Robin Froidevaux, 26, was very happy - and a little surprised too - when he learned about his selection for the Giro d’Italia. The native of Nyon, a small town on the shores of lac Geneva, has been part of the Swiss Racing Academy and Tudor Pro Cycling since 2021. His dedication and hard work earned him a place in the team, that is racing our first Giro d'Italia.
24.05.2024
Appointed as the last leadout man for Italian sprinter Alberto Dainese, Robin had one task for the three weeks of racing: accompany Alberto in all stages and bring him into the best possible position to enter the final straight.
For him, the most stressful moment was before the race. “I could feel it more in my body than in my mind actually. I had tension in my neck and many other parts of my body. I believe it was due to the unknown. It is my first three-week race so I had no idea how I would cope with it.” But things got better once the race got underway. “The first sprint finish was very very stressful, but the nervousness slowly disappeared as stages went by. With the fatigue settling in, I had to learn how to manage emotions, when to spend and when to save energy, when to focus on the stage and when to just survive. To go through these three weeks, I basically told myself that every day would be hard.”
It is a lot of sacrifices: three weeks of high-altitude training, three weeks here in Italy so it is a total of seven weeks away from home, but it is totally worth it.
With only a couple of stages left, Robin is “very happy to be there, and to be so close to the finish too. It is a great experience. I got to know many other riders thanks to riding with them every day. It is a lot of sacrifices: three weeks of high-altitude training in Sierra Nevada with the team, three weeks here in Italy so it is a total of seven weeks away from home, but it is totally worth it. It is an incredible experience.”
Robin wants to take a few days to reflect about it all once the dust has settled. “But I can already say that I could keep calm and manage my emotions, which I am happy about.” He also believes that the three weeks will help him to get to another level. “I had never ridden so many kilometers and so many altitude meters. Let’s see how I recover but I am convinced that I will be a different rider after that.”
When asked if he is ready for another Grand Tour, there is no hesitation: “Yes! I hope to get the chance to race more of these races in the future. It looks like it suits me pretty well and I hope I could shine one day myself.”
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Photos: Sprint Cycling and Tudor Pro Cycling
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