LIEGE (Belgium) – Andrea Piccolo He was smiling when he came to talk to us on the eve of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The young Lombard of the EF Educational-Easy Post he was ready for his first Doyenne. He knew he would have to work for Ben Healy, considered the third wheel in what was supposed to be the duel between Evenepoel and Pogacar.
Piccolo had a mixed spring, with some good finishes and a few too many ailments. In the end, he closed the first part of the season with 21 days of racing, quite a bit below the average of 29-30 days. The much-desired consistency hasn't been there so far, but it's also true that the heat has yet to arrive and that the season is truly long.
Andrea, how are you?
I'm pretty good. I left the Freccia where I helped my teammates, but honestly I had a good feeling.
How did this spring go? What's your assessment?
I had a stomach virus at Paris-Nice. which weakened me a lot, I wasn't well. The team preferred to send me home so I could recover properly and recover. I was without my bike for five days, and for this reason... Unfortunately, I missed the home race that I really cared about: the SanremoAt that point we decided to revise our plans a bit.
What have you decided?
To take 15 days. A couple of quiet weeks, without competitions. I went to high altitude, to Sestriere, to prepare myself thinking of doing well in these races. The idea was to find the right pedal stroke. It was a month of preparation for the team and with the team that supported me.
This was your first Northern campaign. What do you think of it from your first "tastes"?
They're definitely different races. Since it's my first experience, everything is still to be discovered. But I like them because they are races where you need to know how to run in addition to your legs. And even if you are fit, it's not easy.
What are your plans now?
Once this trip to the Ardennes is over, I'll race in Frankfurt on May 1st (Andrea caught a fever during Liège. Another stop and no race in Germany, ed.) at that point I'll begin a month dedicated entirely to preparation. I'll train with the team and even go to altitude.
Nothing Tour of Italy so…
No, no Giro d'Italia. But that had already been ruled out at the beginning of the year. We decided to proceed step by step. I want, we want to prepare well for the second part of the season.
Second half of the season: have you already predicted a major peak in form? Do you have specific goals?
Let's say that the team and I have figured out what I need. I need time to find the right gear. However, I'm someone who goes out more when it's hot. I'm not a cold-weather rider. Obviously, you can't change the weather and you just take what you get, but if you're fit, it definitely feels less. And my goal is to get into good shape.
Small and hot
Piccolo is a talent: Ellena, who had him for a few months last year, said so, and Wegelius reiterated it. Andrea needs to find consistency, but that's part of the growth process. Let's not forget that this is his first year in the WorldTour and that he's coming off a very unique 2022 season.
Wegelius and the team are right to protect him. And the fact that Piccolo pushes hard on preparation also tells us about a modern athlete. In May he will go to the French heights of Font Romeu in the French Pyrenees, to be super ready.
No Giro – although we're sorry – but when Piccolo talks about preparing for the second half of the season, perhaps one might think he could do well in the Italian championship or in the summer classics. And if everything goes well, maybe he could make his debut at Return. In his clan no one has ruled out this hypothesis.
