"How much did the puncture affect yesterday's race?" Trentin smiles bitterly.It affected everything. I punctured at the bottom of the climb, not at the top.And it all happened in the time it took me to fix the bike and get back. I got them back, but it cost me a lot. I did the number on the wrong side, from behind, while in front they were shooting on the nose».
Eve of Ghent-Wevelgem. In the hotel in Oudenaarde, the UAE Team Emirates sharpen your weapons for a race that on paper should be more suitable than the Saxo Bank E3 GP that he saw Kasper Asgreen's victoryBut what we saw yesterday was above all the vulnerability of the two giants Van der Poel and Van Aert.
«We also said it to each other on the morning of the Sanremo – Trentin recalls – they are human too and in these last races they have shown that they are less incisive than we expectedYesterday was a great run, which the Deceuninck-Quick Step he dominated on a tactical level."
Less incisive than previously thought, does this mean they might be declining in condition?
I don't know. I hear people wondering. how they manage to hold up after cyclocross, it could be. But we'll just have to wait and see.
How are you?
Well, I'm getting there with the legs I wanted. Yesterday, there was an attack from eleven riders, and in the end, only Matthews, who crashed, and I were left in front. Getting back after the puncture was quite a chore. With the level we have now, you can't go wrong anymore..
How's it going with Baldato in the flagship?
We ran well, also considering that there are many young riders like Bjerg and Oliveira who are here to understand what their place in the world isAnd they were left speechless at how fast they were going. Van der Poel and Van Aert are the ones who stand out the most, but they're all going very fast.
Bjerg and Oliveira: You're actually one of the seniors on the team now...
One of the most experienced, older riders, I don't like. The team has a good group of very young riders who lack experience. Knowing the streets here makes all the differenceThe way they run is also very aggressive. You're in front, you get distracted for a moment, and the race slips away. Yesterday, those who wasted energy stayed ahead, while the others arrived calmly...
Did you accompany them on reconnaissance?
I didn't have time, given the rush and the travel. They went to see something. I remember. when I switched to Quick Step, I was the only young rider in these races in a solid and experienced group. Now, apart from Kristoff and myself, there's just Bystrom who is a bit experienced, but the others are all beginnersIt will take time, but they will come.
How are things going with Kristoff, who has been a rival for years?
We have a good relationship, he's a down-to-earth guy. Yesterday we tried to run with our heads, me in front and him behind playing catch-upAnd if they hadn't wrecked his wheel and I hadn't had that puncture, maybe I could have done better than my 8th place. We worked well in the first part of the classics.
What will tomorrow be like?
We'll have to stay ahead. Tomorrow there is only one tactic: to beat. The weather will be good, but very windy.
Another day for Deceuninck?
For them, but also for the Trek-Segafredo, who in these situations is at ease with those… sharpshooters. And we'll have to stay up front; there won't be time to play catch-up. If you play catch-up, bring a couple of extra energy bars, because it'll be a long walk to the hotel...
Normal wheels and the 54 always in gear?
Normal wheels and not even the cobblestone tubulars, because apart from the Kemmel and a couple of tears, the cobblestones aren't even thereAnd it's hard to get rid of the 54 in these races these days. Yesterday we did the first hour at an average of 47, with the 53 I would have been wasting time. In Ghent the 54 will be removed at most three times, to make the Kemmel.
Have you got an idea of Viviani's situation, who left Belgium to race in France?
You should ask him. It's getting harder and harder to be a sprinter in this fast cycling world.Having a train like Deceuninck makes a significant difference, moreover Ghent certainly cannot be defined as a classic for sprintersLast year, given the wind, we ended up with one rider per canton. And tomorrow you'll see it will be the same.
Are you staying up to Flanders?
Yes and for the first time I will also run in WaregemIt's up here like it used to be, but at least once you could go around and stop for a coffeeNow, however, everything is closed. Up here, it's not like in Italy or France, where at least you can have coffee and drink it sitting on the crossbar of your bicycle. Which isn't ideal, but it's always a way to unwind. We're locked in a hotel, a hotel just for usWe have our own cook. We train and wait for the next race…
