Interview: Mattia Guadagnini on his winter prep ahead of 2023 race season
Hi Mattia, how are you feeling and how was your winter?
“Well, currently I feel very well. Till now the winter has gone according to our plan and I obviously hope it continues like this. I feel good on the bike which perform very well and I think we have to continue with this mood, so we’ll be in good shape for the start of the world championship.”
Where are you before the first race of the Internazionali d’Italia?
“I’m not yet at 100% and we use the Internationals to see where we are, understand where we can improve and also to continue working by doing races which is the best way to get even higher. Taking race’s rhythm, seeing how the new bike is and at what stage of development it has arrived, to understand if there is still work to do. Basically the Internationals, like every year, are a test.”
First winter preparation done on the 450, what’s the difference? Do you ride more or less than with the 250?
“You ride the same but obviously you try to work harder because the 450 is a bit more physical, but I like it a lot and I feel good on the bike. Already with the experiences I had in the second half of last season I learned a lot, but I missed a bit the preparation on the 450 because it was a kind of unexpected situation. However, that experience helped me to understand the bike a little and also understand a little what to train more. We did it this winter, we exploited the athletic part a little more and also the riding, increasing the intensity to try to reach a level of preparation that is more appropriate to the category and engine size.”
From outside it looks like you have a lot of fun in what you do, is this truth?
“Yes, I tried to grown on this but keeping the fun aspect. Obviously the category is different, experience is needed, but instead of being more serious about everything, I went back, trying to appreciate everything I have, putting my all into it as it should be. The third year that you work in a team like this, maybe you give less value to what you have, so I returned to appreciating more what I have. I made a debrief on the past years, I remembered where I was 5 years ago and understanding where I’ve arrived in such a short time and this makes me aware that I have achieved something important, even if it didn’t go as I hoped. I’m trying to find the fun side in everything I do, because then I do my stuff so much better and so much easier. It’s not easy but I’m trying to enjoy my 20 years and my chance, making the best out of it,
I imagine that the first year in the factory team you didn’t set yourself goals and things went very well, last season you probably had important ones but things went not as planned. So no goals for this year?
“We set ourselves just different goals, first of all, to have fun.”
Interview: Off Road Pro Racing
Image: Juan Pablo Acevedo
