The best Italian at Giro Next Gen was Alessio Martinelli, who took home the tricolor jersey, dedicated to this classification (in the opening, photo Lisa Paletti). In the eight stages that crossed the North of Italy, the rider of the Green Project Bardiani CSF Faizanè he built his performance, crowned by a sixth-place finish in the overall standings, achieved with solidity and consistency. Qualities that allowed him to compete side by side with the strongest.
Brick by brick
Martinelli obtained two excellent placings in the two most challenging stages of the Giro Next Gen. A fourth place on the feared Stelvio and a tenth in perhaps the most challenging stage, that of Pian del Cansiglio.
"It was a great experience," he said on the eve of the Italian championship in Comano Terme. "I'd say super positive. I got a good result and an excellent final placingIt's a shame that we had to race as a foursome right from the start. But a good relationship developed between all of us at Green Project right from the first stages."
Do we still have the Stelvio performance, the best of the Giro, in our eyes?
Yes, I would say so. I really cared about that stage, after all, it was the home team. I lost little to the leaders and my morale was sky-high. I paid for the effort, perhaps, during the stage at Pian del Cansiglio, where I took almost two minutes from the winner.
You still brought home a good sixth place finish…
I've always felt good, when a race goes well and the sensations are promising, you are able to give something moreEven in the penultimate stage I gave my all and I'm happy about it.
The turning point came on the Stelvio? There you became the team's best overall finisher.
Since before the time trial of Aglie It was decided that the decisive stage would be the Stelvio. From then on we would understand who would be the captain for the remainder of the Giro Next GenAt the beginning there were three of us “playing” that role: Pinarello, Pellizzari and me.
Was Pellizzari's retirement a hard blow?
We knew he was ill even before we left, the Wednesday before the Giro he still had a slight fever, but he seemed to be able to improve. Instead, he had a relapse and retired in the second stage.
Did running with four of you penalize you?
I wouldn't say so, in the end we as a team were dedicated to the mountains, so in the plains we have always let others workOnce on the climb, it's easier to make up time for the day's breakaway, as the Stelvio stage was a prime example.
After the Tour de the future Last year you had another chance to compete with the best under-23s in the world…
It's always nice to race at this level. In the end, if I think about it, I lost a lot in the initial time trial: 40 seconds. Then for the rest I always remained with the first ones, considering I finished 3 minutes away Staune-Mittet I'd say that just by taking away those seconds lost in the time trial I would have gotten back into the top five.
Have you ever had a “bad day”?
No. As I said before, I was consistent throughout the eight days of the race, both in terms of physical sensations and recovery.
Was this due to good effort management or were there other factors?
In general every year I hear of improve very and I haven't reached my limit yet. In the next seasons I will continue to run to grow, with the knowledge that I'm doing it well.
Did racing with the pros help you grow?
It's definitely a good way to compare notes and understand where we've come from. At the beginning of the season I did well in the races in Spain, so I'm confident I can repeat myself at those levels too.
This was your first race on the Stelvio. When will you be back in training for the first time?
I didn't go this week because I didn't have the opportunity. The first two days after the Giro Next Gen I used them to get complete rest, the others I concentrated on preparing as best as possible for the Italian championships. However, I promised my friends I would come back and climb more slowly, there are some writings that I have to readI was racing at full speed and I didn't make it!
