DAVIDE PERSICO LOOKS AHEAD TO 2025: "I HOPE TO START ON THE RIGHT FOOT"
INTERVIEW | 25/12/2024 | 08:30 di Federico Guido Winning in the first year as a pro doesn't happen to everyone. Davide Persico, however, who moved up to the professional category at the beginning of 2024 with the Bingoal-WB jersey, managed to do it by taking home the sixth stage of the Tour of Qinghai Lake, the highlightof a season that saw him race on three continents and accumulate a total of three podiums and seven top-ten finishes. ùBacked by these results, in recent weeks the native of Cene has gotten back in the saddle to prepare for 2025 in the best possible way, an operation for which he and his team, like most of the competition, have chosen Spain as their base, a land where, as he told us by phone, he was able to put in a good number of kilometers before the holidays. How did you spend the period away from the bike? Where were you? "During the off-season, I like to completely disconnect from the bike and do other activities. I didn't go on vacation because, given that we're on the road all year, I wanted to enjoy some time with my family and the tranquility of home. I took advantage of these moments to entertain myself with activities that I usually don't have time or opportunity to do during the year because I'm focused on the bike, such as hiking in the mountains." How is the training camp going? What's the atmosphere like and what work are you doing? "I started preparation at home doing the usual alternative training, classic off-season activities, mainly mountain walks and gym work. Then I got back on the bike about 2-3 weeks before coming to this training camp in Calpe, where we arrived on the 11th and left on the 20th. There's a great team atmosphere, although there have been some changes because we merged with another French team" (Philippe Wagner-Bazin, ed.) "and so, although the bulk of the structure remained the same, something has changed both in terms of riders and staff." Are there any specific gym workouts you're doing to strengthen and develop yourself further? "I'm a sprinter who also holds up on fairly rolling courses, so during the winter I also try to do hours of climbing. Apart from that, I don't do any particular work except for muscle balance exercises to rebalance the upper and lower body, as well as the left and right sides. It's important because during the season, without realizing it, you end up pushing more with one leg than the other or vice versa, so the December phase after the off-season is focused on trying to find the right balance between the parts. In general, then, I work to arrive lean at the first races and be competitive in a way that allows me to stay at the front on slightly more nervous routes where the top sprinters tend to drop off." Plans for Christmas and New Year's? Have you ever or do you usually treat yourself to something special? "I'll definitely be with family both at Christmas and New Year's. I'm not sure if I'll go somewhere with friends on New Year's Eve, but I'll spend the holidays quietly at home without going out, also because after ten days, I'll leave for the second training camp and there we'll have to pedal. Treats? Well, I'm already quite lean and we've done a good block of work here in Calpe, so let's say that if the weather is bad, I can give myself a few extra days of rest without the pressure of having to do hours, and in terms of food, I can indulge in some little delicacies. Unmissable dish? As a bergamasco, polenta is never missing from the plate, and then there are also casoncelli." Talking about the new year, do you already have an idea of your schedule? "We just talked about this in recent days. I should start with the AlUla Tour from January 28 to February 1. Then I'll spend a few days at home before racing the Tour de la Provence in France from February 14 to 16. At that point, based on how I'm doing, my condition, and the routes of subsequent races, I'll decide what program to follow in March and April. Italian races? We should do Milano-Torino and Coppi & Bartali, but I'm not exactly sure if they're suitable or not given the routes that change every year. The team will almost certainly do them, I'll see when we know the routes more clearly later. I will certainly race some one-day races in Belgium between February and March." Is there a race where you'd particularly like to do well? "Every year I always try to start on the right foot because I've been fortunate to have great winters and arrive at the first races always with a good pedal stroke. In Colpack, I started well from the first race and always won from the beginning of the season, and that's how it was in 2024 when I was close to winning in Colombia. This year too, therefore, I hope to start at my best at the AlUla Tour, where anyway the level of sprinters will be high since several World Tour teams will be present. I don't have a particular race where I want to do well, but I would like to get a good result in the Italian races since on home roads there's always a bit more support, and that's always a nice thing."
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