{"id":227702,"date":"2025-10-27T06:43:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T06:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/227702\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T06:43:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T06:43:12","slug":"either-i-stopped-or-i-went-to-swatt-club-italian-national-champion-on-the-decision-that-changed-his-career-trajectory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/227702\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cEither I stopped, or I went to Swatt Club\u201d \u2014 Italian national champion on the decision that changed his career trajectory"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nHe indeed did, showing up to the Italian national championships in June and taking an unexpected win, beating top riders such as Jonathan Milan<\/a>, Alessandro Covi or Matteo Trentin and securing a contract with Team Jayco AlUla.From illness to redemption<\/p>\n

His return to the professional peloton, however, did not begin ideally. \u201cI was hoping for a quieter end to the season, but unfortunately after my first two races with the new team, I caught Covid at Plouay,\u201d Conca recalled. \u201cThe season was nearly over, and we had to decide whether to rest or try again. We decided to push ahead, and I went to the Tour of Slovakia. It was very hard, but I was happy to be useful to the team, pulling every day. In the end, we won the general classification with Paul Double. I think I showed that I can do that kind of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

The illness forced him to skip Il Lombardia<\/a>, a tough but necessary choice. \u201cIt was hard, but it was for the best. After Covid, I still wasn\u2019t at my best, especially with my breathing. I would have loved to start my home race wearing the tricolor jersey, but objectively, I wasn\u2019t competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now more mature than during his previous WorldTour experiences with Lotto and Q36.5, Conca sees his new chapter with Jayco\u2013AlUla as both a fresh start and a lesson in patience. \u201cWithout a doubt, I\u2019m more mature. At the same time, I\u2019m aware that I\u2019m a good rider, but a normal one. If I\u2019m healthy, I can give a lot to the team and work for a leader. What I\u2019ve already seen here at Jayco\u2013AlUla is that the work of a domestique is valued, which motivates me for the future. There will be many races where I\u2019ll have to pull at the front, but the good thing is that I\u2019ll also have my own space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"conca-imago1063332504\"\/<\/p>\n

Winning the national championships secured a comeback to the WT for Filippo Conca<\/p>\n

\u201cEither I stopped, or I went to Swatt Club\u201d<\/p>\n

The turning point in Conca\u2019s career came after being left without a professional contract after the 2024 season. \u201cI had two choices: either stop or go to the Swatt Club. I offered myself to many Continental teams, but no one was interested in taking me. Since the roster was already full, I focused on gravel and raced in the most important events. It was an environment I really enjoyed, but my dream was to return to road racing, do the Giro d\u2019Italia, and maybe win a stage. That was the thought that kept me going, I couldn\u2019t give up at 26.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite setbacks, Conca was always certain of his potential. \u201cI knew I wasn\u2019t a phenomenon, but I also knew I still had room to improve. I was sure I could perform better than at least half the peloton. It wasn\u2019t easy to turn the situation around, but already in November 2024, I was thinking about the Italian Championships as my one chance to show myself and return to the professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Family support was crucial during that period. \u201cMy family and the few friends I have were a great help in those months of preparation. I\u2019m grateful I went through that situation because it made me realize who the people are that deserve my time, and who don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winning the national title was something he had always dreamed of. \u201cI always believed in it, since the winter. Two years ago, I finished eighth, spending the last 20\u201325 kilometers between the lead group and the chasers, riders like Ciccone and Ganna. I realized I had good legs even in that context. This year, I was also a bit lucky: several riders weren\u2019t there because they had just had Covid or were tired from the Giro. As I noticed these things, I became more and more confident in my chances.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new home and a new mindset<\/p>\n

After his national victory, several teams showed interest, but Conca chose Jayco\u2013AlUla for its atmosphere. \u201cAfter winning the Italian title, my agent received a few offers, but Jayco was my first choice because I knew people in the staff and among the riders. Everyone spoke well of the team and its calm environment, which was exactly what I was looking for. The last two years on the road were difficult, so I needed a context like this \u2014 professional but comfortable, where you can perform at 100 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking back, Conca avoids framing his past in terms of failure. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t talk about mistakes, but about missed opportunities, because I had few chances to race for myself. It\u2019s part of being a domestique. When your leaders win, your work is appreciated; if the team doesn\u2019t get results, maybe you\u2019re overlooked. Helping Double win in Slovakia was a good signal about what I can still offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the new season, Conca\u2019s goals are clear, with the Giro d’Italia as the biggest objective in his calendar. \u201cI need to rest and recover well from my small injuries before the new season. The winter will be crucial. Maybe, besides training camps, I\u2019ll go somewhere warm to train more consistently.”<\/p>\n

“We\u2019ve already started planning with the team, and I hope to contribute immediately, both as a domestique and when there\u2019s room to race for myself \u2014 maybe already in the early Spanish races. Usually, I suffer a bit from allergies in March and April, but the goal is to reach May in top form. The Giro d\u2019Italia is the target I\u2019ll work hard for,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" He indeed did, showing up to the Italian national championships in June and taking an unexpected win,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":227703,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-227702","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}