TOlessandro Pinarello He landed his first Giro with the excitement of a child with new shoes. “We are all happy to be here. The team is of a high level,” he told MARCA in Bulgaria. Although he has given up some time in the general classification, his sights are set on select stages, where he wants to leave his mark.
Their objective is clear: attack and seek partial victories. “For now, the goal is the stage,” he says. With NSN Cycling and the support of Andrés Iniesta, Pinarello assures that the start of the season has been positive. “Yes, it’s going well. I’m happy with how I’ve started. I’ve had good results. I feel good with the squad. So, we’re happy,” he explains.
The cyclist is aware of the pressure after his good previous performances and the Italian expectations in the Giro. “Yes, surely. The Italians expect a lot from me for the Giro d’Italia, for some good results and some good stages. So, I hope I don’t let them down,” he acknowledges.
Among rivals, Vingegaard appears as the main favorite, although Pinarello is confident that compatriots like Pellizzari can put up a fight. “Let’s say that Jonas is the best favorite. He is perhaps the strongest. But I hope Pellizzari can also do well,” he comments. Pelizzari is aiming for the podium according to the overall analysis, but Pinarello remains calm and focused on key stages.
Decisive stages
The third week will be critical and demanding. “The time trial, the Blockhaus… I think the third week will be the most selective. There is a lot of starting. The third week are the hardest stages,” he says. For him, number 18 in Pieve de Soligo has a special value: “They are streets that pass by my house, they will pass through my land. That is the most beautiful stage for me.”
Although he has not yet met Andrés Iniesta, he hopes to do so during the Giro. “No, not yet. I hope to meet him soon, maybe we’ll see each other here at the Giro d’Italia,” he says as he prepares to combine selective attacks in stages with prudent management of the general classification in this first phase of the race. The future is already here.
