Antonio Tiberi will join the national team tomorrow Zurich. The city Daniele bennati He awaits him with open arms, especially after his excellent performance at the Skoda Tour de Luxembourg. A performance that, after his account, seemed even more impressive than it appeared from the outside.
The Lazio of the Bahrain-Victorious he was coming out of the drubbing of Return when he was forced to give up due to heatstroke. A bit of recovery, and then there he was, "very bad" in Luxembourg, indeed.
Antonio, let's start with the Vuelta. We imagine it was quite a morale boost. How did you overcome it?
I was doing well until stage nine. The results and feelings were good. I was doing pretty well in the standings, so much so that I even wore the white jersey, until the day of the fateful stage, when heatstroke forced me to withdraw. But I wasn't too discouraged.
How did you do it?
I tried to recover a bit and then prepare myself immediately, and even better, for the season finale. And the first opportunity was in Luxembourg. I was aiming to arrive there in excellent condition to do well. It was a race I already knew and liked.
How did you technically manage those days between the Vuelta and Luxembourg?
I didn't take too much time off and tried to keep my condition high. The first two days after the training camp in Spain I let up a bit, but after that I immediately increased the pressure with intense training, so much so that I went In Tuscany with my trainer Michele Bartoli. I spent several days with him on a scooter, doing a lot of uphill work... also on the Mount Serra.
Knowing Bartoli, you gave it your all…
I remember that at the end of the training I spent several hours in bed to recover! And Even at my house I continued to ride my motorbike with my dad who was waiting for me on the Vespa. So the weeks after the Vuelta were ideal for keeping the intensity high.
And then this Luxembourg race began. You were on point: in five stages of the race, you never finished outside the top ten...
The courses were quite challenging. There was very little flat ground, and the finishes were quite technical. You had to stay ahead to try not to lose seconds. The battle was also for time bonuses. In short, I was always ready for possible attacks.
Has the time trial become decisive in all of this?
Yes, the time trial sorted out the rankings. I was particularly counting on it and it went more than well: second at 7" from AyusoWith this stage I gained a few seconds on my direct opponents and In the last fraction I played it all or nothing. I said to myself, “Let's try to turn the situation around a little and see what happens.”
There aren't any major climbs in those parts, and you're a Grand Tour man: how did you interpret these individual, nerve-wracking stages? In the end, if we look back, the leaders were Pedersen and Van der Poel, who aren't usually your rivals...
We set out with the idea of never being caught unprepared. From the moment I left to the moment I arrived, I knew that for those four hours I had to be totally focused, with a knife between their teeth and ready for anything. On courses like this, you can always expect an attack from anyone. It only takes someone with 30 seconds to get there and it's difficult to catch them. So, even As a team, we were always in the thick of the action and sometimes we tried to create the action rather than suffer it. Then, when my legs are good, everything is easier. The first stage was very important for me, where I finished sixth.
Why?
The finish was on a challenging climb, and I had to be lively right from the start. Sometimes I struggle a bit in the early stages, but this time I was fine.
And from there, the imprint of the whole of Luxembourg changed?
A little bit, yes, even though I started out with a good mindset. After the first stage I said: «Okay, I want to try to get top 10 in all the stages». I wanted this goal, but I didn't think I would win the whole race given the routes and the presence of riders like Van der Poel o Hirsch, more sprinting and more powerful than me.
So, how do you think it was possible to beat them on their own turf?
As mentioned, such routes are suitable for attacks and In the last stage I took advantage of the general tiredness, especially after the time trial. We'd already done that finale. There was a challenging climb, including an intermediate sprint, followed by a longer, steadily climbing section. I imagined there would be a battle for that intermediate finish, and that perhaps they'd calm down afterwards. And so it was.
How clear, Antonio. Go ahead...
Before that segment, there was a technical downhill section. Gaudu and the others attacked there: I was the one who closed the gap. I turned around and saw the group all lined up, with a few gaps. On that longer, more regular uphill section, I thought, "It's now or never." Even on the radio, they were telling me, "Go full speed ahead; when you get to the top, turn around and see who's there." At that point I switched to time trial mode. I took a couple more sprints and then I started to pace myself. There were four of us left and I didn't even ask for changes. Also because they wouldn't have given them to me: I was the one with the highest ranking. Plus, I didn't want to waste time arguing.
Antonio, the Zurich route is similar and tougher than the ones in Luxembourg. For Bennati, you're a leader: how do you get to the World Championships?
This year has given me more confidence and more certainty in my abilities. It's my first World Championship as a professional and it will certainly be a special moment for me. I know I'm in good shape and the course could be suitable for me. I'll try to do my best and maybe even invent something new... a bit like I did in Luxembourg, for example. trying to amaze or even beat what you think is unbeatable.
