Italian sprinter dreams big after two wins: one at the Giro and one over Cavendish
After beating Mark Cavendish and also winning at the Giro d’Italia this season, Italy’s Manuel Belletti wants to continue his progression towards an eventual Milano-Sanremo win.
“I am getting better year after year,” he told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Places, podiums, wins. I don’t want to seem presumptuous, but I am there amongst the best in the sprints.”
Bellotti gave Colnago-CSF Inox two wins and provided proof that he can compete with the best this year. His first win was the 13th stage of the Giro d’Italia to the seaside town of Cesenatico and his second was the one-day Italian classic, Coppa Bernocchi, which he took ahead of top sprinter Mark Cavendish.
“Cesenatico, how can I forget it, the most beautiful day of my life as a cyclist. The stage finished five kilometres from my home, and instead of sprinting, I decided to try an escape,” he said.
“It was tough. It took 60 kilometres of attacks and counter-attacks before I got away in an escape group. [Craig] Lewis almost got away in the end, I thought I had lost it, but we chased back and I pulled off one long sprint.
“I can’t forget the day I beat Cavendish at the Coppa Bernocchi. My team-mate, [Marco] Frapporti took charge of the group with five kilometres to race and lined out the group. [Murilo] Fischer started his sprint at 450 metres, I waited a moment and then went before [Danilo] Hondo and Cavendish started. I knew it was a long sprint, but I pulled it off.”
Belletti hopes that, like Cavendish, he can win the Milano-Sanremo some day. This year, he rode the famous one-day race for the first time, but lacked the strength to stay at the front of the race. After 250 kilometres, with 40 kilometres to race, he slipped behind and only found about Oscar Freire’s win when he crossed the line over 20 minutes later.
“I’ve never hidden the fact that since I was a baby it’s been my favourite race,” he continued. “I was dropped on the Mànie climb, but I still continued to the end so that I could study and try it [the roads] for the coming years.
“If all goes well, I want to be amongst the front finishers next year.”
Belletti is already planning for next year. Mid-way through November, he will start training on his mountain bike and at the swimming pool. In December, he will start riding his road bike, maybe escaping from the cold to go to the Canary Islands.
“I went last year with Alan Marangoni, Marcello Pavarin and Filippo Savini. We rented a big house, with a kitchen and did our own shopping. We had to save money since we paid our own way there.”