Author of a very high-flying week in the land of a thousand hills, Calzoni spoke to us before heading to the African continent. Already sparkling on the Jaén Paraiso, the transalpine completed the Rwandan race as a dolphin in the same second as the winner of the general classification. In addition, he has to his credit 7 top 10 in 8 stages including two stages finished in second place and won the best young rider jersey.
Cycling Times : Hello Walter. Can you introduce yourself to our readers ?
Walter Calzoni : My name is Walter Calzoni, I have 21 years old and I live in Sellero, a small village in the Italian Alps.
C.T. : You had a contract as a Neo Pro with Q36.5 Procycling Team. How do you feel about starting your professional career on a brand new project? ?
W. C. : I have been cycling since the age of 7 years. It is a great accomplishment to find myself at this level already. I am happy and proud to have participated in this project and I thank the entire team for the great opportunity that the leaders gave me. I hope to live up to the trust granted.
C.T. : What do you remember from your time in the youth categories ?
W. C. : I remember during my first years of competition that I went to the races with the objective of having fun above all.. It is really in 2022 that I started to be competitive with the Gallina Ecotek Lucchini Colosio team. In this team I won in all 5 victories. And I would also not forget to mention my places of honor in important races such as my 2nd place in the Italian Espoir road championship and that at the top of Cervinia on the last stage of the Giro Val Aosta.
C.T. : Was the Q36.5 Procycling team the only one to approach you during the off-season ?
W. C. : No, it was not the only professional structure but the one with the project that suited me best in all respects.
C.T. : What type of runner are you ? And what are the points you would like to improve in particular? ?
W. C. : For the moment I have not yet taken the measure of the category of runner to which I belong but I like selective and difficult playgrounds.. The challenge this year will be to know if I am a climber or a puncher knowing that I already have a good burst of speed.
C.T. : The Italian U23 calendar especially is very dense. How do you find competitiveness ?
W. C. : In Italy, the level of less than 23 years is very high due to the number of continental structures dedicated exclusively to this category of young people. There are many strong athletes, especially on one-day races.
C.T. : How would you describe your professional debut ? Did you expect to be so high on the Jaén Paraiso Interior?
W. C. : I had prepared well thanks to good work in January with the team in Spain. The team had confidence in me and I felt good even though it was only my second race [ndlr : Murcia GP for its first race]. I wanted to finish as high as possible to return the confidence that the team gives me.
C.T. : What's next for you? ? Do you have goals in terms of results or is it the learning that is important at this stage? ?
W. C. : I will first go to Rwanda before returning to conclude this cycle in Tuscany with the Strade Bianche which will be my first race in WT. This year, I'm not aiming for any race in particular, I want to learn as much as possible and get the most out of every race I take part in.
C.T. : How did you find the atmosphere in the team during January training camp? ?
W. C. : Overall it went well and allowed the team to lay the necessary foundations to start the season. I met everyone and with the other experienced Italians present it was much easier for me, the Neo Pro.
C.T. : Vincenzo Nibali is one of the leaders of your new team. It's true that this legendary runner influenced your childhood ?
W. C. : Yes. Obviously. I admired him since I was little I saw him win on TV several times. He's the kind of athlete who motivates us to surpass ourselves every day. So having it with you is a real godsend..
C.T. : Which race do you dream of the most? ? What is your favorite climb ?
I dream of winning the Flèche Wallonne, arriving at the wall of Huy. My favorite climb is a monster of the Dolomites namely the Mortirolo, who is close to my house.
C.T. : Soon you will run to Rwanda. Do you think you can handle high altitudes well on this race? ?
W. C. : I have never run for a long time at these altitudes but this is an opportunity to discover how I react to this.
We thank Walter for participating in this interview and we wish him a great rest of the season..
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