A different Sunday, the one experienced by Andrea Pasqualon. Certainly different from what one had imagined until a few days before. The Venetian was supposed to be part of the Italian team competing at the World Championships in Glasgow, instead, he found himself on the reserve, but that didn't mean he backed out. It wouldn't have been like him. Andrea made himself available, worked all the time with Welcome and his staff, were in the pits or at other agreed points along the route to supply the boys or give advice.
The premises were different. Bennati was counting on him, on his experience in giving a hand to the forwards in the competition Bettiol e Trentino, then what happened?
«It had already been decided – says Andrea – that I would participate in the Tour of Poland, Bennati had recommended that I withdraw a couple of days early to join the team. Just that Mohoric he was fighting for the final victory and I, as the last man standing, could not leave him alone. The managers of the Bahrain Victorious They told me I had to keep going straight, so my blue dreams were put away in a drawer…».
It's a pain, especially considering you're 35 and there won't be many other opportunities...
Yes, but I have nothing to complain about. It was right that I stayed, my presence proved to be fundamentalIf you look at the standings and the progress of the last stage, all of Poland was played out in a flying finish, we knew it and above all we knew that we had to play ahead of the game against Almeida. I drove Matej to the end and the results proved us right. I also feel that victory, that jersey, is a little bit mine.
What kind of World Cup was it like for you personally?
Putting aside the disappointment of not being able to play, I made myself available and I must say it was a very interesting experience. First of all, I realized that the work is enormous, especially in the run-up to the match. I tried to talk a lot with the guys, motivate them, and give them pointers as they went along. I certainly didn't have time to think that it wasn't me who was running.
Did the path seem right for you?
Yes, definitely, it was a “bad” track, for sprinters used to filing down. To emerge you needed to have a great condition, I understand Bennati wanted fresh legs at the start. After the efforts of Poland until the last day, there was no possibility of being there and giving a hand, especially when the race got into full swing.
What do you say about the conduct of your companions?
When you look at it from a cold perspective, you might think that, if Bettiol hadn't attacked alone He could have even made it into the top five given his condition, but he did the right thing in trying. It was a more than positive experience for him. Maybe if a couple of riders had stuck with him and made changes, they could have even reached the front. It must be said, however, that our national team was magnificent, even if it wasn't rewarded by the result.
Do you think that if Bettiol had been followed, it would have ended differently?
I do not believe, the true values on the field have emerged and in a World Cup that doesn't always happen. The hard tears highlighted who had more talent, first of all.. Furthermore, if you notice, the top 4 all came from the Tour, a sign that the stage race had broken them in well.
What awaits you now?
After Poland and the Scottish trip, I have two weeks of active rest at home, then we leave for the Tour of Benelux which is a race that I really like and in which I will still be the last man in favor of Mohoric to try to replicate the Polish resultThen we'll head to Plouay and the long Canadian trip for the WorldTour classics.
Then there's the European…
Yes, in Holland, on a path that favors me. I would like to be there, but for that to happen I will have to show up in the weeks leading up to it.We haven't had the chance to discuss it with Bennati, but we will. In the meantime, I'm taking it one step at a time and want to be worthy of a possible call-up.
Do you already have a contract for next year?
I signed a two-year contract with Bahrain, I feel really good, it's a close-knit group with a positive atmosphere and the results are the logical consequence.
On the eve of the World Championships, after the Olympic pathways were made official, it was clear there was a resemblance. Are you considering an Olympic call-up to finish on a high note?
Honestly – Pasqualon admits – when it is the route exited, I thought about it. I think it's a path where Milan can play an important role I got along well with him, but I'm sorry he's changing teams because other experiences together would have been useful. Besides, we also saw at the World Championships how racing without radios changes a lot in the way a race is managed.
You're from a generation that knows what it was like to race without a radio: does it really change that much?
That's exactly the point: the younger ones are not used to running without knowing from the outside what the situation is and what to doYou can communicate from the pits, with the whiteboards if you're racing on a circuit, but it's not the same. In those cases, a race director who guides the team is truly essential.
