Italian sprinter realises quality will be higher in Gulf race, remains ambitious
Andrea Guardini spent the day after the end of the Tour de Langkawi in the race hotel at Shah Alam, an area close to Kuala Lumpur known for its huge mosque. Rather than heading into Malaysia’s capital, he preferred to keep things quiet, to recover from the race.
It’s been a whirlwind of a time for the 21 year old rider, who turned pro this season and has immediately impressed. He clocked up five wins in all in the race, netting 50% of the stages on offer thanks to his blazing sprint.
Unsurprisingly, he also took the blue points jersey, and wore yellow for some time. It’s a haul that equalled the past record set by Graeme Brown and Alberto Loddo, and something which psyches him in advance of a bigger target.
“This was fantastic for me because I didn’t think I would do this in my first race as a professional – to win five stages is very, very good,” the friendly Farnese Vini rider told VeloNation today. “Compared to the amateur level [where he raced last year], it was not so different in that the stages were not too much longer, and the team lineup wasn’t too difficult for the professional ranks. It was still great to win.
“Next up is the Tour of Qatar. I think it will be very hard for me, but I will try to take a first place in the sprint in one of the stages there. I will try to get results. Then, after that, I will do the Tour of Oman.”
His team has already secured a place in this year’s Giro d’Italia, due to race organiser Angelo Zomegnan’s declaration that the team of the Italian champion will be present. Giovanni Visconti will of course be one of the top leaders, but there is a chance that Guardini could also be there and be a protected rider for the sprints.
For now, he’s not thinking too much about that. He’s just 21 years of age, after all, and a neo-pro. “It is very early to talk about that,” he said, with reason. “I won’t be the one to decide, it will be my coach and my team manger. I will wait and see. I am young, I have time.”
But, whether or not it’s this year, the feeling is that he will make a big impression at some point in the Corsa Rosa.