The season that Filippo Conca is about to start from January will not be one where he can hide. The brilliant tricolor jersey he stubbornly conquered last June, both in the peloton and among fans, does not go unnoticed, and this will ensure that, much more than other riders, the 1998 Lecco native will inevitably have more pressure and attention on his shoulders.

In this context, it will be up to him to demonstrate, by making the most of his winter preparation and the team knowledge refined in recent months, his value not only by sacrificing himself for others (as he has done multiple times in Q36.5 jersey) but also by seizing opportunities that come his way when the road and team allow.

To succeed, Conca can rely on the solidity and consolidated structure of a team that, thanks also to the arrivals of Vendrame and Covi, will maintain a strong Italian imprint in 2026. We discussed these figures, the just-ended season, next year, and briefly the value of Swatt Club with the Italian champion at the Tour de France EFGH Singapore Criterium.

Filippo, after the exploit and incredible outcome of the Italian Championship, in the second part of the season you've put together 12 days of racing with the Jayco-AlUla jersey: what are your feelings about this?

"I've felt very good in Jayco, the atmosphere is really nice. I would have liked to immediately prove something and start well, but having contracted Covid after the second race, I couldn't be as competitive as usual and reach my standard levels. Despite this, I still managed to be useful to the cause by working both at the Tour of Slovakia, where I pulled a lot at the head of the group to keep my teammates ahead and where we won the overall with Double, and in other races to put the captains in the best possible positions. It's a shame I couldn't do more because it was a good opportunity to start this adventure in the best way and in some instances race my own race, but I have time next year to make up for it. That said, the most important thing in 2026 will be to work consistently without those hitches and health problems that have plagued my career so far."

Have you already discussed the 2026 program with the team and talked about which races to target?

"I should start in Spain, although we haven't yet defined the details, and try to have good condition right from the start to do well in the entire first part of the season until the end of March. Then, suffering from allergies and asthma in the subsequent period, the idea is to take a break and do some altitude training to present myself 100% at the Giro d'Italia, where I could race both in support of the captain (I don't know if it will be O'Connor or someone else) and chasing a stage victory."

To discover the rest of the interview with Conca, we invite you to listen to the upcoming episode of our Bla Bla Bike podcast, which will be out in a few hours.