New appointment in Belgium for Valcar-Travel & Service which on Sunday will run the SPAR Flanders Diamond Tour, the third round of the Lotto Cycling Cup where Chiara Consonni’s leadership will be defended. At the starting line there will be Martina Alzini, Elisa Balsamo, Chiara Consonni, Vittoria Guazzini, Silvia Persico, Silvia Pollicini and the young Eleonora Gasparrini whom we interviewed before departure.
Eleonora, another race in Belgium…
“Yes, I’ve raced a lot in Belgium this year, my job at the SPAR Flanders Diamond Tour will be to help my teammates.”
And what do you think more generally of the races in Belgium?
“I like them very much. I like the pavé, I like the atmosphere. They are not races for pure sprinters and I believe in the future they can suit my characteristics with many short rips.”
This year you ran 1.1 but also World Tour races despite being a 1st year…
“I ran even more than what we had planned together with my d.s. Davide Arzeni and it was an emotion. Competing immediately at these levels makes you grow a lot, more and more like this world of professional cycling is, a world where you have to make a lot of effort.”
And what is different about this world?
“All. For example, I was not used to this kind of path in Italy. Racing at Valcar-Travel & Service gives me the opportunity to gain experience in completely different races such as, for example, those in Belgium.”
We are now halfway through the season … what is the best cycling memory of this 2021?
“Having finished a race like the Liège-Bastogne-Liège was the moment that gave me the most satisfaction, because I’m not a climber and be able to finish such an important race was a pleasure.”
And the most disappointing memory?
“Maybe The Tour of Flanders. Even in that case I was happy because I was finishing my first Tour of Flanders at 19, there were 15 km left, but then…”
But then?
“Then came a crisis of hunger, I got a “crush” that I still remember, I saw everything black and I had to retire just 15 km from the finish. That anger. But everything helps to gain experience. Another thing I have learned is to feed myself during the race and to hydrate myself to prevent cramps.”
What goals do you have for the next few months?
“Everything that comes will be good for me, I have no particular expectations, I have already raced many races and I am happy with that. Now I have my head towards maturity and I can’t wait to finish. In May I only ran open races just to prepare myself for the exam, let’s hope everything goes well.”
