The balance of the Brand: for Soraya tenth place in the line not very truthful after the good silver in the time trial. The protagonist of the Giro d’Italia never protagonist
TREVISO
A tricolor weekend of lights and shadows for the brand. The Under 23 title of Gabriele Benedetti that brings the Zalf to 30, but also a perky Soraya Paladin between time trial and in-line test: it is a pity that an untrue tenth place follows the tic-tac silver. In parallel, Andrea Vendrame leaves no trace in the professional race.
And if Saturday the exploit of the Tuscan amateur represented a half surprise, vice versa yesterday the expectations on Paladin were high, who after the brilliant spring is playing the blue jersey for the Tokyo Olympics. And the 28-year-old from Cimadolmo, fresh from the height in Livigno (and from the fruitful work with the new trainer: Fabio Baronti, of Team Friuli), does not disappoint: on Friday in Faenza she surprised everyone (even herself) with second place in the time trial , first career podium (including youth) in the races against time; in the key test in Castellana Grotte she is among the protagonists, attacking twice in the final with the same Elisa Longo Borghini, who later won alone (double with the time trial).
From the usual generous performance, however, he gets “only” a tenth place (at 20 “with the frayed group; the sprint of the jokes to the eternal Tatiana Guderzo), a placement that confirms it among the best, but at the same time highlights the crisis materialized for the great heat. In any case, the condition was excellent in view of the Giro d’Italia. That is the key event of the year for Paladin, who on the pink roads will have classification ambitions and will try to stamp the ticket for the five-circle trip to Japan. Side note: the standard bearer of Liv Racing had no teammates, as in the Tricolore the military athletes race with their respective reference groups. Longo Borghini, for example, competed with the Fiamme Oro. Policewoman like Sofia Bertizzolo, Paladin’s companion to the Dutch Liv in the rest of the year: the 23-year-old from Borso, sixth in the line race (at 15 “) after fifth place in the time trial, would have been useful as a shoulder to Cimadolmo’s blue .
Summing up, the verdict of the Italians leaves no room for interpretation: Bertizzolo is in great shape like Paladin, in the Games key the city Salvoldi will have taken note. «I was fine, but Longo Borghini was also strong uphill», Paladin comments after the torrid Tricolore in Puglia, «We had an advantage, then when we reached the top I suffered a lot from the heat. I was left without water, she wanted the changes, I suddenly had a crisis that I did not expect and the group took us back. Strange race, hot day, but I liked it a lot: I couldn’t enjoy the landscape, but it made me want to come back … on vacation ».
The tricolor weekend does not deserve only positive underlining: Vendrame never highlighted, which after a month of high level (double seal: at the Giro in Bagno di Romagna, then in the inaugural part of the Route d’Occitanie) was given among the possible favorites to Imola. Path perhaps a little too hard, he will have the opportunity to try to make up for it next year.
Curtain with a result that looks in perspective: at the Tricolore Juniores time trial in Faenza the fifth place centered by Elena Contarin, promised castle of the Breganze Millenium does not escape. The infinite pink brood of the Marca is preparing to welcome a new talent. –
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