Elia Viviani confirmed he has become one of the fastest sprinters in the peloton in 2015 by winning two stages at the Abu Dhabi Tour.
The 26-year-old Italian from Verona has developed and improved significantly after moving to Team Sky, benefitting from having clearer objectives and a better support and lead out from his teammates.
He has won nine races this season, including his first ever stage at the Giro d’Italia. He won a stage at the Dubai Tour in February, beating Mark Cavendish, and had an excellent end to the season by winning three stages at the Tour of Britain. In Abu Dhabi he beat fellow Italian Andrea Guardini (Astana) and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), who was desperately trying to win a stage in his new world champion’s rainbow jersey.
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Viviani was Italy’s protected sprinter for the World Championships in Richmond because of his ability to also survive in moderately hilly races. Sagan’s last-lap attack destroyed Viviani’s hopes at even a medal in Richmond, but he rightly claimed a leadership role for the 2016 World Championships on the flat roads of Qatar.
“We were hoping to finish the season with 10 victories, but we messed up the first stage here in Abu Dhabi. It’s not a problem though, nine wins is still good. This year I feel I’ve really improved at Team Sky. We decided what were the big appointments, my best objectives, and prepared for them in the best way,” Viviani explained to Cyclingnews in English in Abu Dhabi, a further sign that he has fitted in smoothly at the British team.
“I’ve improved in the sprints and feel I’m competitive against the big sprinters in the world. My development has happened step by step, but Team Sky has been a big help and a big factor this year. I found some new motivation and had lots of strong teammates around me. Now I need to make another step up so I can aim for the Classics. With the right focus and build up, I don’t think Classics like Milan-San Remo, Gent-Wevelgem, Hamburg and the GP Plouay are out of reach.”
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