If we had to describe in detail what Stefano Oldani he spent at the Giro d'Italia, a book wouldn't be enough. The Lombard of the Cofidis he left the Giro d'Italia early and now we hope he can be at the start of the Tour de France, his goal since the beginning of the season.
Oldani has just left the retreat in Livigno, where he worked really hard at 1.800 metres in the Valtellina area. Besides, he's a regular here, knows the routes well, and has his own contacts. All the more reason to believe him when he says he's finally feeling better.
Stefano, let's start with the Giro, a retreat due to tendinitis...
I arrived at the Giro without having prepared as I wanted, as always. It wasn't in the plan, but I was there anyway, and that was fine. It just so happened that in the first three days I had intestinal problems. I thought it was a gel issue; having not taken them for a few days, maybe they had made me sick. But it turned out to be a virus. After the dirt stage, I had some problems with my Achilles tendon, but I'm used to it now.
In what sense?
Yes, I live with it and all in all I know how to keep it at bay. Even the year in which I won the stage I was fighting it. But as we continued, a few days later a sports director got sick. He was traveling with us, and I caught another virus: tracheitis. On my rest day, I even started antibiotics, I was so bad. Eventually, my tendon recurred, and at that point I withdrew. I did it with two or three stages to spare, since I would have stopped at the end of the second week anyway.
Of course, hold on for what?
I would have just finished myself. Better to think about the Tour at that point, which was in the plans instead.
So you came home and what did you do?
Three days of absolute rest and then For a week I did 3 hours of quiet exercise to completely get rid of the tracheitis and maintain my muscles and everything else. At that point I went up to Livigno.
Quite a bit…
Yes, I just went down yesterday. I've had three full weeks. I had already improved in that week at home, but after I went up to Livigno it really got better. I've rebuilt the right foundation, the one I was missing after my scaphoid fracture in the spring. I've trained with my methods, my habits, and I see that the numbers are good, and that's why I'm very confident.
Will you play in the Italian championship?
Yes, now I'll compete in the Italian championship and then we'll have to see if I'll go to the Tour de France. I did the Giro to support the team, and I'm sorry that my participation was in doubt until the very end.
It's not easy to deal with Italian coming directly from the heights...
Let's say I get down in time to do well and be ready, but of course it's not easy, because you also need a bit of luck in a one-day race. I prepared myself very well, I say I'm in good shape, and at the same time, I know the level of the Tour. So if I say this, it's because it could be good for me and the team. Otherwise, I'd be the first to not go. Otherwise, it would backfire.
When will you know if you'll be part of the team for the Grande Boucle?
I think after Italian.
Do you already have a “plan B”?
Not yet, but the Tour of Slovakia is happening around that time. I imagine that could be an alternative, but we'll evaluate it. I hope to go to the Tour because I know how I feel. It's also true that the Tour is a great experience, but at that point the important thing is to race.
Stefano, you're confident. You talked about high-altitude methods and references...
I did my job to the best of my ability and even better. I usually came to altitude for two weeks, this time for three. I had a masseur with me who treated me every single day. I did a lot of work, ate well… I really can't do more than that and that's why I'm calm.
