"In UAE nothing was left to chance, while here the rider is freer" - Davide Formolo reveals the big difference between UAE and Movistar Team

It's fair to say that Davide Formolo didn't have the greatest of debut seasons at Movistar Team after making the switch from UAE Team Emirates. After having had a full year to acclimatise to his new surroundings though, the 32-year-old enters 2025 with an optimistic mindset.

"Usually I'm someone who takes a while to get into gear when I change teams. I knew that the beginning of last year could have been tough, but I started off well," he recalls in conversation with Bici.Pro. "Every time you change teams you go through a period of adaptation, at least for me it's like that. It's true that you always go by bike, but many things change: the organization of travel, how you race, the approach to races..."

In moving from UAE to Movistar though, Formolo also notes some real differences between the two teams. "In some ways they are quite similar, although with Movistar I have more freedom. Something I wasn't totally used to," he says. "I understood that a character like mine must be guided well. In UAE nothing was left to chance, while here the rider is freer. Many small things within the team that need to be understood and learned to manage. After all, in this sport you never stop learning."

"I am a very emotional person, it is a side that I have both on the bike and in everyday life. In sports, however, this nature of mine must be held back a little, in order to perform better. Maybe on a personal level I suffer a little more, but the performance in the race is greater. Having understood this is a great step forward," he continues. "When things go badly I tend to get frustrated and try to get out by banging my head. Instead, sometimes you need to stop and take a breath. Like in the period between spring and summer. In the end, the stop at the end of July helped me to put my thoughts in order and find a balance again. I could have done it earlier, but you learn from your mistakes, at any age."

With the start of his 2025 season looming, Formolo is intent on bringing success to Movistar Team. "I will focus more on the first part of the season, which will culminate with the Giro d'Italia. Of the three Grand Tours, it is the one where I always feel best, due to the climate," he previews. "I am a rider who suffers a lot from the heat, so together with the team we decided to work well in the spring. In the summer I will stop to recover as best as possible and then I will do the final part of the season."