If for some the Tour of Hainan may be just another race, for Fausto Masnada it certainly represents something special. The thirty-two-year-old rider from Bergamo is here because in 2018 he achieved his first two professional victories by winning the eighth stage and, subsequently, the general classification ahead of Julien El Fares and the late Gino Mäder.

It was precisely to the deceased Swiss rider that Masnada dedicated a heartfelt tribute before pinning his number on his back in the brief Chinese stage race, a competition that, compared to eight years ago, has undoubtedly managed to evolve and attract increasingly prominent players to this corner of Asia for various reasons.

We discussed all of this, as well as plans for the future, directly with the MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort rider.

Fausto, you're the last Italian to have won this race in 2018: what did it feel like to be back here?

"I still hold unforgettable memories of that race because we're talking about my first professional victory, achieved in my second year in the top category. Back then the race was held in October, at the end of the season, and I was racing with Gianni Savio's Androni team: I remember perfectly the beautiful moments I experienced with all my teammates, the atmosphere that existed and the vibe you could feel, more relaxed compared to both the recent seasons and, more particularly, this time of year".

It's a bit striking to re-read the finishing order of that edition because you won the general classification ahead of Gino Mäder...

"Absolutely, and that's also why, before the start, I wanted to remember him with a post on my social media accounts. In 2018 I had won the general classification and he came second, but I remember that after the race ended, we celebrated together all night for our results and, in general, the end of the season... the fact that he passed away is a tragedy and it can't help but make you reflect... I, in the end, must consider myself fortunate to be here, to be back at the Tour of Hainan and to be able to continue doing my job as a professional cyclist: he, who was just like us, a rider like us, is no longer here and for that reason I think it's right to remember him every year".

The Tour of Hainan is a race that has changed a lot since 2018: from these first days here, do you have the perception that the race has risen in level?

"Every year Asian races are improving both in terms of organization and participants. Here, confirming this, there are two WorldTour teams and many more ProTeams, so certainly the level is higher compared to 2018 when it was seen not as an amateur race but more aimed at Professional and Continental teams. This year the starting list isn't that of a WorldTour race but it's certainly interesting, as is the route with five stages that aren't demanding in terms of altitude but two that, also thanks to the heat, will define the classification".

How have you thought about managing yourselves as a team and you, in particular, what role will you have?

"Our general classification leader will be Fancellu, who has shown he pedals very well at Milano-Torino and at Coppi e Bartali he was a bit unlucky because he had a mechanical problem that took him out of contention for the classification (otherwise he would have been ahead there too). We spent about a dozen days together at Teide and I saw him pedaling very well, so our reference point for the classification will be him. I will act in his support, while Buratti and Budziński, who are two very fast riders, will try to do well in the sprint finishes. We hope to have a good week and bring home a victory or in any case excellent results".

On this subject and returning also to the aspect you highlighted earlier, there have never been so many professional teams at the start of the Tour of Hainan. One of the reasons, no point hiding it, is the fact that in five days of racing many points are up for grabs: is this something you discussed when coming here and that you generally address before the races you participate in?

"Certainly. In the end, every team, whether WorldTour or ProTeam, has its own objectives and so there are those who fight, at the higher level, to stay in the top eighteen and those, in the lower category, who battle to finish in the top thirty. Before, one could say, we almost took lightly the fact of going to race in Asia to try to gain more points while avoiding the European calendar which is more difficult, now instead everyone is part of this system and it's for this reason, namely trying to bring home as many points as possible, that the level has risen here too. The regulation is this and we can't do anything but comply by doing our best to reach the top 30, with the WorldTour teams that, on the contrary, will fight to be in the top 18 of the three-year period".

In general, what is your condition at this time of the season and how have you planned the rest? Where have you thought of reaching peaks to try to achieve certain results?

"I'm certainly training and doing my daily work, but it must be said that, compared to a WorldTour reality, it's a bit more difficult to plan the activity for the entire season. Being a new team, it's ugly to say, but we had to struggle to receive invitations to races, so maybe at the last minute we found ourselves forced to change all our programs. I, for example, had planned to do a nice block of races in April with Magna Grecia and other races that then fell through, so we had to change plans on the fly. With races being added to the calendar at the last minute or almost, what we need to do is try to remain always focused and be consistent throughout the year. In any case, the peak period will be the end of the season because, from mid-August until mid-October, there will be many races where you can earn quite a few points and where it will really matter to be in optimal physical condition. As for my immediate future, though, after Hainan I'll head directly to the Tour of Turkey (a race I did in 2025 and I really like it) and then we'll see what to do in May and June, a period that's a bit lighter in terms of calendar but where, nonetheless, the National Championships will be held, which I always care a lot about".