After an impressive end to 2024 where he managed to stand out on multiple occasions, Marco Frigo has chosen Spain, and specifically the O Gran Camiño, to continue the conversation he left unfinished last year and further his growth. In the Iberian land, in particular, the Israel-Premier Tech rider has pinned on his number with the idea of building, together with his teammates, the necessary chemistry to be protagonists at the Giro d'Italia with Derek Gee, the captain for whom the rider from Bassano will pursue not only useful experiences for his career but also that consistency to carve out an even more important space in the group.

We discussed this, as well as the ever-current issue of UCI points, the intense winter just passed, and his relationship with some prominent personalities from winter sports, with him at the start of his first seasonal commitment.

This O Gran Camiño is your first race of 2025: what are your feelings?

"The sensations, as is normal at the first race of the year, are somewhat of a question mark. Obviously, I'm happy with the winter I've had because it was very regular, calm, and without any hitches, and I think that's the most important thing."

You've been very active during the winter months, as we've seen you both on ski rolls and cross-country skis. Where does this desire to integrate cycling activity in this way come from?

"It all starts with my paternal grandfather who used to ski when he was young and put me on cross-country skis when I was about 7-8 years old. I maintained this habit in winter but with less and less frequency until two years ago when I met Simone Mocellini (a cross-country skier with 31 World Cup appearances, ed.) with whom we became really good friends and built a great bond: thanks to him and the outings we did together, I reconnected with cross-country skiing. This year in particular, after I pushed him to use the bike a bit more consistently, he told me to use skis and ski rolls in winter."

Did you feel any benefits?

"There are many similarities with cycling, it integrates very well but certainly works differently. These two activities provide benefits at both aerobic and muscular levels, especially to the upper body. Apart from that, personally, the outings with Simone and cross-country skiing have done me good mentally, giving me more tranquility, more serenity."

Along with Mocellini, we noticed you've also gone out with Tommaso Giacomel (top Italian male biathlete): what's your relationship like?

"Both Tommy and Simone live a bit north of Bassano, where I am, but after getting to know each other, we end up cycling together, chatting on WhatsApp and social media, wishing each other good luck before races... Winter sports are a great passion of mine, and having the opportunity to talk with people like them really excites me."

You finished the last season on an upward trajectory and stood out several times. What are your goals for this year?

"Consistency, especially at high levels, is something that's not easy to find in the first two years. This year, having finished 2024 excellently and after a good winter, I hope to restart at that level. Seasonal goals? I'll focus on the Grand Tours: I'll race the Giro and then possibly the Vuelta. For the Giro Rosa, where Derek Gee will be the captain and the goal will be to do a good classification with him, we have a great group and in these days, already being here with part of the team that will support him in May, we'll start working towards that. For me, it will be the first GT where I'll be supporting a leader, and I think this will represent another important piece of my growth. Unlike the past where we raced stage races a bit haphazardly, this year we'll have a mentality focused on the general classification, we'll need to be on point every day, and I find this somewhat makes me feel more responsible. It will be a good test."

There's a lot of talk about UCI points and this system based on them. Here, we've heard a rather clear opinion from Ezequiel Mosquera. How do you experience this situation in the team?

"We were relegated two years ago because of points, but in my opinion, we approached it the right way, starting from the basics. At the moment, we're quite calm in the team because we've had two good years, but obviously, we need to keep pushing. In general, there's more awareness that you need to come to races prepared: today, even at the start of the season, there are riders who already have 10-12 days of racing under their belts precisely because there's a need to accumulate points. We're working perhaps a bit more calmly, going to races in a certain way, confident about what we're doing, and an example can be the team with which we'll tackle the Giro in May and which here at O Gran Camino will try to do well. Essentially, we see points more as a consequence of the good work we do, not so much as an obsession."