Livigno is down there and is teeming with tourists and bicycles. There are road cyclists and bikers everywhere and a sense of recovery in tourism that is bringing smiles back to the faces of hoteliers and venue managers.. Although, to be fair, up here we've always worked in the summer. Winter, on the other hand, was a misery, with the facilities closed and activities severely limited. Deceuninck-Quick Step he took several rooms at theAlpen Village, located at the second bend of the road leading up to Foscagno. And while outside they're working on the terrace, at the back of the large wood and concrete structure, In a combination-locked container, the Belgian team's Tarmacs are kept in order by a mechanicBagioli is one of the first to get off.
Desire for recovery
The Valtellinese, who lives an hour and a half's drive from here, he was also the first to arrive in the areaHe climbed to the top about a week before the others, with the aim of make up for the long weeks without runningWe had talked about it in the past few weeks. Andrea has been out of action since the Laigueglia Trophy. From that fall that presented him with the bill in the following days, in the form of a pain in the knee that required surgeryThings are going well now and the return should take place at the end of July between the Tour de l'Ain and the Wallonie, but seeing so much tinkering around the bikes, We were curious to ask him what the relationship is between a rider and his bike.. The companion of travel and toil.
"Surely a special relationship – he smiles – because we use it every day, it's with us every day, so the relationship must be special. You have to get along well and In my opinion, having a good vehicle can make the difference in many situations.It definitely needs to be stiff and responsive, and the Tarmac is just that. When I sprint or sprint, I need to feel like it's responding well. It also needs to be easy to ride downhill, so so that it can change trajectory easily from right to left».
The theme's there, let's move on. Did it take you long to get used to it?
I passed by Cinelli when I was in Colpack a Specialized and I have to say that It took me really little timeWithin a week, two at most, I had completely gotten used to it. Then there are the mechanics who make it fit perfectly and so you adapt immediatelyNow I rely on Specialized, before I worked with Aldo Vedovati, which I'm now adjusting the cleats. But for the frame measurements I rely on Specialized.
Happy with disc brakes?
Very, I feel very good. Above all on wet surfaces you can feel a big differenceEven before the bends you can brake at the last minute and in this way you can maintain a higher speed.
What's your relationship with your bike? Do you ever… talk to it?
Talk to us no (looks and laughs, ed.), but cI always try to keep it tidy, I want it to be perfectI always clean it, if there's a problem I try to fix it right away. Then It is clear that a mechanical problem can happen at any timeFor example, during a race someone can touch your wheel or rear derailleur and at that point there is little you can do.
You look fit, when will you be back?
Probably at the end of July with the Tour de l'Ain or the Tour de WallonieWe still have to see what happens with the team, after which there are various races in August. Poland or the Tour of Germany and then instead at the end of the season I will do all the classics in Italy.
No Vuelta?
I still have to decide on the Vuelta, for now I'm a reserve, but there's no guarantee I won't do it.
How does the bike change between classics and Giro?
The Tarmac is always the same, but it is different from race to race, above all we change the wheels. For instance in a race like the Lombardia or the Liège, low profile wheels are much betterThey're lighter on the climbs, much more responsive, and therefore perfect. However, for a flat, easy stage, we use the high-profile ones. Even though they are a little heavier, they are much smoother.
Are you comfortable with this bike?
I like everything, from the first moment I tried itI like it because it's light, but at the same time smooth. Then with the high-profile wheels on really fast descents where you're going at 80-90 km/h, you feel the difference. Or even on the flat, when you're going at 50 km/h, you can feel it flowing really well.
And the time trial bike?
The relationship is a little different than this one. I have to say that I also like to use it to do work during the weekI like it, but I should do many more time trials because I've done very few in my career.
His companions call him. Masnada talks about an episode at the Italian championship, where radio would change things. Honoré asks which way we're going. The day is beautiful. The line of Tarmacs of the Belgian squadron takes the road to the mountains.
