Life is sometimes a matter of choices that must be interpreted based on the moment, the circumstances, and the perspectives. Anyone who has been around cycling for a while has seen Matteo's passing. Blacksmith laid down by the Bora Hangrohe to the Polti Cometa not as a demotion (from a WT team to a professional one), but as a liberation. A relaunch of the career of someone who, when he was just starting out, was considered one of the great hopes of Italian cycling. He is now 28 years old and still has a lot to give.
Fabbro lived the last 4 years of the German team, so he was the protagonist of its progressive transformation, contributing to its inclusion in the very limited number of reference formationsA change that perhaps also contributed to the end of the relationship.
«When I arrived in the team – explains the rider from Udine – the leader was Peter History and we worked for him. When he left, many things changed, the team was revolutionized and I started to feel less and less suited to the cause.. Furthermore, the last few years have not been easy for me in terms of health, and our paths have gradually diverged. They weren't inclined to continue, but neither was I: I needed a breath of fresh air. However, I want to emphasize the fact that we parted on excellent terms, so much so that perhaps in the future our paths may even cross again.
What health problems are you referring to?
Covid was a blow to me... The after-effects it left me with were very heavy, in the form of respiratory problems and two new allergies. and for a cyclist, not breathing well is a significant problem. We tried many solutions, without being lucky.But now things are a little better and that makes me optimistic.
The feeling, analyzing your career, is that you remained almost a prisoner of your role as a gregarious, but these were not the prospects with which you went pro…
It's true, in fact I want to get back to expressing what I was worth years ago. What's happened in the meantime? What often happens in cycling: problems lead to a lack of results and hence of confidence and therefore of space. Looking back, I was only given freedom once, for Tirreno-Adriatico of 2021 and the fifth place finish seems to me to have been a good responseBut there were no other opportunities to express myself, on the other hand I always worked for the captains with the self-denial that was always recognized in me.
Your recent story has also served as a warning to the many young Italians joining foreign WorldTour teams. Many say they're just going to be domestiques, even though they have the talent and results to aspire to something more.
The risk is there, but we must be very careful when making judgments. Let's start from the fact that if you end up among the 5 big WT teams – including Bora – you are initially called to play the role of a gregariousYou have to earn your place, but with the champions out there, it's difficult. It's also true, however, that if you're really worth it, you can do it: look at the examples of Ganna e Milan, they are in very big teams, but they have been able to earn their spaces. If, however, you end up in slightly weaker teams, with captains who don't get all the attention, you have more chances.You still have to make yourself available, but there will be opportunities to emerge and you'll have to be good at taking advantage of them.
In your case?
In my case, contingencies have led to seeing that glimmer of hope narrow ever more. For this reason I needed fresh air and I found it thanks to Ivan Basso, who strongly insisted on having me on the team. I found a family atmosphere, which immediately convinced me of the choice.
Furthermore, racing in a professional team can guarantee you more opportunities, even in terms of calendar…
Yes, putting into it the 7 years of experience I've accumulated in this world. It's as if I've sown so much up until now, Now the time has come to harvest, so having taken a step back is something I consider positive, especially considering that I don't have much to lose. It'll be a great challenge.
Do you already know how your season will be set up?
Broadly speaking, yes, my big goal will be the Giro d'Italia, to finally race with the overall ranking in mind. I remember the 2020 edition: we had Sagan in our team for the stages and Majka for the general classification, this meant that I pulled for 17 out of 21 stages… Yet in the end I finished 23rd, not bad at all. If I can focus my energy on the overall standings and the mountain stages, I'll definitely do my part. I'll race Ruta del Sol and Tirreno-Adriatico; we'll see how the rest develops based on my form and the current situation. Meanwhile, I'm already back training, I can't wait to get started...
