«I'm coming off the fastest week of my life». Marco Frigo he was, if not shocked, at least struck by the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Don't be fooled by his numbers in the Spanish race. The Venetian of the Israel Premier Tech He finished above 100th overall, but was always in the thick of the action. And he was always available to his team.
For this reason, as well as for his race, Frigo has become a sort of group correspondent for us. Special observer of riders and tactics.
Marco, let's start with that phrase of yours: the fastest week ever. What does that mean?
We really did go fast. I set out for Catalunya fully aware of what I'd find, even though it was my first time competing in this race. My teammates have always told me that this race, especially uphill, is one of the hardest. So it's been a pretty intense week… as I expected.
We were seeing stellar averages, in fact.
We were going strong from day one. Even the first stage was a continuous right-left along the coast. It felt a bit like last year's Naples stage. Giro d'Italia. And then in general the breakaways never took up too much space, 1'50”-2' at most. And the best part is that they closed them 50-60 kilometers from the finish. Truly particular dynamics.
So, tell us about these dynamics. What did you notice? What was happening in the group?
From day one I saw a UAE Emirates confident in her own potential, also strong in a pogacar In good shape. They dominated every stage, except those with bunch sprint finishes. They set impressive paces on the climbs, but also on the descents. And then I'd say I noticed a high level overall. They were all very well prepared, especially on the climbs.
And did this affect the tactics?
In this race and in the Basque Country, the teams bring formations dedicated to climbing. After challenging climbs tackled at breakneck pace, on other occasions there would have been 30 riders left: here you turned around and there were at least 100 riders behind you. From the TV, it might have looked like we were just hanging out, seeing so many athletes in a group, but that's not the case. Also, if you bring people who are good at climbing, they're unlikely to be willing to join the group. Before they do, they'll cough up blood.
Let's get back to the topic UAE Emirates, how did they move?
They controlled the first part of the race, the first 100 kilometers, with two riders, then under the climbs the other men, the climbers, came into play. They stayed ahead all week without any problems. Sometimes a timid advance has been seen in the Visma-Lease a Bike, but nothing special. And then we at Israel-Premier Tech tried several times, we had a very strong team for this race.
Why?
Because we have many activities in the area, because many riders live between Andorra and Girona. I tried to give my contribution, acting according to the team's requests. In the first stage we moved well. We were making the stage for Stephen Williams, who is fast. There was a 6-kilometer climb with 30 kilometers to go. We made a targeted move to cut off the pure sprinters, and we succeeded. Then they came back with 4 kilometers to go, but that was the right thing to do. We did something similar on the last stage. In short, we weren't passive.
What can you tell us about Pogacar?
I wouldn't even know what to answer! He's strong, there's no one at his level at the moment. At least that was the case at Catalunya. Maybe he was a little tired on the last stage... even though he won that one too.
And you, Marco? We've seen you in front more than once. You seemed in control, lively... Are you on track with your schedule for the Giro?
I'm satisfied. I was coming to Catalunya from the mountain training camp in Sierra Nevada, and my condition could have been a question mark. However, I had a good feeling, so I'd say I'm on track to have a good Giro d'Italia. And above all, I'm happy that there is still some room for improvement. I didn't come to this race specifically for Catalunya, but I was in good shape for the Giro. Last year, around the same time, I had done the Coppi e Bartali and I didn't have the same feeling.
Now how will your program proceed?
I'm currently spending a few more days recovering at home in Veneto. Then I'll return to Sierra Nevada for another two weeks. Around mid-April I'll be doing two one-day trips in France, the Grand Besancon Doubs and the Tour du Jura, and then I'll go to the Giro.
Will you be doing any more climbing between the races in France and the Giro?
It's up for grabs. I was thinking about going to the Pordoi, but it will depend a lot on the weather. We'll see...
At Catalunya we saw a good Tiberi…
With Antonio, since we are only one year apart (Tiberi he was born in 2001, ed.), we were often rivals even in the youth categories. I think, and I have always said, that he is one of our best talents, one of the guys with the biggest engine. I hope performances like the one against Catalunya can help him. It's a pleasure to see him up there.
But is he also your rival for the white jersey?
Age says this, but I'm leaving for the Giro d'Italia with the intention of winning a stage. That's my main goal. But that doesn't mean I'll give up early or with 50 minutes to go. Maybe already in the first week, after the first two stages, there could be some good opportunities.
