After 15 seasons, Alessandro De Marchi may be approaching the end of his professional career, with the ongoing Tour de Pologne among his final races. However, he says that he won't miss racing in the modern peloton.
The Italian, rounding out his career at Jayco-AlUla, said in a recent interview that the peloton has "changed too much" during his time racing, noting that there's "too much aggression" in the modern bunch.
Speaking to BiciSport in Poland, De Marchi said he would miss a lot about racing, including the atmosphere and the fan interactions, but will be glad to leave the peloton behind.
"I won't miss much about the peloton I've been hanging out with lately," De Marchi said. "It has changed too much, and there are many dynamics that I no longer like. There is too much aggression.
"Thinking about where I started and how I was used to understanding racing, it's all very different, and it's almost impossible to stay there.
"More than the peloton itself, I will miss the atmosphere of the races, the cheering of the crowd, the high fives, and the water bottle that the child asks for at the side of the road.
"This is the privilege of approaching the end of my career as I am doing – understanding that these are the most beautiful things, the ones that remain with you, which you may not appreciate when you are racing."
De Marchi, who hails from Friuli in the far northeast of Italy, plans to end his career racing on home ground, in the neighbouring region of Veneto at the Giro del Veneto (October 15) and Veneto Classic (October 19).
"It's a happy coincidence that they're a little closer to home," he said, before talking about his future beyond racing. A role as a directeur sportif is on De Marchi's mind, but nothing is set in stone yet.
"Obviously, I'm thinking about what to do once I get off my bike, and the main idea is to stay in cycling. More specifically, I would like to move to 'the other side' and get into the team car," he said.
"The project has yet to materialise, but I feel I want to take the path towards becoming a directeur sportif. I'd also like to contribute to road safety, but it is such a delicate area that I wouldn't even know where to start."
But before moving into a team car, wherever that may be, De Marchi said that he doesn't want to "stop and enjoy my last moments in the peloton", saying that he's still going to "strive for success."
The 39-year-old has racked up seven wins during his career, including three stages at the Vuelta a España and one at the Critérium du Dauphiné. His most recent triumph came on stage 2 of last year's Tour of the Alps.
"For a cyclist, there has to be that hope of winning, because otherwise we would race without that fire that drives us," he said.
"That will be inside me until the last race in Veneto. From September onwards, in the races in Italy, I want to do my best to achieve as much as possible."
