Stage number twenty of the Tour of Italy This year's race will be a time trial, starting from Tarvisio and finishing at the top of Mount Lussari. A stage divided into two parts: the first includes eleven undulating kilometers before reaching the attack of the final climb, which measures seven kilometers and makes your legs hurt just reading the numbers. Gradients around 12 percent on average with the first five kilometers at 15It was precisely a stage like this that turned the 2020 Tour de France upside down and gave pogacar the first of two yellow jerseys won so far.
Remembering that feat which took place on the climb of the Planche des Belles Filles We asked them how to prepare and manage a stage like thisEspecially if you place it within a tough race like the Giro d'Italia.
The memory of Baldato
Fabio Baldato, sports director of the UAE Emirates, tells us how he approaches a race like this and how to manage all the various situations that arise, or at least, how to try to do so.
«Personally – says Baldato from home – I experienced a fairly similar situation at the Tour but in 2011, when I was second sport director at BMCThe final stage of that Grande Boucle was a 42-kilometer time trial starting and finishing in Grenoble, with two challenging climbs. Evans he was competing for the yellow jersey with Andy SchleckIn the previous stages, the Luxembourger had gained a lot of ground on the climbs. They arrived at the last stage with a gap of a minute and a half in favor of Schleck, Evans took three minutes off him in the time trial and won the Tour.».
It's all a balance
In cycling, every second counts and every drop of energy saved can be useful. But when you race in a Grand Tour it's always difficult to calculate everything: understanding when to attack or saving something for a better moment.
«During a stage race like the Giro – continues the sport director of the UAE It's very difficult to save money, you always have to calibrate your way of running but you can't throw away certain opportunities.It's all a carpe diem. Think of the Bora at last year's Giro d'Italia, in the Turin stage he broke the bank, or at least began to undermine the certainties of his opponents. They eliminated many opponents and many teams that had two or three strikers found themselves with only one man., managing the situation in these cases is easier."
The hill climb
Stage twenty of the next Giro d'Italia will be a great opportunity to turn the tables on the overall standings. But how do you prepare it? Where can you get the necessary seconds?
"These," Baldato explains, "are special time trials that need to be rehearsed and prepared for as best as possible. Many teams went to see the climb. A change of bike will certainly be foreseen because first there is a lot of flat land where the rouleurs can push a lotOne detail that shouldn't be underestimated, and which Pogacar excelled at at the 2020 Tour, is changing bikes. In a short time the position on the saddle changes and you have to go back to pushing at the maximum. One of the reasons that contributed to the collapse of Roglic This could be it. It seems like a small thing, but it's something to focus on and train for. There will be a couple of days dedicated to this in preparation for the Giro. You have to consider that a rider arrives from the flat stretch already at maximum aerobic capacity and when you get on the road bike you risk feeling cramped and struggling to regain that intensity of effort."
Studying the files
We understood that for a stage like this you have to prepare yourself athletically and physically, but we must not exclude the mental aspectsHow important is it to try the climb in question, to be familiar with the curves and gradients?
«It's important but not fundamental – says Baldato confidently – With technology it is easy to replicate all the data on computers and study the climb from electronic devicesThe summit of Mount Lussari is currently covered in snow and is likely to remain that way until March. The best time to attempt such a climb is April. However, I don't think it's important to know it. the difference is only made if it's a climb you tackle all year round, even in training, then yes, things can change.
The preparation
Loneliness on such a climb in a time trial risks being a key factor. Each rider reacts differently to this situation. and it's not easy to change one's characteristics, on the contrary...
«From our point of view we are happy – explains the sport director looking at the team roster that will take part in the Giro – Almeida He is a rider who makes consistency his quality and in this case it could really come in handy.. Last year on the blockhouse He dropped back almost immediately but maintained his pace, catching up with the leaders and finishing fifth. Joao prefers a steady pace, and this gives him something extra, because when you're alone, you need the mental strength to push consistently, meter after meter. You have to be methodical, you put in your watts, you find the right cadence and you goThis can be trained for the Giro: constant watts and high cadence even when the road is flatAlmeida is able to maintain a very high fatigue threshold for a long time, and what's more, the flat section is suited to riders like him. The evenepoel will be one of the favourites of the stagePure climbers might lose something on the flat but make up for it on the climbs. It's a very open scenario, but the bike change will make a big difference, I'm sure.».
