Press Conference: ELIA VIVIANNI
What did it feel like to win?
I feel lighter now. Five hundred plus days without a win is a really long time. That feeling was good. It was mixed though, because for sure I was happy with the win, but it was not the place where I wanted to be. We decided that this was the best race for me, because I needed a win. The most important thing is that I am back to winning. The climate was starting to be a bit heavy. This isn’t my finishing line though, this is my starting point.
How have you got through the period of not winning?
I never stopped believing in my potential, I have just tried to analyse everything. Changing team was big. You change the equipment, you change the whole mentality. Last year was the hardest year to win something, but that can’t be an excuse. I just needed to find one day where the champion came out. The example is Sagan, who also had a difficult year, but kept trying and won at the Giro. This year we have started on the right foot.
Does it feel even better coming back from your heart problem?
Absolutely. The worrying point from this was fear that I was coming back too fast. I missed out on 15 days in January, and I didn’t want to burn myself out. After the UAE Tour I was recovering and I believed that my shape was coming.
Was it a difficult race to control?
It was my first race in the Coupe de France, and it was a really crazy first hour. False flats, as so often happens in France. It was a difficult start, but when the break went it was easier to control. We planned to have two riders in charge, and then the final part was simple, apart from a couple of climbs. Simon Geschke controlled on the front.
How was the sprint?
I was happy to win, but more happy about the confidence I have now. I managed it really well, I backed myself. I did a sprint with good values, and that is why I came away happy. I think if my team do a good job and put me there, I can win or lose, like every sprint, but I can play for it. You have to be there.