The analysis by sports director Davide Arzeni at the end of the Ronde van Vlaanderen 2022: “Mix of bitterness in the mouth and awareness of our means”.
It was just a few meters to Silvia Persico to also hit the & nbsp; Ronde van Vlaanderen & nbsp; a placement among the top ten, with the Valcar athlete – Travel & amp; Service that had to settle for eleventh position . But it was the last thirty kilometres of the Belgian classic that left the bitter taste in the mouth of the girls directed by Davide Arzeni, during which the possibility of hitting a better result was lost.
“We knew that anything could happen in the last hour of the race and, when the race exploded, we were in the right place with Persico, Consonni, Gasparrini and Olivia Baril, promoter of the escape”, confirms the sporting director of Valcar – Travel & amp; Service. “I thought and hoped to be able to get a better result, unfortunately for various reasons we have not been able to finalize”.
On her social networks, Silvia Persico did not hide her disappointment.
«Silvia was very well; the heart rate monitor data confirms that she has never gone so fast. Unfortunately, she was held back by a mechanical problem: due to a blow she suffered during the race, she was unable to change as she wanted. And, after the Koppenberg, it was impossible to reach it with the flagship and change the bike “.
What can you tell us about the other girls?
«The Ronde van Vlaanderen is about the details. Taking a sector of cobblestones in tenth or twentieth place can make all the difference in the world. And at some point, we have made small mistakes that have cost us dearly ».
Four athletes in the good group, however, are not bad in a race like Flanders…
«I know my girls, I know what they are worth and I was sure we could do well this season. I’m not surprised at the results so far and I’m sure more will come. Already starting Wednesday, the day of the Scheldeprijs ».
What race will Scheldeprijs be like?
«Insidious. Let’s not be fooled by the flat altimetry; the wind will make it unpredictable. We will have to stay on the bell for the full 138km if we want to win. Because this is our goal: after this Flanders with a bitter aftertaste, I’m not signing up for second place “.