In an increasingly international cycling world and where the development formations of the large professional teams are often more attractive than our clubs and our Continentals for Italian talents, at the conclusion of the Giro Next Gen we asked the technical commissioner of the Italian Under23 national team Marino Amadori a summary of this start of the season in view of the next events reserved for our young people.
Marino, what is the outcome of the Italian national team in this Giro Next Gen? We lost Raffaele Mosca almost immediately due to a fall who could have been a fundamental piece for the team…
“We did this representative with those kids whose teams weren’t at the start of the race. They were all interested riders who deserved this experience: Mosca was our leader, but unfortunately due to a fall he was forced to retire. We tried to be present as much as possible, it was a Giro run at high speeds and therefore for us it was important to finish it, and this was certainly an important step for the growth of the boys”.
In this Giro Next Gen it emerged that there was a lack of Italian climbers: is it simply a problem for this age group or is there something deeper?
“Crescioli wasn’t feeling very well, Scalco had to withdraw because he got sick, I would have liked to see Mosca on the climb, Kajamini did a good Giro, perhaps we all expected something more from Pinarello in the standings, but at the moment this is ours level. We hope that in this second part of the season there can be something more, perhaps already from the Tour de l’Avenir.”
What kind of runner can Kajamini become?
“I think he has considerable room for improvement, he has grown calmly and this year he is at a good level. He will come with me to the Tour de l’Avenir and there he will have the opportunity to compare himself with other top riders, but I think he is on the right path.”
Would it make sense to bring Pellizzari to the Tour de l’Avenir, now that he has effectively established himself among the professionals?
“I have an excellent relationship with Giulio and we talked about it: he would have liked to return to the Tour de l’Avenir to try to win it, but together we agreed that the best path is to remain racing with the professionals where he is already obtaining some excellent results.”
The Giro Next Gen lacked a stage success: how are we doing on the medium routes?
“We didn’t win but we still achieved some good placings. We also lacked a bit of luck to achieve success, but it is also true that more often than not some riders find themselves “limited” and therefore working for their captains in the running for the general championship.”
Are there any good sprinters on the horizon?
“Conforti and D’Amato have shown that they are up to the task and therefore competitive even with very strong sprinters like Teutenberg and Magnier”.
Are Lorenzo Finn and Lorenzo Mottes two names you believe in for the near future?
“Finn is still a junior, while Mottes is in his first year among the Under23s. They are certainly guys who have shown that they are going strong and I hope that they too, in a short time, can have their say.”
Looking at who you have trained in the past, do you think Pellizzari can become a champion capable of competing in the Grand Tours?
“He is already demonstrating that he is at an excellent level, this year he did a great Giro d’Italia, he is very young and has great room for improvement, so from a future perspective I think he can aim to do something important in the Grand Tours”.
And what can you tell us about Antonio Tiberi?
“Antonio is a boy who has all the characteristics to become one of the greats, he still has to grow and mature, but he lacks nothing. I am convinced that he is one of the first among our guys who can reach the podium in the Grand Tours.”
What is missing for now in Piganzoli compared to Tiberi and Pellizzari?
“Piganzoli still lacks something uphill, but he too has good room for improvement and is growing at the right pace to be able to be competitive”.
Great performance by Aleotti with the victory at the Tour of Slovenia…
“In 2019 Aleotti took second place with me at the Tour de l’Avenir, he has always been a promising boy and now he has proven to be a master rider when he has had the opportunity to have carte blanche, because often, when you are in great teams, our boys often run in favor and therefore in support of their captains. I hope that with this good result Aleotti, as well as our other boys, can start to have a little more space within foreign teams.”
