The season has flown by like this, never appearing high in the finishing order, always searching for a condition that, like a mirage, dissolves when you get close to it. The culprit is a subtle muscle problem, a psoas strain that seemed like a minor ache and instead, rather than healing, has worsened until becoming an adversary to live with.

Davide de Pretto, who is not accustomed to anonymity, is trying everything to put this ailment behind him, which arose at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, and return as soon as possible to his previous level.

"At the Giro d'Italia I suffered a muscle tear, but I didn't think I would carry it with me for so long – says the rider from Piovene Rocchette, under contract until 2027 with Jayco Alula -. I continued training and racing, but as time went on I realized it was creating difficulties and limiting my performance".

2025 ended with an impressive fifth place at the Veneto Classic, but with the start of this year's racing season the hoped-for improvements didn't materialize, quite the opposite.

"Scarring formed in the muscle that after several hours on the bike and at maximum effort causes inflammation, and the pain radiates throughout my entire leg. I've rechecked my position on the bike, undergone medical examinations and various therapies, I've even been to an osteopath in Belgium, but without finding a definitive solution".

In agreement with his team management, De Pretto did not stop racing, but results were slow to come. And meanwhile the months kept passing.

"The hope was always that the treatments would work, but I kept having to deal with the leg pain. At the Adac Cyclassic in Hamburg, for example, I managed to stay with the leaders for a good part of the race, then the problem returned and I had to drop back. It's been a really difficult season – De Pretto adds -. Continuing to make sacrifices knowing that after a while the pain will come and you'll have to give up is very frustrating, it's tested me psychologically".

Based on the latest medical evidence, the most credible explanation is that, by pedaling with the unresolved muscle tear, the body has become accustomed to activating muscles that shouldn't be engaged during effort, creating inflammation and a strength deficit.

"Well, 2026 is gone now – concludes the Vicenza native -, I hope that through therapy, gym work and some rest I'll soon find a solution to finally put this dark period behind me".

from Il Giornale di Vicenza