Simone Petilli is doing well and has started cycling again. The good news was shared with tuttobiciweb by himself just seconds after answering our phone call. The 31-year-old Intermarché-Wanty athlete had fallen during Strade Bianche and fractured his right collarbone, subsequently undergoing surgery. Now, however, he is recovering and has a big goal on the horizon.

Simone, Saturday, March 8th in Siena started well for you.

"I'd say excellently. Attacking was in my plans, and I must say I managed to get into the day's breakaway without spending too much energy. With my fellow breakaway companions, we rode hard and thus accumulated a good margin. I knew the course well and knew that being ahead in the new gravel sector would be advantageous for us in the break, but then, right there..."

The crash?

"Exactly. I tried to avoid the riders who fell in front of me, but I couldn't do anything and I ended up on the ground too".

There's some regret in your voice.

"Strade Bianche is a race I feel particularly close to. I was committed, I'm sure I could have done well: despite the fatigue and the speed we had maintained up to that point, my legs were still turning well. It's truly a shame".

How is the recovery going?

"Well and quite quickly. When they operated on me, they put a plate so that the bone could heal more easily, and three days after the surgery I started pedaling on rollers; I cycled indoors for nine days. Then I started with some road rides avoiding climbs, this way I put some kilometers in my legs, and this week I started with some small hills. Everything is proceeding well".

What impact has this stop had on your calendar?

"After Strade Bianche I was supposed to participate in Milano-Torino and Volta Catalunya, I'm sorry not to have raced those because I could have arrived in good condition. The most important thing, however, is that this setback has not compromised the main objective of my first part of the season: the Giro d'Italia. I continue on the road to the Pink Race. By May 9th, I'll be as good as new".

What will your approach be?

"I will certainly do a high-altitude training camp with the team and, depending on how my recovery progresses, we will evaluate the possibility of participating in some races before the Giro".

The Strade Bianche mishap has slowed your season, but how did 2025 start for you?

"I changed my approach a bit this year: I started a bit later compared to previous seasons with the goal of arriving at the Giro by having a nice spring. In January I worked at high altitude and then went to the UAE Tour, not a race perfectly suited to my characteristics, but which I used in preparation for the season. Before Strade Bianche, I raced Trofeo Laigueglia where I had good sensations. Only bad luck got in the way, but the year is still long, I want to be ready to best perform the tasks that will be assigned to me. Whether I'm called to be a 'helper', a race strategist, or have the opportunity to break away and seek a personal result, the team knows it can always count on me".

You said the Giro is your objective for the first part of the season, and for the second can you tell us something?

"Nothing is certain yet. The objective could be to do two Grand Tours: I'm currently on the long list of potential riders for the Vuelta. As I said before, I want to prove that I'm reliable as I've always been, and if the call for the Spanish race comes, I'll be very happy".