Having come to the race hoping to clock up a good performance and thus secure himself a place on the Colnago CSF Inox team for the Giro d’Italia, Andrea Di Corrado potentially did enough today to book himself a ticket to the Italian Grand Tour.
The neo-pro raced to his first pro victory on stage five of the Presidential Tour of Turkey, timing things perfectly in the finale, attacking five breakaway companions with ten kilometres to go and soloing in 40 seconds ahead of the first of the chasers, Jonas Jorgensen (Team Saxo Bank) and Jérôme Cousin (Team Europcar).
The main bunch was almost a minute and a half behind, giving him time to soak up the applause and savour what he had done before his team-mates arrived. Once there, there were backslaps and bearhugs, the squad enjoying taking on and beating the bigger teams.
“To me, the Tour of Turkey is a chance to do well and to earn my berth in the Giro d’Italia,” Di Corrado told journalists at the post-podium conference. “I hope my victory today and my overall performance here will help me to be part of the team.”
In truth, his attack bodes well for the future, with the timing and the execution of it being textbook-perfect.
The 23 year old had a good amateur career, with one notable result being second place on a stage of the 2010 Baby Giro. He was given a stagiaire slot with the UnitedHealthcare team last autumn, and rode several races.
However he ended up signing with the Colnago CSF Inox team, remaining within an Italian setup. He said that he often trains with multiple time trial champion Marco Pinotti
Now, less than five months into that contract, he’s clocked up a win in an internationally-known 2.HC event. What’s already a memorable moment is even more accentuated by the emotions he was feeling at the time.
“I’m very happy because it’s my first pro victory. I thought a lot about my grandfather, who died in February. Thinking of him helped me a lot during the break,” he said. “I dedicate this victory to my family, to the Colnago team who helped me turn pro and to everyone who loves me.”
Personality traits:
Triple world road race champion Oscar Freire is famed for his distracted manner when not racing; it appears that there may be similarities in that respect with today’s winner.
“Coming here I parked my car at the Bologna airport and I lost my keys,” he said during the conference, revealing something that is on his mind while competing in Turkey. “I have no idea where they are!
“In life, I’m a bit absent-minded but on a bike I’m focused and determined. I always try my best and that’s the way to success.”
That determination extended to preparing for the stage by noting the points of strategic importance and acting accordingly.
“I had checked the finale on the map and noticed that last bump ten kilometres from the finish. I knew it was the right time to attack. I tried and it worked out fine.”
Missing car keys or not, this is the start of a long - and, he hopes, successful - journey.