by Saturday 1st August we raced one of the most particular and hard races in the UCI calender: STRADE BIANCHE.
I’ve had already participated to this competition three years ago, but this year’s has been new for everyone, starting from the weather conditions. In fact usually the race takes place in March with 5 degrees, nothing in comparison to the 40s of Saturday!
At the beginning I had some bad luck, with a puncture after 20km in the second gravel sector, but I really have to thank my teammate Silvia Persico that gave me her wheel and I could return back into the peloton! After the 5th sector, the longest (9km) and hardest, the leading group was very small and when there were 50km to go I could enter into the breakaway with some strong and expert riders, unfortunatly in the last hard 20km I lost a lot of positions. Anyway I’m really happy with my 33th place, because beeing there in the front in the breakaway has been fantastic!
I would have never imagine to be in the first group for so long, and I think it’s the best way to achieve some experience. In addition to the heat, we were surrouded by dust and sand and often it was difficult to see the road and to understand where to go. When I arrived at the last kilometer on the hill that takes to Piazza del Campo in Siena I felt like I had completed a great feat!
Despite the tiredness on the finish, I still struggle a lot over the 3.30/4 hours of race, I am really happy and satisfied, especially for not having been afraid to follow athletes like Spratt and Van Dijk, because I think that racing without the fear of wasting too much energy and trying to read the race in the best possible way is the right way to follow.
It seems impossible, but the day after this hellish run instead of being on the couch sleeping (and I really would have needed it!) I was at the Velodrome of Fiorenzuola for the “Sei Giorni delle Rose”. I had to race scratch under 23, points race, omnium and madison.
On the first evening despite the tiredness accumulated the day before I got a good third place in the scratch won by my teammate Vittoria Guazzini, on the second evening unfortunately the races were cancelled due to the rain, so on the third day we made a super full program with the four races of the omnium and the madison!I really wanted to bring home some good results because since the end of the quarantine I trained twice a week at the velodrome in Montichiari and had good feelings.
The omnium started in the best way with a second place in the scratch and two first places in the tempo race and in the elimination race, that allowed me to take a few points ahead of the very strong European champion Wild. I managed the points race well and achieved great victory!
I raced the madison with Maria Giulia Confalonieri, it was really nice to get back to competing with her and it has been fun! We made some great sprints and despite the long breackaway of the couple Consonni/Guazzini we managed to win by a point on the Dutch world champions!
I’m really satisfied because the level was all-up and this shows my good condition, also being able to return to the races was the most important and exciting thing, I missed a lot to be part of the group both on the track and on the road!
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