We met with Samuele Porro of the Wilier Triestina – Pirelli Factory Team after his fresh racing début at Riva del Garda. A sit-down to talk about the physical issues that kept him away from cycling for many months and about his great desire to be competitive again.
What was it like for you during this forced break from cycling?
The time spent in the box wasn’t easy. At the start, I was very concerned because I just couldn’t understand why I wasn’t feeling up to par, why I couldn’t shake off this sense that something wasn’t quite right.
Luckily the tachycardia that was giving me problems was identified and solved, giving me back a great deal of the peace of mind I had lost. While, as far as cycling was concerned, I had to wait for the all-clear from the doctors, after a series of tests.
Throughout the entire time, the team and my teammates were with me every step of the way, which helped me tremendously.
You resumed training just in the past weeks but in Riva del Garda you proved that you are in great condition.
During the time I was told to rest, I still stayed active trying to keep myself in good shape. As soon as the doctors gave me the thumbs up, I resumed real training, gradually increasing the intensity of my workload.
The Riva del Garda race was a nice surprise, even if, before the start, I was optimistic about doing well because all the hard work done last winter was very positive. But regardless of the result (2nd place), this Marathon gave me even more confidence and the reassurance that my health issue will soon be a very distant memory.
In this first part of 2022, your Marathon teammates have collected excellent results. What is the atmosphere among the team?
I’m really pleased with how the team is performing. We’re all doing well, not just us in the Marathon but our cross-country colleagues, too. Giada, Simone, and Janis are really brilliant. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that a key factor of this excellent first part of the season is the new materials that our sponsors have made available to us.
It’s not easy to feel at ease from the very beginning when you change the frame and wheels. It should be noted that Wilier Triestina and Pirelli are injecting a great deal of ambition to grow in the team’s future projects. It’s giving us energy.
What are your goals, now?
In a few days I’ll be going up to Livigno where, along with some of my teammates, we’ll be spending some high-altitude time training and preparing for the mid-season schedule, which includes many Marathon “grand classics” as well as the European and Italian Championships.
I want to be there on top form and try to leave my mark.