"Remarkable teammate" Evenepoel will have a significant advantage with Moscon, in Sky-form, by his side in Tour de France: "Feels just like the old days"

Gianni Moscon is one of seven riders tasked with supporting team leader Remco Evenepoel in the Tour de France. Last year, the Italian in need received a lifeline from Patrick Lefevere, and he was keen to grab the opportunity with both hands this year, as he shared earlier with IDLProCycling.com. About five months later, during the Dauphiné, we caught up with him again!

The last time we saw Moscon leading in a race was during the October 2021 edition of Paris-Roubaix. At that time, racing for INEOS Grenadiers, he crashed while in a leading position. More than two years had passed between that day and January 2024. In our January interview, the conversation focused mainly on the period in between, while the Dauphiné naturally brought up the current season.

Returning to his Team Sky days: Moscon sees his level steadily returning after challenging years with Astana

"This is the best team for me. I've always admired the team, but maybe I'm just getting old. I want to get back to my 2021 form, and I hope you'll soon see the real Gianni Moscon, the Moscon from back then," Moscon had said earlier this year. How does he feel about it now? "Overall, I'm feeling good," he tells us from the Auvergne. "Honestly, I feel better now, at the start of June, than I did in the spring. It's gratifying to see the improvement. Also, I recovered well after the classics season and had a successful training camp, so all things considered, I have no complaints."

Moscon was given a prime opportunity to rejuvenate his career with The Wolfpack. It's no wonder he's very happy with the move he made. "Absolutely true. I'm, of course, very pleased about it. Right from the moment I joined, I felt part of a close-knit club. I felt very welcome and immediately got into the right vibe. You could say it felt like family," praised the man from Trento. "And when the form is also good, I'm a satisfied man. I dare say it feels just like the old days. Back to the Team Sky years."

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"This Dauphiné will therefore be a good test to determine a few things," concluded the Southern European. He also indicated that he had little trouble transitioning from being a classics leader to a domestique for a GC contender. "It was quite easy. In recent years, I often lost the right feeling on the bike. That was very frustrating. It's hard to be a cyclist then. Now, I don't feel any of that anymore and I'm very comfortable. It's a world of difference," Moscon emphasized—having finished an impressive fourth at the 2019 World Championships—how good his morale is. "Having the right mindset is the most important thing. The role within the team is secondary to that."

Moscon looks forward to the Tour de France start in Italy

"We have an ambitious team and we start every race with the intention to win. And again, it really doesn't matter to me what role I play," said the former Italian national time trial champion. "And there will definitely be races where I can go for my own chances." But for now, he will continue in a supporting role for Evenepoel. "I've already raced quite a lot with Remco. He's an incredibly nice guy to work with," he praises the Aerokogel from Schepdaal.

According to Moscon, he and Evenepoel have similar characters, which naturally only benefits their relationship. "I'm certain of it. We are similar in some ways. Remco is very direct and so am I, haha! I simply cannot deny that. Both Remco and I are honest and like to speak our minds. It's fun working for such a leader. Besides, the atmosphere within the team is great. We have a close-knit group."

"After the Dauphiné, we'll go on another altitude training camp," Moscon finally revealed his plans. "Then I'll ride the national championships in Italy, followed by the Tour de France." And the Tour de France happens to start in Italy this time! "That's very special. It's something that might not happen again soon, at least not in my career, haha! So I'm going to enjoy it extra. Whether I'll try something special? We'll have to see. Just the fact that it starts in Italy is fantastic!"