'll improve on his own. I would focus on intensity, especially around events where he can do well.

What races will he do?

I would like to find him some space to let him do well. Now we'll see what the Giro route will be like, but the idea is to find short stage races where the time trials will have a certain specific weight. I'd like to see him at a Paris-Nice or Tirreno, but let's wait and see how much the time trial will count. I would like to find races that highlight its characteristics. Opportunities where he can do well and learn to be a leader, to manage teams, pressure, men... 

How many times will he have to go out on the time trial bike?

I would say at least two a week. I spoke to the mechanics so that they could immediately provide him with a time trial bike, reporting his measurements so that he can get used to it, Even for the materials. In any case, I'd say no less than seven workouts a month with this bike.

As mentioned previously, Matteo is a pure time trialist, but a "small" one. He's not a Van Aert or a Ganna, but more of a Bernal or a Pogacar, but without being a stage racer, at least not yet. What do you do in these cases?

The differences in work are not that different in time. Let's say that Roglic and Pogacar are perhaps a little heavier and can handle certain workloads better. My idea, however, is not to overload him. As I said, on a flat course like Leuven, someone like Sobrero has difficulty; a course like the Italian Championship is better, even if it was long.

It's clear…

I analyzed his power figures from the Benelux Tour, they weren't bad, even if they weren't the same as the Giro, but they were certainly lower than the heavier specialists. However, it's also true that within a major Giro these are important values, especially for someone like him who has shown excellent recovery skills. And the fact that he's always done very well in the final time trials tells us this. He was strong in Voldobbiadene, in Milan, and even in the inaugural one in Palermo last year, a sign that he also knows how to ride a time trial bike well.