A victory on Monte Zoncolan is a great ace to play if you have ambitions in a race with mountains in its DNA. Lorenzo Fortunato is ready to make his debut at the Tour of the Alps, scheduled for April 17-21, where he will represent one of the homegrown phenoms that will try to satisfy Italian fans on the Euroregional roads of Tirol–Südtirol/Alto Adige-Trentino.
Following a 2021 to remember and a 2022 to forget, the 26-year-old Team Eolo-Kometa rider has had a promising start to the season racing in Spain, and now he’s ready to welcome the challenge of spring stage races, specifically the Tour of the Alps and the Giro d'Italia.
"I asked the team for a spot at the Tour of the Alps," began the rider from Bologna, "because for a young man like me, it’s too important of a race. There are perfect conditions for those who are strong on climbs, thanks to stages that aren’t too long but are full of challenges. It's clear that the competition will also be fierce; I think INEOS Grenadiers and Bora-hansgrohe will be the headliners of the race."
To best prepare for the race, Fortunato and his Eolo-Kometa teammates chose the heat of Tenerife and its famous El Teide climb. An 18-day training camp provided a solid base for the team founded by Ivan Basso and Alberto Contador.
"We worked well, now at last the real season begins at the Tour of the Alps for a rider with my profile," Fortunato said. "My goal is to arrive in optimal form and to take aim at a good result. I think I’m a strong climber, but I still lack something to keep pace with the best climbers in the world. Getting there is my aspiration, and once there, I’ll follow the advice of those two cycling greats, Ivan and Alberto."
When studying the five stages that await him at the Tour of the Alps, Fortunato circled the third one in red. 162.5 km from Renon to Brentonico San Valentino stands out for its demanding uphill finish, with the last 15 km at a 7.5 percent average grade.
"I won't hide it – it's the stage I like most, and not just because I've already been on San Valentino at the 2021 Giro d'Italia. The first three days will be particularly challenging because they include climbs at the finish, albeit of different difficulty. I will always try to stay with the best and prove my talents. The Tour of the Alps has the mountains that I like."
