Tonight at 7:30 PM, with a live broadcast on Telefriuli, he will be honored during the presentation of the Giro Fiume Veneto-Altopiano di Asiago stage on May 25th. A career achievement award for Enrico Gasparotto, 43 years old from Casarsa, an Italian champion with two Amstel Gold Races in his trophy cabinet, and already a Giro (with Hindley in 2022) won from the team car.

"First, let me thank Fiume Veneto for the award. I'm returning to Friuli with joy, though I've lived in Lugano for years, but Friuli is home to me, and Fiume Veneto is my father Toni's hometown".

What can we say about the new Gasparotto?
"Now I'm head of sports directors for the World Tour team owned by a giant like RedBull, where 155 people work, including riders, technicians, doctors, engineers, nutritionists, and many other roles. I coordinate everything, always on the phone, so much so that my wife Anna often scolds me. I speak English constantly and have one regret".

Which is?
"I graduated from the scientific high school Filandiere in San Vito al Tagliamento, but I should have studied German more, especially since it's extremely useful in the RedBull world".

Have you met Max Verstappen and Jurgen Klopp, supervisor of the football teams?
"Not yet, but these two names give an idea of the high competitive level of the group. In cycling, they've brought in engineers, the nutrition department with 5 chefs and six nutritionists - everything is specialized".

And what do you do?
"I try to stitch everything together, fewer races, more work between the training results of our 29 riders, strategies, and planning".

Is Primoz Roglic your Verstappen?
"Yes, we're fortunate to have one of the 5 champions who decide races in this new cycling. With Pogacar, Vingegaard, Van der Poel, Evenepoel, there's also Primoz, who has an incredible mental strength. A year ago, I saw him cry after withdrawing from the Tour and then rise again at the Vuelta. He's a winner".

And he'll return to the Giro after his feat on Lussari in 2023.
"We'll come with Martinez and Hindley to win, then Roglic will go to the Tour more relaxed. With Pogacar in France and at the Vuelta, it's better to get an advantage".

Why is Pogi so strong?
"Mother Nature did a lot, and his victories then give him the serenity to race while enjoying himself and score more. But Van der Poel is the same in the classics. After Sanremo, I believe he'll win Flanders and Roubaix".

Did Ganna surprise you?
"I often see Pippo, who comes to Lugano to watch ice hockey. Now that he's focusing solely on the road, he's one of the strongest".

And Milan?
"He's the pride of Friuli. And to think that I, mistakenly, had underestimated him. For us Friulians, by the way, yesterday was our festival, it's wonderful to have a rider like him. Jonny has an incredible engine, I hope he wins the Italian championship in Gorizia and wears yellow in the first Tour stage".

Yet behind them, there's not much...
"Italy is lagging behind Northern countries in youth development. We haven't evolved, still anchored to our great tradition. We do have talents. Giulio Pellizzari at Bora RedBull, for example, is proving to be super. The first thing he did was study English quickly, which is fundamental to immerse yourself in the adventure. He must grow by learning from champions like Roglic; we might even bring him to the Giro".

What do you miss from when you were racing?
"The long training camps in the Canaries on Teide, in that lunar landscape where I was alone, I built my successes and also learned to know myself".

from Messaggero Veneto