Paolo Bettini was one of the most decorated racers of his era, winning a pair of World Championship titles, an Olympic gold medal and multiple other victories. Looking towards the future however, the Italian is extremely concerned for his nation's cycling prospects.
"It is completely different from my period," the five-time monument winner and five-time Grand Tour stage winner says in conversation with Sporza. "In my time there were about 25 to 30 top riders who shared the cake among themselves. Now you have 5 to 6 super strong riders who take just about everything. There is nothing left for the rest."
In terms of the UCI Rankings, Filippo Ganna is the highest Italian in 15th, with Andrea Bagioli the next best in 34th place. "Italian cycling has a problem," says Bettini concernedly. "We no longer have a WorldTour-level team and that makes it difficult for young riders to progress to the highest level. But the Tour de France starts in Florence this year, so that is good news for Italian cycling."
One man at the start of the Tour de France in Florence will be Remco Evenepoel. Bettini however, is unsure he can really challenge for the Maillot Jaune. "I don't see him winning the Tour this year," says Bettini. "He already has a nice palmares, but it will be difficult to win now."
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