Luca Mozzato is preparing for the Northern Campaign with new confidence and the knowledge that he can make his mark. After a 2024 season in which he demonstrated his worth in the classics, The Venetian rider arrives at the start of the new season with a greater wealth of experience and a really full winter of preparation.
The first two races in the North have seen him appear in the top positions again and the condition seems to be right for tackling the key events. After the cool-down run, in the unusual 18 degrees of Belgium, after the race Le Samyn, dominated by Van der Poel, we heard the rider of the Arkea-B&B Hotels to understand how he is experiencing this phase and what his expectations are.
Luca, let's start with these first races up North: how do you feel?
Pretty good, I'd say. I had a good winter and we're preparing for the classics. After the usual winter between home and Spain, home and Spain, This year I also managed to do three weeks of high altitude in Sierra Nevada before the races, and I hope this can be a good point in my favor. The conditions are there, now let's try to bring home something good. I'm certainly better than I was at the same time a year ago.
Do you feel like a different rider than you did in 2024? It's undeniable that the Mozzato after the winter of 2023 is different from the one he is now...
In my opinion, not much has changed. It might seem that way from the outside, but in the race there's not much difference. To put it simply, There won't be anyone who will race me, especially in the big classics, so the way of racing and living the days will be similar to last year. I'm also aware that more is expected. I'm ready to give my all, always.
Clear…
The podium at Flanders certainly added something, but I'm still the same rider. It's not that because I seized an opportunity last year I'm now setting out with proclamations or with the intention of conquering the world. In every race I start to get the best possible result, whether it is a victory or an important placing.
Last year you admitted that you rushed too much in the second half of the season. "Too much desire to do well," you told us. Do you feel more mature now, even based on these mistakes?
Yes, that's a mistake I hope not to repeat. At the time, however, it's hard to tell whether you're doing it right or wrong. Last year I was convinced that running a lot was the right choice, but we realized that a different approach was needed. This year I've included altitude training in my program and I think I'm already quite fit for this stage of the season.
Did you change anything in the preparation?
For a rider like me, to be competitive in the North, you have to be as well-rounded as possible. The races are long and demanding, and you have to push hard both on the flat and on the steep climbs. The goal is to improve endurance while still maintaining a good sprint. And above all, endurance on short, steep climbs: those lasting 3', 4', and 5'... Because it's important not only to overcome them, but to overcome them well. And that's why a quick start is even more important for someone like me. The level is high, and making a difference is increasingly difficult.
At team level, what has changed?
Albanian he left, but he grew up vauquelin, who will focus more on the Ardennes. He might also be suited to some particularly tough cobblestone classics, but his primary vocation remains hilly races. He does very well in tough races.
Did you make any technical changes?
Every year I take stock of the situation, especially after the winter. There's a lot of talk these days about shorter cranks, I I have always run with 170mm cranks, having short legs, and I continue with this choice. There's this tendency to shorten them, but it's a passing fad. Let's be clear: Pogacar is fast with short cranks, but his motor would be just as fast with 175mm ones.
What will make you satisfied at the end of the Northern Campaign?
Get some important results. I can't focus on just one race; I have to be ready to seize opportunities when they arise. If it's Flanders, so much the better, but also Ghent, Waregem, or De Panne. I am not a rider who can choose, aim specifically, make proclamations.
Yesterday you ran to Le Samyn with Van der Poel: who raised his arms in his first race. How does it feel to see him win so quickly? What do you riders think and say?
When someone like Van der Poel starts, you know he's there to win. Someone like him, above all, doesn't set out just to get some running under his belt, but to be competitive straight away. When the race started everyone expected theAlpecin-Deceuninck in control, his attack… And in the end he was right.
"Trivial" question then, Luca. If you knew he was leaving, why didn't anyone try to follow him?
The question is legitimate, but It's like wondering why no one follows Pogacar on the Cipressa. The overall level is high, but there are four or five phenomenal athletes who are head and shoulders above the rest, and VdP is one of them. When they're in good shape, they're the ones who decide the race. And they're among the very few who can break away from the others. And that's why I repeat that for someone like me, it's important to be competitive on any terrain and maintain a good sprint.
Do you watch him, do you ever watch him in competition?
Yes, you keep an eye on him, you try to see how he pedals, how he moves, to follow him in certain situations. But in the heat of the moment, you're more concerned with saving your own skin than studying your opponents. The pace is incredibly high, and you don't have all that time to think about anything else.
And Luca Mozzato, boy, how did he spend the winter?
In a calm way. I went on vacation with my girlfriend for about ten days, Then I gradually started again. I did a few rides in November, and then increased the load in December until the training camps and preparation for the classics.
Do you already have an idea of the rest of the season?
No, for now I'm focused on the North up to Roubaix, then we'll take stock to figure out what to do.
Confirm: no Sanremo?
No, and I'm sorry as an Italian, but dI had to be realistic. Even if I passed Cipressa, I'd reach the foot of Poggio already detached. Would I come to Sanremo to finish thirtieth? Better to aim for two races in Belgium like Denain and Bredene Koksijde (where he's the defending champion, ed.) to have a better chance of getting a result.
