Alberto Bettiol still hasn’t won a race, but he’s not getting worried. He's confident it will happen in 2018.
Many predicted a breakthough victory for the Italian after a number of high placings in major one-day races in 2016 earned him – almost by stealth – a spot in the top 10 of the WorldTour rankings. There was more of the same this season, with sixth at the Clasica San Sebastian, 10th at E3-Harelbeke and fifth on stage 3 of the Tour de France – but, crucially, no victory.
“My season went pretty good, but my only regret is not taking any victories – that was one of my big goals at the beginning of the season,” Bettiol tells Cyclingnews.
ADVERTISEMENT
“But anyway I improved my skills, even in the Grand Tours because I finished the Tour de France pretty well, better than expected, and I had the fifth place on the third stage, that was totally unexpected. I showed everybody that I’m still young and I’m improving year-by-year. I did a lot of WorldTour top-10s so I’m pretty happy, but the only pity is I didn’t take any victories.”
Bettiol, just turned 24, has been a key breadwinner for the Cannondale-Drapac team in the past two seasons in terms of WorldTour points, and perhaps that’s why he’s not yet been able to raise his arms aloft. Ever since turning pro in 2014 his calendar has, for someone so young, been heavily populated by top-tier WorldTour races.
A more logical progression would have been to do more smaller races and pick up the confidence and experience that goes with the act of winning.
Moving to BMC Racing for 2018
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2zk5v3b
No comments:
Post a Comment