The 2021 European Champion and Paris-Roubaix winner made the video reconnaissance of the 2023 #TotA route (April 17-21). “A race designed for the show, ready to enhance the talents of today’s cycling main characters”
When it comes to the Euregio, and Trentino in particular, Sonny Colbrelli can’t hold back his emotions. In Trento, the Italian rider rose to continental glory in an unforgettable 2021 edition of the European Championships; a performance that paved the way for him to conquer Paris-Roubaix in the same year. A vintage 2021 followed by a much different 2022, in which a sudden illness led him to face an unexpected curve.
A fast puncheur in his career, at the farewell step of his professional career Sonny Colbrelli found himself facing the climbs and descents of Trentino, Südtirol/Alto Adige, and Tirol. He is the ambassador chosen by the Tour of the Alps to go and discover the route of the 46th edition, taking place from April 17th to 21st, 2023.
Sonny Colbrelli used the experience gained over a decade in the Pro peloton to analyze the five stages of the 2023 #TotA, narrating in as many videos the highlights and the decisive junctures of the route, from the start in Rattenberg to the grand finale in Bruneck/Brunico.
“It’s a demanding race, designed to offer a great show,” was Colbrelli’s first analysis. – “There are no super-long climbs, but the riders will remember these mountains for a long time. Watch out: it would not be wise to focus only on the climbs, because the descents might make a huge impact, particularly late in the race. It needs a well-rounded athlete to win the Tour of the Alps, a great rider: climbing skills will be on demand, but the eventual winner will be someone capable of riding strong on every terrain.”
Short and explosive climbs, demanding descents, limited mileage, and battle from the first to the last kilometer: at its inception in 2017, the Tour of the Alps identified the formula for the future of cycling, which is now a successful present.
“When the races are reduced in distance, the action is more intensive and the show is guaranteed,” explained the 32-year-old from Desenzano. – “In 2021, I won the European Championship in Trento in a race with limited mileage, and it was the toughest race of my career, even more than Paris-Roubaix. The new generation of riders is capable of riding this kind of courses full-gas from start to finish. Long-standing breakaways are distant memories, and so are the moments in which you can catch your breath: the situation can change at any moment.”
Arco (Trentino), January 27th, 2023
