Place 3 - Enrico Battaglin

Enrico Battaglin

Italy

17.11.1989

 

Rider type: Difficult One Day Races

Biggest Success: 1st Giro delle Regioni

Team/Club 2011: Zalf DesireFior

Stagiaire: Colnago - CSF Inox

Team 2012: Colnago CSF Inox

Best Mock List-placing: 5th (2010)

Web: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1525040149

 

It wasn't quite clear for what team Enrico Battaglin would start in 2011, when the Mock List was released last fall. He stayed for another year with the Italian Zalf DesireFior team. As it turned out, this wasn't a bad decision. He was able to confirm his ranking under the best five with strong races. At this point of the season, he already won eight races and finished another 23 in the top ten.

 

This incredible streak started the first weekend in March. In Trieste he took the victory out of a group sprint at the Trofeo ZSSDI (1.2). Two weeks later he started at GP San Giuseppe (1.2). Here he started the race as the previous year's winner. He defended his victory by winning the sprint on an ascending finishing straight. He got used to winning races in a biweekly rhythm and so he succeeded in finishing his third race on the top step of the podium. It was at the Trofeo Mario Zanchi, where a hill had to be climbed on the way to the finish. He slightly broke away with another rider and made in the sprint totally clear who number one is. A few days later he got second at the Memorial Angelo Fumagalli. Again it was an ascending finishing straight and he and his team ruled to sprint of the peloton. His teammate Stefano Agostini won and Nicola Boem got third.

 

Further there were more podium spots in April at Memorial Gerry Gasparotto and Giro del Belvedere di Villa Cordignano (1.2). In the first-mentioned race he won the sprint of a three-rider group behind the winner Patrick Facchini. He finished the second one on third place, the winner was his teammate Nicola Boem. It has be mentioned, that the road to the finish was ascending, of course. In May the 22nd edition of the Trofeo Memorial Secondo Marziali took place. Like in the previous year he crossed the finish line in first place in the peloton sprint. Already at this point this was the 14th win of the season for his team. Three days later he booked another success by taking a victory of a race in Tuscany. There Daniele Aldegheri set off 600 meters from the finish at the жall of Valcelloand Battaglin was the only one who had the power to follow and then had no problems in getting an easy win. Slowly but surely the Baby Giro (2.2) approached. Instead of taking a rest, he won a race in Bottocino, which ended on a hill in the town. Now it was finally time for the Baby Giro. On the fourth and seventh stage he took third place. On the way to Montacassino a climb of five kilometers had to be done. He finished nine seconds behind his teammate and stage winner Stefano Agostini. Stage seven was won again by Agostini and again Battaglin got third. The last 15 kilometers included with the stage finish three short, but steep hills.

 

At the beginning of July Battaglin won in Brescia. Of course the way to the finish wasn't flat at all. The specialty of this race is the start at daylight and the finish in the dark after sunset. In this month he got another two spots on the podium at not at all flat races. Things went on in August with a second place in Cuneo, situated in Piedmont. This race was characterized by a tough profile, because the landscape of Piedmont and especially around Cuneo is quite mountainous. He mastered it brilliantly and only Siarhei Papok was able to defeat him. Few days later Enrico Battaglin celebrated his last win of the season so far in Briga Novarese. At the by his team dominated race Giro del Veneto e delle Dolomiti he got second on stage two and finished on the same spot overall. His teammates Marco Canola and Nicola Boem took places one and three.

 

Nevertheless he and his teammate Sonny Colbrelli are allowed to gain experience in the world of professional cycling for Team Colnago - CSF Inox as stagiares since August. Mid-August he contested at the Trofeo Melinda (1.1). If you take a look on the podium, among others occupied by Rebellin and Pozzovivo, it gets swiftly clear, that this isn't an easy race. So it is quite remarkable, that he finished on an extraordinarily good seventh place. He set his highlight as a stagiare in September, finishing third in the sprint of a 41-men sprint at the Giro della Romagna (1.1). Enrico Battaglin will not contest at this year's World Championships in Copenhagen. Instead he will try to draw attention at the numerous Italian fall classics. For a longer time, he already has a pro contract in his pocket for the upcoming season. He is allowed start for his stagiaire team Colnago. In the last years he showed that he among others can dominate the U23 class of Italy. As a stagiaire he proved that he can enter the top ten in smaller pro races of Italy. To make his way to become a real big rider, he probably chose the right team. With his so far results, he was able to show, that he is at certain liberty in racing. His only possible weak point could be, that the, like many other Italian "star-of-tomorrow", didn't gain experience in races outside his country. Since he is still young, there will plenty of time to get used to these kind of races.

 

Nominated by ocana, written by ocana, translated by ocana