For the VF Group Bardiani CSF Faizané, Tour of Türkiye for some it represented the dress rehearsal for the Tour of Italy, for others the way to get there. It's hard to say if Manuele Tarozzi before leaving, it was on one side or the other and in the end it's not that important anymore, because now the Faenza native is in the Giro d'Italia caravan.
The Turkish experience, however, remains in the memory and in many ways in the heart, considering that it was precisely on those roads He achieved a 12th place finish which has its weight, in an important context considering that there were 4 WorldTour teams at the startTarozzi smiles as he thinks back to the preconditions of the trip.
«To tell the truth, when we started, the main recommendation wasn't to keep this or that rider at bay, to implement this or that strategy. Yes, there were those aspects too, butThe most important thing was to avoid any falls, given what was at stake shortly thereafter.I won't deny that I've rarely been so scared, and when they told us the last stage would be cancelled, I breathed a sigh of relief, even though I could still have made it into the Top 10."
How would you define the Turkish race?
On 8 stages (even if one was cancelled as mentioned) only one really counted for the standings and in fact it was built there, in the sixth fractionFor the rest, the most likely solution was always a bunch sprint. For my part, I tried to break the bank in the fourth stage.
You were on the run for a good 114 kilometers…
My goal was to find a strong breakaway, hoping it would reach the finish line, and also to test myself for the Giro d'Italia. I saw that the fourth stage was quite uneven, and I knew it could be the right one. The shirt was worn by those from Polti Cometa which I knew had no great interest in keeping the race going, so I had to join the breakawayI did it, and at that point I played my cards. I dreamed of winning until almost the end…
They caught you 500 meters from the end…
Yes, unfortunately the final stretch was a bit steep and the group came back very strong from behind precisely because the WorldTour teams started working. If the finish had been on the flat, maybe I would have made it, but cycling isn't about "ifs."
What is it like to run in Türkiye?
In some ways, it's very useful, especially if a race like this is held before a major event like the Giro. The roads are wide, flat, and without curves, which means that if you ride at the front of the group, you can gain speed without pushing, without getting caught in the wind. Riding in the rear is a pleasure... The problem, if anything, could be the wind that often blows strongly in those parts., if you have ambitions you must always be alert because the possibility of fans is just around the corner.
Is this a race that people followed?
We saw people in the cities, but along the routes we were truly in the middle of nowhere. It's certainly not like in Belgium; in Turkey, there's practically only this event and people are very passionate about it, but cycling is certainly not the national sport. The scenery, however, is magnificent, especially when we passed through the lake district. From what I've seen, the sea is truly beautiful, in fact I plan to return there on holiday.
Looking back, don't you feel a little regretful about how the race turned out?
If we had done the last stage, the aim was to hunt for bonus points, one would have been enough to get into the top 7-8.
How do you get to the Giro?
I think I have the right legs, and given how things went in Türkiye, I think I can do well. I certainly won't be the man for the general classification, the same ones. Well I live e Pellizzari They start as captains to first look at the stages, then we'll see how the race goes. I will work for them, but we are all looking forward to making the breakaways of the day. Hoping that one of them will reach the finish line, that it will be left free by the teams aiming for the jersey. I want to enter one of these and play my cards; a victory is a dream I want to make come true.
