by the Sports Editor
The coach lines up Moro in place of the exhausted Consonni and Italy, led by the usual Super Ganna, beats New Zealand and tomorrow, in the final, will challenge Denmark. Fifth the women
Italy has secured a place in the final of the men’s team pursuit at the cycling World Championships which is taking place in Scotland. At the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, the Italian team formed by Filippo Ganna, Francesco Lamon, Jonathan Milan and Manlio Moro (lined up for Simone Consonni) overtook New Zealand with a time of 3’46″855. A convincing performance by coach Marco Villa’s team that tomorrow evening will challenge Denmark for the gold medal, just like at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago where the Azzurri set the world record.The Danes overtook Australia by stopping the clock at 3’45″634.
We are a huge group – declared Villa at the end of the match -. Ganna, Consonni and Viviani know how to drag the youngsters and we are full of talents like Manlio Moro, who has done well with determination and without fear of anything. He has a great character and today he proved it.
Ganna, captain and symbol of the team, wanted to congratulate the rest of the team: I thank my teammates, they were extraordinary. We want to prove that we are the reigning Olympic champions, fingers crossed for tomorrow. Yesterday we had a flooded engine, today we did an amazing job and managed to bring home qualification for the final. For sure we are on the same level as Denmark. May the best man win.
On the other hand, things didn’t go well for the girls, who in the morning closed the qualifications in fifth place, missing access to the semifinals by just three tenths and won’t be able to repeat the world gold medal won last year in Saint Quentin en Yvelines: We knew we weren’t at the top, but we will fight for the bronze jersey. Martina Fidanza, Letizia Paternoster, Elisa Balsamo and Vittoria Guazzini stopped the clock at 4’14″472. The best time was recorded by Great Britain with 4’10″333. The hosts kept the other opponents at a distance: New Zealand at 1″444, the United States at 3″851 and France at 4″130. These four teams will play for the gold medal, while the Italy will have to hope for the repechage to compete for the possibility of the bronze medal.
Everything will depend on the time the girls register (Chiara Consonni could take over) in tomorrow’s first round against Canada. It was not easy for Italy to confirm themselves, also because Balsamo and Guazzini were not in top physical condition. The first recovering from the crash at the RideLondon Classique at the end of May, while the second from a fractured pelvis in the reconnaissance of Paris-Roubaix.
August 4, 2023 (change August 4, 2023 | 21:50)
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