Androni Giocattoli's Michele Scarponi will head into this Saturday's Giro di Lombardia as an outside favorite to take the win in the year's final Monument.
He had a prodigious first half of the season, which included a stage win (his third in two years) and fourth overall at the Giro d'Italia, as well as seven other top 10 stage placings: these included a stage win and the overall at the Settimana Lombarda, fourth overall at the Giro del Trentino, as well as a stage win and second overall at Tirreno-Adriatico. The native of the Adriatic town of Jesi then took a well-deserved break.
"After the Giro d'Italia, I naturally needed a little rest. I then started back in peace without any urgent or precise goals, because our team could not participate in any international races of consequence, in particular the Vuelta, a race that would have given me much [training] stimulus," said the explosive climber in an interview with Tuttobiciweb.it.
Indeed, Gianni Savio's team missed out on a slew of summer invites and had to make due with a steady diet of Italian one-day races and a few minor Spanish stage races. Unsurprisingly, the results from Scarponi were sparse at best this summer - a 13th overall at the Vuelta a Burgos, 28th at the Tre Valli Varesine, and 11th at the Coppa Agostoni.
"Here then, at some point, I set the goal of the Giro di Lombardia, and so gradually, I found my best form. I have not focused on success in the various races that I competed in in the meantime."
Once the middle of September rolled around though, Scarponi's hard work in training began to shine through. Second at the GP Industria & Commercio di Prato signified a return to form for the Italian. Eleventh at the Giro di Toscana a week later confirmed it, and finally, this past Saturday, Scarponi fully showed his hand with a third place finish at the race where there's absolutely no hiding: the Giro dell'Emilia.
A look back at Scarponi's results over the past month seem to indicate an upward progression, but there's no getting around it - making the podium at Emilia was a bit of a surprise for everyone save for Scarponi, just considering how little anyone has seen of him over the second half of the season. He has been honing his form quietly and precisely for some time now though - the recent return to top form is not by chance.
"I've been preparing myself for some time, and very carefully. In the last month, I went to the Passo Pordoi twice, so that I could train better and put a shine [on my form]."
The lack of invites to major races likely played a role in Scarponi's non-selection to the Italian team for the World Championships in Australia. Major races or not, Scarponi feels that it was a major oversight to leave him at home and points his discontent firmly at Paolo Bettini.
"I want to avoid being controversial, but after the fourth place in the Giro d'Italia, I think I deserved to be taken a bit more seriously. I do not think I need to remind whom it may concern that I have provided striking new evidence [in regards to my fitness] in the meantime. Among other things, last year at the World Championships in Mendrisio, I was probably the best of the blues. It seems that many have forgotten my performance there though."
Following his third place finish high above Bologna, Scarponi headed home for a few days before traveling to Como on Wednesday to get a closer look at the new look route of the race that could be the crowning achievement in the best season of his career.
Race invitations should not be an issue for Scarponi in 2011 - he recently signed with Lampre. It will be interesting to see what the rider, who has mainly seen his talents confined to Italy, can do with a broader schedule.