It all started from an observation intercepted in the group at Return to San Juan, when one of the sprinters made a point about NizzoloSince James doesn't have a train to launch him, this is the point of the speech, for the sprints he chose to use a 56 front chainring. In this way he will sprint alone, starting from behind and trying to catch up. If the road is flat or tends to slope, he will have no difficulty launching, as happened to him when he won in Verona at the 2021 Giro. If, however, the finale has continuous relaunches and he cannot gain speed, he risks being left behind and not even reaching the podium. Yesterday's sprint unfolded exactly according to this script.
The same concept on the use of longer than usual gear ratios in sprints Viviani had explored it further in the following daysAnd while we were about to discuss it with Nizzolo, the opposite story reached us from the Italian team's box. The Azzurri in the race, being in Argentina to acquire the base and rhythm in view of the European track championships, used the 53 throughout the whole timeAnd Pinazzi, tenth in the sprint of the sixth stage, at a certain point would have gladly pushed for something longer.
The long sprint
We find Giacomo in the box of the Israel Premier Tech as he prepares for the stage. The legs tucked into the shirt and the two back numbers to be fixed with pinsListen to the topic. Look up in an inquiring manner. And then explain.
«There is some truth to this – he says – I really prefer sprints, arriving from behind and then leading. In the sense that I like to start the sprint from behind and then still do a long sprintI'm not a sprinter who comes out in the last 50 meters, I never have been. Instead the 56 issue was born a while ago, I started using it in 2016, when I did it all year, not just the sprints».
What advantages does it give you?
I think it is also a question of roundness of the pedal stroke, I'm basically happy with it like thisAnd then my quality in sprinting is certainly not cadence, but rather strength. So I try to exploit that relationship. But I tell you that many riders are using it more and more. There are even those who use the 58.
If I had a train would it be the same?
Yes, because as I was saying, it really comes down to physical characteristics. Rather than agility, I prefer to use strength.
Did you get there in stages? For example, did you also try 58?
I don't have it, otherwise I'd use it. I'll ask if there's a chance I can get it. Actually, everyone thinks that 56 is something very hard, but it is not that impossible..
Do you always manage to launch yourself into sprints well or do you risk getting stuck?
I would say yes, also because however at most you can play with the rear gear ratios, if the sprints go up slightly. However, the benefit it gives me during the stage remainsIt's clear that it gives me something extra in sprinting, depending on how I interpret sprinting. However, I also find it comfortable during the day.
Do you also use the 56 on your training bike?
Exactly. And I find the same feelings at home too. It's clear that the speeds are higher here, so the 58 would have been useful for me.For example, the first day I was at 55 because we thought it would be windy and instead I pulled my hair out, because I was completely out of cadence. Morkov himself said that he too was out of cadence and had 56. So imagine that I usually have even less cadence than him.
The Azzurri with the 53
And the Azzurri? Villa's riders, who at a certain point left to follow the girls to Montichari, leaving the team to Mario Scirea, came to Argentina to build a base, certainly not to nail their legs. In fact, on their return, three days await them in Montichiari before leaving for the Europeans in Grenchen. For this reason, the Italian coach established that everyone should run with the 53. This is why in the sprint of the sixth stage, Pinazzi finished in tenth place with the feeling that a couple more teeth wouldn't have hurt.
«I'm young and we're here to build my legs – explains the rider from Parma – but in reality I would have done well with the 54. The feeling is that you're already there, you want to knock out two more teeth and you can't.. Then do your best to be there with them, but when they then reach another peak of speed, you remain there.
«Already two kilometers from the finish, when the trains started to pull in front, I was already in full gear. So you can already imagine afterwards, when they increased it even more, how much I turned my legs. In the sprint I had 120-130 pedal strokes. Having said that, it doesn't matter: among the U23s I always run with the 53, if I were to pass, it could be evaluated differently".
The leap among the pros'
Its goal is become a professional, with the track as an added value for performance and curriculumLast year there were two victories, at Vicenza-Bionde and at Misano, and the second at the Circuito del Porto.
«The first step – he explains – is to do well at the next European Track ChampionshipsAnd then I'd like to have a good season on the road, being in my last year as an under-23. The goal is to do well, win a lot and advanceI started the season like this, a good tenth place, a small but great result and we hope to continue like this.
