Mirco Vendemmia, after a great 2021 with the Benozzi-Fullout Gravity Team (we recall various Top 20 in EWS and the Italian enduro title), in 2022 he was supported by Cannondale but it was a season with various difficulties. Now runs for Weride Fulgur Factory Team, team based in Lugano and motivated to do well with many quality athletes.
We leave you to the video interview or, below, to the chat in text format.
Hello Mirco, let's start immediately with a spicy question. How would you describe your 2022 with Cannondale?
Complicated from many points of view. Surely there was a set of things that didn't work well and let's say it's always easier to do well a year, but it's much more difficult to repeat yourself. That sure is, everyone knows. But there were a few things that I found very difficult, starting from the feeling with the bike.
Was there anything else besides the feeling with the bike?
I also had some small injuries and many crashes that compromised the whole season a bit. You carry on with it, you continue to race, so you carry on with problems.
What was different in 2021 compared to 2022?
Let's say that in 2021 everything was easy. I started calmly at the beginning of the season, without exaggerating. I picked up my pace, doing even less important races to then get run in and with a great feeling with the bike that helped me a lot and it's something that, in any case, for my way of being an athlete, is fundamental: I'm quite precise in the settings and in all those aspects that concern performance.
In what sense?
On the one hand, I have enough knowledge in the bike sector: accommodation and everything we say about an athlete. But at the same time, if I don't have the possibility to take care of these aspects, I suffer enough.
And has this approach changed with Fulgur?
Everything has changed with WeRide Fulgur: here there is a different type of approach and compared to last year it is much more racing, they understand the needs that an athlete has which are to feel good even in training, to have confidence, to be able to customize various things and create your own environment around with the right people. In my opinion it does a lot. And above all methodically because, the way I am, when you work methodically, problems are easily solved. If, on the other hand, I have so many problems that I haven't been able to cure, it's a problem, especially on a mental level. And that was one of the difficult aspects of last year.
Who has impressed you the most in the new team? Both negatively and positively.
The environment is very calm and things are done well. I don't feel pressure but a huge distrust for us athletes, they believe in us a lot and we are all calm.
How was the first approach with Fulgur?
The first approach with the bike was good and let's say that the easy bike is very solid, you don't get tired much. A fair compromise between stiffness and flexibility. Reactive the right, a nice mix. And I'm back to having good sensations like I had in the past. Now I go out training much more willingly, because when I go out every time I have good sensations, like I had with Santa Cruz, and I enjoy the bike.
Why wasn't this the case last year?
Last year I had days in which I really didn't have control over what I was doing and therefore it became a bit heavy to train because every time I went out, I was looking for good sensations, but I didn't have it and mentally it wasn't a good thing. It's different now.
Goals for this 2023?
My goals and those of the team are to do well in EDR, official UCI circuit, and of course the Italian championship, which is the goal of every year. And then I'll also do some races, 1 or 2 races I think, del Swiss Enduro Series. Since then the team is based in Lugano. And I don't exclude races with an electric bike.
Will the Italian e-enduro also be in the sights?
No, I do not think. I hope to be able to participate in the Mont-Blanc E-Tour 2022 with my teammate Florian Nicolai. The Mont Blanc race attracts me a lot, it's a format I haven't taken part in and I'm very curious. And then I think about participating at the e-enduro test in Lacona, Elba Island. I do these two races to gain new experiences and have fun.
Are you an expert mountain bike connoisseur?
Yes enough, I think I'm quite up to date. I like to find out about the latest news and, as previously mentioned, I'm quite fussy.
Follow Mirco Harvest on Instagram.
