The Colfiorito stage of the last Tirreno-Adriatico was 239 kilometers long. It had been raining all day, and when the strongest riders arrived at the narrow finish line, the only one capable of hiding and jump out at the right time it was Andrea Vendrame (opening photo). It was raining in Sappada too, last May 24th, when the Treviso native won the Giro stage at the head of a 147 kilometre breakaway.
Vendrame knows how to win when the weather is bad. And since rain is forecast for Saturday's Milan-Sanremo, It seems really strange that the Decathlon-Ag2r decided not to bring it. Fra Bennett (the only one of the 7 chosen to have won: two stages at the Tour de la Provence, category 2.1), De Pestel, Gautherat, Gudmestad, Lafay, Naesen and Paret Peintre A place for the only Italian on the team, who was also a WorldTour winner and in good condition, couldn't be found?
Emotions and unexpected events
Obviously this is the opinion of the writer, because Vendrame knows his place and doesn't complainHe learned to enjoy the conquests achieved, planning new ones, in his running made of emotions and great adrenaline rushesThe period is favorable for him, it hadn't gone badly at the Strade Bianche, second best Italian at the finish line: one second slower than Formolo.
“But that’s a race with a thousand unexpected events,” he says. “We’ve seen the results and the photos. Lots of falls, lots of punctures, a disaster all dayUnfortunately on the Sante Marie, I was on Pello Bilbao's wheel and I missed those 30-40 meters to cross the top with the first group. But the condition was seen and it is goodAt Tirreno the objective was the Colfiorito stage and it went very well."
Bettini's inspiration
Emotions and unexpected events are the subject of a social reflection of his, which we thought was interesting to explore furtherIn the cycling of exact numbers, of tests, of ratios between kilos and watts that shatter any dream, reading about someone who talks about emotions and unexpected events makes you believe in fairy tales again. Especially someone who is there and Races are played with hard work, but also with the cunning of making the right move at the right timeSomeone like Bettini, in all proportions: someone who wins not only with his legs, but also with his spirit.
«The unexpected event in Colfiorito – he explains – given the length of the stage, was the rain. But everything went well, we just had to keep calm at the end and manage it as best we could.I knew I was in good condition, my legs were there, and in fact I tried again in the following days. But I can confirm that the mind counts a lot.
«If you have a strong mindset, it's 90 percent done. You have to stay calm, know how to manage yourself and not panic.. Trasacco's DayWhen Kooij won, I was left behind, and if I'd chased alone, I would have finished myself. Instead, luck would have it that Landa in front punctured, was caught, and then the team brought him back to the front. And I, lost as I was, ended up finishing sixth."
From Catalunya to the Giro
The unexpected would be at this point be deployed for the Sanremo, but apparently no exceptions have been foreseen, unless you change your mind in the next few hours.
«Therefore For now, Sanremo remains a dream – Vendrame concludes – because the team told me a long time ago that I wouldn't be able to do it. According to the program I'm expected in Catalonia, but it's clear that being the only Italian in the team, it's a bit disappointing. For this reason I will then start thinking about the Giro d'Italia, the main objective of the year, where I will race to win a stage."
