Italy may have another young talent built for the Northern Classics and stage hunting in Andrea Raccagni Noviero. The second year U23 is about to embark on his season U23 season, both with the Soudal-QuickStep Devo Team, and is a rider to follow closely.
Already with a podium at the Dorpenomloop (in terrible weather I might add), Andrea is taking aim once more at the Classics in 2024.
I called him whilst he was on training camp to get to know him a little better, so read on to find out more about the man who recently turned 20.
“I’m quite happy about the 2023 season, I didn’t expect to be as competitive as I was as a first year. I’m grateful to the team and my trainer, as I took a big step in the 2022 winter as I moved from juniors to U23. That means I can give a high rating to last season.”
Having not raced too much in 2023, Andrea tells me his still has a lot of areas in road cycling to discover, but did say he has identified some of the strengths he has found so far.
“I think as we saw in 2023, I am good in Classic races. I didn’t do too much racing, only 30 days and just two stage races. So, I’m not really tested in that many types of races yet. I will work to be ready for the Classics and to be able to be at the front of those races. But I can say that is also not my only ambition. I’d also like to be a helper, to be an outsider for stages. I’d like to develop everything a little bit, so I can be competitive in stage races. I’m too big for GC, but I could hunt stages. I’m not a pure bunch sprinter, but I can do well in smaller group sprints too.”
In just his third race as a young wolf last year, Andrea emerged with a leading group in terrible weather to come 3rd at the Dorpenomloop. Whilst he was disappointed to not win, he was also pleased with his debut UCI podium too, gaining vital experience for the future.
“That was quite unexpected as it was only my third race of the year. I realised there that I am quite good at riding in echelons, and racing in Holland, it’s always hard and windy there! It was like that race was uphill, as the wind made things so hard that guys were dropping so much like it was on a climb! With about 20kms to go, I forced things a little bit and went away with Laurenz Rex and Gianluca Pollefliet. As I said, I can be fast in small groups, so I thought I could wait for the sprint. But that was a mistake, as I didn’t know those two were two of the fastest guys in Belgium. They were too fast for me. Rex showed in the Giro how strong he is, and so is Gianluca. I was happy with 3rd. There is a bit of disappointment as it is always a shame when you miss the chance to win a race.”
Having had a few race days with the WorldTour team last season, Andrea recounted what he learned from the races, as well as how they differ from the U23 events he has done so far.
“Last year I did five or six races with the WorldTour team. The races are a bit different, a bit easier than U23 races, as there are more phases in the pro race. It’s hard at the start until the break forms, then the next two hours are quite easy as you ride to control the break, and of course it is then full gas in the end. Every pro race I did, we rode for Tim Merlier. It’s nice to work for him, you know if you do your job well, he can always do a big result. It was nice to have the pros show me how to do things like moving about during the race, and having radios also allows the DS to give you advice too. It was a nice experience and I hope to repeat it early in 2024 too.”
Speaking about race goals, the first half of the year will be devoted to going for the U23 Classics, including a debut at the U23 Hell of the North, taking place the same day as the pro race for the first time in 2024.
“I think I will start around 25 February, but I’m not sure if that will be with the WT or devo team. But for sure, I know my two big goals of the first race block are U23 Roubaix and U23 Wevelgem. I will work for that. I didn’t do Roubaix last year as I was sick, so 2024 will be my first time and I want to give my all to go for a result there.”
Developmentally, Andrea tells me the season is split in half: aiming at the Classics in the first half, as he has already said. But the second half will see him look to climb a bit better in order to target stages of races that have some climbs and suit smaller group finishes or breakaways.
“I will divide my season into two parts. In the Classics, I want to be more explosive for sprints, as I lost a few sprints last year. To get results in these races, you need to be fast. Then, the goal is to be stronger in the second half of the season in transition stages in races like l’Avenir and the Baby Giro. I like some climbs, as long as the finish is not uphill. So my development goals will be divided that way.”
Finally, rather interestingly, the Italian selected Tour de France stages as his dream pro victories. He went into some detail about why he holds Tour stage wins higher than wins in his native Giro.
“If I had to pick a big race to do and maybe win, I would say some stages of the Tour de France. That’s my biggest ambition if I become a pro. I love to train and race in Italy, but the importance of the Tour with the Netflix show etc, it’s the biggest event in cycling, so it would be super nice to win there. Grabbing a stage there can lift your career to another level.”
Italian fans and Classic fans alike should be feeling very excited by Andrea Raccagni Noviero. He has the speed to win the big races, and with a little more experience, can go on to become a really top pro, targeting stages and one-day races alike. I think he could take another step up in 2024, so pay attention to him.
U23 Cycling Zone wishes to thank Andrea for taking the time to answer my call, and I wish him all the best for the 2024 season and beyond. You can find his Instagram linked here.
U23 Cycling Zone 