"Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development is pleased to announce the arrival of seventeen-year-old Italian Fabio Segatta. The promising young talent, currently with the Italian junior team U.S. Montecorona, has signed a two-year contract and is preparing for his debut in the U23 category". A few lines, some accompanying photos, on the Dutch team's profile.

The world watches us, with silent attention. Without shouting, without especially looking at the finish orders, because they only count up to a certain point, even if they ultimately have their purpose. "This guy first stood out on the roads of Belgium, in Harelbeke, thanks to Team Coach Dino Salvoldi, who decided to bring him to race on those roads for the first time in his life – explains Paolo Alberati, former professional rider and now highly respected agent and talent scout with Maurizio Fondriest. It was enough for Fabio to finish second and then first on the Old Kwaremont, and Visma's emissaries contacted us to learn more about him. They asked for his data, and everything then led to this two-year agreement with the Visma Lease and Bike development squad".

For the record, Fabio Segatta finished that race outside the top ten, but that's irrelevant. What matters is the mental approach, the desire to emerge and be seen, to showcase himself. "I can say that Colombian riders today are less hungry than our young guys. There's a new generation of local riders with a different hunger, and I'm much more optimistic about the near future – Alberati continues. We know about Mark Lorenzo Finn, who has undeniably high talent. Riccardo Colombo is an excellent element, third at an Eroica and part of the track quartet. Just like Mattia Proietti Gagliardoni from the Franco Ballerini Team, who won the Eroica and will join Wanty. Emerging talents like Giacomo Serangeli, still a little boy of 57 kilos with pure climbing talent. Behind all this are societies that have decided to listen to an exceptional technician, one of the best if not the absolute best, Dino Salvoldi, who is able to combine the historicity of our cycling with the evolution of research and training methodologies. If we have patience, the future for us Italians still exists. Beware of throwing out the baby with the bathwater; it's enough to change the water, nothing more".