Vincenzo Nibali: The level in the peloton has increased a lot, but I think I can still be there
Dec 09 2021 08:19 am CET
Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali is making his return to Astana after six years of absence, a team in which he got the best results of his career so far and where he can lead a new generation of riders.
By Maritza Cárdenas
The winner of all three Grand Tours is in Spain training with his "new team", but despite some things being completely different, he feels the familiarity of a place in which he enjoyed a lot of success. "It's completely different because many years have passed, for me it's a new adventure," said Nibali. "It's not the same but for me it's a bigger responsibility because there are many young riders with whom I try to share some experience. Many riders also follow me to ask me many questions."
Although the Italian only has the clarity of starting his 2022 season in Spain, he still doesn't know what the rest of the season will look like. But he's focusing on being at his best for the kick-off of the cycling year and has in mind the things he wants to achieve.
"I spoke with (Giuseppe) Martinelli about the program for the 2022 season and I will start in Valencia (Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana), I don't know about the classics like Paris-Roubaix or Liege-Bastogne-Liege and I don't know definitely the program," he mentioned. "On the next days I will have the definite program for the season.
"The training is going quite well, we started with new materials, day by day we are going to add some more hours to it. Everything is going good, we have time until the 20th of December and after that, we continue the preparation in January for the start of the season.
"In any case in the next season I want to be a protagonist in the races chosen by the team. I still have the power, I work a lot and I want to start the season in a good form. We will see if I will focus on the classics or on a grand tour. The level in the peloton has increased a lot, but I think I can still be there and I want to do this season without any pressure, and I want to enjoy cycling."
Nibali is going to be one of the most experienced riders in the Kazakh squad and he enjoys the thought of being able to help and guide some of the upcoming talents in it. "I'm looking forward to working with the whole group and we have many talented riders; (Miguel Angel) Lopez, (David) de la Cruz, (Harold) Tejada," Nibali pointed out. "We have a really nice group of young riders in the team and there are many I want to work with because I think I could help them reach a great level and great results."
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