This is a special Giro Rosa for Valentina Scandolara as our Italian is racing on home soil. “Fantastic to be able to ride this race with this team.”
Is this Giro Rosa important to you?
“Of course, but that goes for every race in which you start. Surely, it makes it somewhat special to race on home soil as Italian in a Dutch team. Many sports fans in Italy follow our every step. Newspapers cover it and our footage is aired on Rai3 during the live-broadcast of the Tour de France. In this Giro, I want to support Kasia, our team captain, as much as I can and whenever possible, to slip away in an attack.”
How is it going so far?
“Better every day, luckily. I didn’t have very good legs during the first couple of days, but as the Giro Rosa continues, the better I feel, even though I must admit that Wednesday’s and yesterday's stage were very tough. Hopefully, I can be of value to the team in the last stages. It would be nice if Kasia could climb a couple of places in the general classification. One thing I know for sure: she is super strong.”
How do you look back at the first months of racing with WM3 Pro Cycling?
“I am very happy in this team. For me it has been a very tough start of the season, since I was sick for a long time last year and had to stop training for many long months. So the first races were really hard for me, but everyone in the team has been very supportive and gave me a lot of confidence and positivity. It's a great environment and I am proud to be on board.”
You were very close to a first victory in de Tour of Chongming Islands. Do you often think back to that solo which only ended a couple of 100 meters from the finish line?
“Not a single one, really. To me a race finishes in the exact moment I cross the line, I don't dwell on what's been, I am always looking forward to what's next. Races are races. I am in control of what I do, not of what other people do. So when within myself I know I did my best, I am ok whatever the outcome is: nothing to recriminate. The Tour of Chongming Islands is not a race that suits me very well: I can do good sprints but it's just madness over there. So I felt like playing my cards attacking after we put it in the gutter with the team, I gave it my all and it didn't work out: simply it was not meant to happen on that day. There's always another race, always something to look forward to. Also, I believe that what you give you get, sooner or later, so I was actually very calm and stayed positive.”
In Dwars door de Westhoek you did pull it off…
“Amazing, isn’t it? I knew I worked well in training, that I was healthy and that my form was getting better and better. Of course, you never know if and when you'll be rewarded with a win, but I focus on what I can control and try to do my best: it all payed off in that day and I was of course very happy. And what else might have helped – not that I’m superstitious – I raced with number 5, a number which brought some earlier success to the team.”
You are known as being an entertainer. How is the mood in the team?
“A good atmosphere is always important. I have to say that it is working very well in the Giro Rosa, as it has during the entire season. I still remember our first training camps where we cooked for each other. Cozy and delicious. I also think fondly of the stages in the Gracia Orlová in the Czech Republic. The temperatures were around zero, it was freezing cold, but some of us were singing “chi chi wah” on the bike which kind of became the anthem of the team. The environment is very positive and motivating, we are working well together on the bike and we became close friends off the bike too.”
