Filippo Pozzato backs Jonathan Milan and Andrea Bagioli as Italy's next Monument winners Check out the full interview 👇 globalcyclingnetwork.com/racing/intervi…
Filippo Pozzato on next Italian monument winner: "Jonathan Milan or Andrea Bagioli"
CyclingWednesday, 25 October 2023 at 11:30
Italy has not managed to win one of cycling's Monuments since 2021, when Sonny Colbrelli crossed the finish line at Paris-Roubaix, covered in mud and with his arms in the air, unleashing tears of joy.
The country has had a 2022 without a single Italian cyclist in the top ten in these prestigious one-day races. However, 2023 has shown a glimmer of hope with two second-place finishes by Filippo Ganna and Andrea Bagioli in Milan-Sanremo andIl Lombardia, respectively. To these results can be added Matteo Trentin's tenth place in the Tour of Flanders (after contributing to Tadej Pogacar's victory) and the sixth place of an Ineos-Grenadiers rider in Paris-Roubaix.
Although for many, Ganna is presented as the main Italian promise for these races, Filippo Pozzato, in an interview with GCN, has mentioned two other names of Italian cyclists who could bring back to Italy the glory of winning a Monument next year:
“Jonathan Milan or Andrea Bagioli. Milan for Milano-Sanremo or Paris-Roubaix. Last year, before Milano-Sanremo, my favourite was Milan but he got sick one week before. I think Milan’s move to Lidl-Trek is good for him. I like Milan a lot, he’s a good guy, a grounded one, he’s not stupid, he’s smart. I’ve seen him doing some sprints that are not normal, and he’s also really young.”
After an outstanding performance at the end of the season, which included a victory in the Gran Piemonte, a second place in the Lombardia and a third in the Coppa Bernocchi, Bagioli, winner of the Milano-Sanremo in 2006, is ready to play an important role in the classics:
"I was surprised to see Bagioli on the podium at Il Lombardia. I thought he’d be in the first five. I know he’s very strong because I spoke to his coach in the week before.”
In recent years, Italy has struggled to excel in the big races as it used to. For Pozzato, the reason is simple:
"The level is not good, because we don’t have the members of the federation. For example, in Vicenza, we had a 120-rider union but now we have just 20 riders. With that quantity, it's not possible to get the quality. Great Britain in the past had only two riders and now has one of the best teams in the world. Australia had one rider and now has a WorldTour team. Americans were few and now they have a team too. Everything is globalising and so there are more possibilities for the others but less for Italy."
claps 3visitors 98
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Does everything need to have a point? If so, 99% of the internet should be wiped away. In relation to recent articles with quotes from other riders, my statement points to the ever more obvious reason why they are asked to comment on the effect of his return.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If anyone would be interested enough to launch an official survey as to who out of these three should shut up, I don’t know who’d win but I’m due Boonen would be way back in 3rd place.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- And your point is what exactly?vappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- MVDP dominates this sport even more than Pogaçar dominates road racing. Also he can beat Tadej on the road quite regularly, the opposite is unlikely.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If you listen to team radios you'll hear each DS telling their riders to ride faster, fight their way to the front, and all occupy the same 8 places.Sweep22-12-2024
- You're talking about a sport where equipment and clothing is measured in grams.Sweep22-12-2024
- “During a TT, I am basically blind”. That was his quote after crashing into the barriers in a TT. The problem isn’t the UCI, radios or air bags. The problem is the riders and their teams.JoeyB22-12-2024
- I think you overestimate scientific knowledge and for sure the spreading of it. There are huge numbers of people in similar situations, if there were an easy solution somebody would be making big money out of it. Nerve pain can have many complex origins or be due to complex combinations of reasons. Even if you discover a reason there is not always a solution. Migraines haven’t been solved either. I have had lower back/hip nerve pains on and off for over 30 years, no kind of doctor has ever found a way to reduce, prevent or solve the problem. It may just be that some people are born with nerves that are too short or get twisted out of position during certain movements.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- Amazing ride by her and very promising for her future. On a side note, it’s a bit worrying all these wins riders have after emotional moments in their lives, someone will come up with emotional doping at some point. Maybe give them fake news just before a big race to get hormones pumping.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- I doubt he will have the energy to do that if he continues to do leadout for Phillipsenabstractengineer22-12-2024