Giovanni Lonardi dreams the perfect sprint: “beating Cavendish would be the goal of a lifetime”

Throwing into sprints is not a job for everyone, you need great skills of courage, glance, explosive legs and reflexes ready to seize the moment, the right situation. In a few moments one wins, to him the glory, and the others are left with disappointment and desire for redemption. Giovanni Lonardi, sprinter of Eolo Kometa started the season by raising his arms to the sky at the Classica Comunitad Valenciana, the first race of the year last 23 January and this success gave him great awareness of his means

Giovanni, your season has started in the best possible way.

Yes, new team, new stimuli and it started right away with a victory in Valencia. It was not possible better than this, a fundamental success for morale because it takes away the pressure, increases confidence and at the same time increases the desire to win again.

The sprinter is one of the most difficult roles in cycling , second place is a searing defeat. How do you live the defeats?

I feel bad, I am very competitive by nature and I never want to lose. This is a profession where for a few centimeters you can win or lose a race. It is difficult but like all other cycling specialties nowadays, the differences are minimal. I really like being a sprinter, the adrenaline that is released in the sprints is an incredible feeling and obviously when you don’t win you get angry

(Credit photo Claudio Bergamaschi – Giovanni Lonardi and Mirco Maestri)

Which is your model among your opponents?

Honestly I started racing and I saw Cavendish win the Tour de France and I was lucky enough to race against it and beating him would truly be the goal of a lifetime but it would be an incredible satisfaction because you understand that you have arrived where you dreamed. Surely beating him, who won the Tour de France last year too, would be truly the best for me.