BMC Racing Team rider Marco Pinotti has confirmed that he will return to competition in the Giro del Trentino next week, lining out in the four day, 2.HC ranked event.
Just over two months ago the Italian sustained fractures to two ribs plus his left collarbone when he fell on stage two of the Tour of the Mediterranean, an individual time trial. The circumstances were similar to his crash in the world time trial championships last September, and saw him injure the same collarbone as was broken then.
Pinotti has again gone through rehabilitation and has been training for the past six weeks in order to try to rebuild his form. However he believes that it will take him some time to get back to a high level.
“I guess I'm halfway in the recovery process,” he stated. “Having been sidelined for four-and-a-half weeks, I need about twelve to thirteen weeks to get back to my former level.”
He has two objectives for the Giro del Trentino. “The goal is to get a good block of volume and intensity, getting the right amount of fatigue I need to keep building my condition,” he explained. “Achieving that, while also helping the team, would be ideal.”
A five time Italian national TT champion, Pinotti’s top personal goal of the year is to be in optimal condition for the world championships. He looked like a possible medallist in last year’s individual time trial event, but his crash ended those ambitions. He had earlier finished second along with his BMC Racing squad in the team time trial event.
Also part of the BMC Racing Team for the Giro del Trentino is the 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans. He recently stated that he would ride the Giro d’Italia and sees the shorter event as being part of his preparation for that.
“I look forward to racing on long and hard climbs in a good field,” he explained. “I just want to be able to ride well with the team and use it to get ready for the Giro d'Italia.”
With Evans and Pinotti on the team and also Sebastian Lander there, directeur sportif Fabio Baldato has said that the stage two time trial will be an objective. The team won the equivalent test last year. It will work on Monday to prepare for that effort, while also gauging things to ensure that the riders are fresh for Tuesday’s race start.
BMC Racing Team Giro del Trentino roster (April 16-19):
Adam Blythe (GBR), Yannick Eijssen (BEL), Cadel Evans (AUS), Martin Kohler (SUI), Sebastian Lander (DEN), Marco Pinotti (ITA), Ivan Santaromita (ITA), Larry Warbasse (USA).