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Marco Pinotti: Cycling Tribe Interview
By Jarrod Patridge
Q. Marco, congratulations on winning the Individual Time Trial at the Italian National Championships on the weekend, can you take us through the ride and your emotions when you knew you won?
A. Every year from 2005 (first year I have done the Giro, since then I have always done it), I have performed well in the nationals TT; I am able to carry on the form from the Giro, and I have learned how to finish well, recover freshness, and keep training for the specific event. Every year I have used different approach (racing in 2005 Switzerland, 06 Dauphine, 2007 Philly week, 08 2 races in Germany, 09, only Philly, 10 Ster Elektro).
So every time I won I have the feeling that everything came into places like in a perfect puzzle.
Q. You have won this title a staggering five times now, how do you maintain your motivation to try and win it every year?
A. I won in the Olympic four years from 05 to 08 3 times out of 4 and I wasn't selected for Beijing. So I promised myself I will win all of them until 2012 and then I want to see how could they leave me out if they will.
Q. As an Italian, what does it mean to you to wear the tricolore in time trials for the next year?
A. It means I am the stronger Italian TT and that's a big results in one of the leading country in cycling.
Q. We saw you on the podium wearing a Bike Pure band, can you tell us how you became involved with Bike Pure and what it means to you to race cleanly?
A. I came into Bike Pure after my win in Tour of Ireland 2008. Racing cleanly means a lot to myself. I want to be healthy and be a model for the young generations. They need clean models to grow and develop good values.
Q. There is a theory that Pro cyclists are convinced by Doctors that doping is required less to gain a competitive advantage but more to safely prepare the body for the efforts demanded in the Pro Tour and season long campaign. Can you share your thoughts on this?
A. I believe that naturally the body is able to keep you safe more than any doping form, that on the contrary pushes your body beyond the genetically determined limits.
Human body is able to adapt naturally to the demand of a pro tour season.
Q. You have a reputation for being very specific about your training, can you give us an insight into things like your training load, what you concentrate on and some of your numbers, such as Watts?
A. I am really specific and I know from the numbers and my feeling if I am progressing or not. I concentrate on maximum power average on different times : 20', 30' , 5 ' and so on, depending on the race I am going into. And on the ability to make this numbers after, for example, 4 hrs of training.
Q. During the off season, do you try any other sports to stay fit?
A. A bit of swimming and functional movement.
Q. As you're so strong in a time trial, do the team look to you to be a leader in a Team Time Trial?
A. In Team Time Trial we have usually lots of strong rider, and I can add experience to pace correctly to ensure that we start fast and don't drop going to the finish.
Q. It's a common feeling amongst most of us who ride that we can close our eyes and feel the sensation of being alive and free that comes with simply riding along a beautiful road on a bike, alone or otherwise. Could you please share something of what the feeling of simply riding a bike is for you?
A. When I go training I don't have the feeling. I am driven by the goal of the training and listen to my body. The road where I train on are not often nice because of the traffic and that makes it more difficult, but when I go into a mountain, training becomes an ascetic experience.
Q. Can you tell us what your proudest moment on the bike has been?
A. Winning the final TT in Giro 2008. And I would say my performance in stage 8 Giro 2010 (strade bianche Montalcino)
And finally...
Q. If you could have the power to read minds or to see into the future, which would you choose and why?
A. Dalai Lama, because I simply like his attitude.
http://bikepure.org/
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