A year on from finishing fourth, Federico Savino returned to the Tour de Bretagne with confidence and left with an even bigger result, stepping onto the final podium after a strong and aggressive week of racing.
For the 21-year-old Italian, it’s a race that seems to bring out his best: “It’s a parcours that suits me really well. The stages are long and hard, but there are no crazy climbs. It’s more about being explosive, and that’s where I can perform. I like this race a lot.”
Savino’s result didn’t come from one moment - it was built day by day, with a clear plan and strong backing from the team around him.
The atmosphere in the team was really great!
“From the first day, they trusted me for the general classification. They saw last year that I could do a good GC here, so they supported me completely. On the last day, I was still quite far back in GC and the gaps were small, so we decided to go all-in. The team made the race hard, they pushed the pace, and in the finale, I could stay with the best riders. That’s how I took second place.”
Now in his fourth year with the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team, Savino is beginning to define his strengths, but he’s not rushing to put himself in a box.
“I still don’t know exactly what kind of rider I am”, he admits. “But I think I can do well in week-long stage races like this. At the same time, I don’t want to force myself into something too early. I just want to keep growing and see where I can go.”
Like many young Italian riders, Savino has one race circled on the calendar above all others.
The GiroNextGen is a big goal for me.
“As an Italian, it’s like a world championship. It’s a beautiful race and I would really like to perform well there. I don’t think I will go for GC there. I want to try for a stage win, as that’s something I didn’t manage last year.”
Savino has already had a taste of racing at the next level, lining up with the World Tour squad on several occasions, including a successful week in Slovakia: “It was a really nice experience and very helpful for me. I could see how the World Tour team works, how they race, how they win. It helps you understand what you need to do to take that next step.”
Away from racing, Savino’s journey into cycling wasn’t a straight line. Growing up in Pisa, he tried almost everything before settling on two wheels.
“As a kid, I did a lot of sports: football, swimming, boxing, volleyball… I tried everything”, he says with a smile. “But cycling gave me the best feeling, the best emotions, so in the end I chose that. I met the president of a small local team near my home, and he told me to come and try. I did, and I was quite good already, so everything started from there.”
When he’s not racing or training, Savino keeps things simple.
“I like to go trekking in the mountains, spend time with my girlfriend and friends, and just relax: watch Netflix and recover”, he concluded. “I really like mountain life. It’s where I feel good.”
Photo credit: ©Wout Beel
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