Tiberi aims for Giro podium, but where is the new generation in Italy? "His style is incredible"

Giuseppe Martinelli, one of the most successful sports directors over the past four decades, has announced that he will no longer be the sports director at Astana Qazaqstan in 2024. However, the 69-year-old Italian, famous for his successes with riders such as Marco Pantani and Vincenzo Nibali, wants to remain active in cycling. Cycling country Italy has problems that concern him.

Martinelli did not rule out the possibility of becoming Italy's national coach one day, although he sees that as a difficult task. "More than once, I have been asked if I would be interested in that role," he told Radiocorsa. "Now that I have left Astana, I feel more at peace and admitted that I want to do it. Not to replace anyone, but to contribute a little with my experience to the sport I love so much." Martinelli knows current national coach Daniele Bennati, who was under pressure after the World Championship. "He was even one of my riders. If they need me, I'm ready, but it's a complex situation."

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Daniele Bennati

Where is the next Italian champion?

According to Martinelli, the position of national coach has become more challenging due to the lack of major Italian champions and the weaker position of Italian cycling in general. Yet he sees an additional appeal in that. "Precisely because it is more difficult now, it is an exciting challenge. We could build something with good cooperation or a team of people."

Martinelli pointed to the structural problems in Italian cycling. The lack of solid teams especially inhibits the growth of young talent. With VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè and Team Polti VisitMalta, two teams target young Italians, but above that, a WorldTour team has been missing for years. Since Lampre-Merida merged into UAE Team Emirates in 2016, Italians have had to do without. Of course, there are teams with an Italian core, such as the UAE Team Emirates, Lidl-Trek, and Astana Qazaqstan Team, but an actual Italian squad is missing.

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Will Lorenzo Finn become the new national cycling hero? 

Lorenzo Finn as example: "Then he could have developed himself here"

"If we had one or two more important teams, even at the Pro-Continental level, the future would look much brighter. Our young riders often leave overseas, where they can't fully develop."

For example, he mentioned Lorenzo Finn, the world junior champion in Zurich. "I have seen him swing; his style is incredible. Two years ago, I said he could be a future champion. But if we had had an Italian team coaching him, he could develop here, like he used to do at Lampre or Liquigas."

Martinelli urged more Italian teams and sponsors to give young talent a chance. "We need more teams, like Reverberi's or Basso's, with Italian management and sponsors. Only then can we rebuild a solid foundation for the future." He is convinced that a strong national structure is the basis for new successes. "If young riders can grow in their own country, we have a better chance of producing a new generation of top riders. We should never give up. With the right efforts and more support, Italian cycling can flourish again," Martinelli concludes.

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Tiberi aims for Giro podium. Otherwise, he faces "superstar" Pogacar

The 23-year-old Tiberi experienced his breakthrough this season by finishing fifth in the Giro d'Italia and taking home the Maglia Bianca. "Then, during my second major tour, the Vuelta a España, I attempted to have a decent classification. It went very well until the ninth stage," he told Sky Sports. Unfortunately, Tiberi had to give up after suffering from heatstroke. However, the Italian GC rider recovered quickly and won the Tour of Luxembourg, but suffered a nasty intestinal virus before the Tour of Lombardy.

For 2025, Antonio Tiberi has not yet made a final choice between the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. "If it turns out to be the Giro, my ambition is to finish on the podium. He will inevitably face Tadej Pogačar if he chooses the Tour. "The great thing is that later, I can say that I competed against Tadej Pogačar while he was making history. But the flip side is when you go to the limit on a climb, and he rides away as if it didn't bother him. Then you sometimes think: without him, I might have achieved more. But that is also the wonderful thing about sport. Every discipline has its superstar; with us, that's Tadej."

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Ciccone had a difficult 2024: "But the podium was an excellent way to end the season"

All in all, Ciccone had a somewhat disappointing year. He had to deal with an injury at the beginning of the season and never recovered. After that, he rode a strong Critérium du Dauphiné, but in the Tour, it just wasn't enough. He finished eleventh and did not win a stage. In the Vuelta, he had to abandon it after ten days. In Lombardia, he finished third. "It was a complicated season, but the podium in Lombardia was an excellent way to end the season," Ciccone told Sky Sports.

To take revenge in 2025, the 29-year-old Italian is waiting for some presentations of courses. "I would love to ride the Giro d'Italia in 2025, but first, we will wait for the course presentation and then decide."

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