Elia Viviani has had someday marked on his 2024 diary for a number of years now.
The Italian returned to Ineos Grenadiers in 2022 with the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games on the forefront of his thoughts, realizing the British outfit might finest accommodate his targets for it.
This yr Viviani is getting ready to be chosen for and have in what will probably be his profession fourth Olympics, aiming to medal at sport’s largest match for a 3rd consecutive time.
He needs to compete on the monitor within the Omnium, his pet occasion, and the Madison, and can also be coaching for the workforce pursuit to enhance his choice probabilities. Italy is a robust favorite for gold within the males’s TP.
“The aim is for certain to strive once more to go for gold. Omnium is the primary day for me. 8 August is that day of my season,” Viviani advised Cyclingnews on the Tour Down Below, the place he opened his 2024 WorldTour marketing campaign.
“The Olympics yr is all the time particular. As quickly as you come near the occasion, you are feeling this particular second is coming.”
The 34-year-old is aware of success on the monitor, which is maybe a part of the rationale he retains coming again to it. He received gold within the Omnium on the Rio Video games and bronze in Tokyo.
Viviani doesn’t need to look too far for an perception on whom he believes will probably be his largest rival within the males’s omnium both, naming commerce teammate Ethan Hayter (Workforce GB) as the primary man to beat. It goes with out saying that within the Ineos Grenadiers workforce bus the pair don’t discuss monitor ways.
“But it surely’s going to be good to have a teammate as a rival in that occasion,” mentioned Viviani.
The Italian believes that GB’s efficiency within the current European Observe Championships, the place GB secured their first gold medal within the males’s TP in 9 years, is indicative of the form of issues to come back with regards to rivals. And relating to Hayter particularly, he says, “I believe, Ethan in prime form is the man who’s troublesome even to comply with. For certain Ethan is the person to beat.”
A gold medal monitor bid on the Olympics is a part of the rationale Vivian opted to begin his 2024 marketing campaign in Australia, the place he’s embarking on a month-long block of racing on the highway and within the velodrome.
Viviani struggled with the warmth on stage one of many Tour Down Below however was within the mixture of the dash finishes thereafter, ending second to Sam Welsford (Bora-Hansgrohe) on stage three. Ineos Grenadiers was unable to match Bora-Hansgrohe’s lead-out the next day however not by means of need of attempting. Viviani will line up on the Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Street Race in Victoria on the weekend earlier than returning to Adelaide for the UCI Observe Nations Cup.
“I work actually laborious through the winter and [even] in my finest season by no means dominate [at the Tour Down Under]. One stage win is the utmost I’ve taken on the Tour Down Below, so I’m not apprehensive about that,” he mentioned relating to his efficiency in South Australia.
“Cadel Evans is one in every of my favorite races. Each time I’ve participated, I have been preventing for the win or like all the time there within the prime 10. So I’m actually centered on that.”
In South Australia, Viviani was in a position to rely on the horsepower of Filippo Ganna and extremely touted teenager Josh Tarling, in addition to the experience of veteran Ben Swift, whom he sees as an necessary assist to his endeavours on the highway this season.
While the Olympics is his essential, overarching aim of 2024, Viviani additionally has ambitions to extend his victory tally and be chosen for the Giro d’Italia.
“Our race program doesn’t match actually with all the opposite guys who’re right here,” Viviani mentioned.
“My race program will proceed with the UAE [Tour] after which the Volta a Catalunya, and Tour of Romandie simply to attempt to make the choice for the Giro. It’s not straightforward, the workforce as we all know is super-strong, and it actually needs to placed on a robust efficiency on the Giro.”
“So, my first aim is making the choice for the Giro and after the Giro, give attention to the Olympics,” he mentioned.
“I’ll go in UAE [Tour] simply with Swifty. However the confidence I’ve with Swifty is basically good – he is the identical age, we have spent a number of years collectively within the peloton. He might be the man who helps me a lot this yr.”