Trentin critical of worrying trend: “We’ve already lost so much talent in the search for the next Pogačar”

Trentin has long been a rider to watch in the Flemish cobbled Classics, even if a truly “big one” is still missing from his palmarès. That said, he is once again expected at the start of Opening Weekend, and his ambitions for the spring are still very much alive.

But even that has started to feel routine, he admits. “I’ve had a good preparation and I’m ready, but it’s as if you get used to it,” Trentin said of lining up for Omloop again — for the fourteenth time.

After 16 seasons at the top level (and just below), Trentin says it isn’t only the peloton that has changed. “Look at my diet,” he explained. “When I started, 30 grams of carbohydrates per hour was enough and I still ate sandwiches; now I treat myself to at most a small toast on the bus.”

Still, the experienced Italian is not going all-in on every modern trend. “I have a wife and two children. I live in Monaco where I can train perfectly,” Trentin said. “I’m really not going to spend weeks and weeks in Spain anymore — one week is enough for me.”

Trentin also voiced concerns about how young riders are being pushed through faster and faster. “In recent years we’ve made the big mistake of searching, at all costs, for the next Pogačar — and because of that we’ve lost a lot of talent,” he warned. In his view, too many young riders have been moved up early simply because they were physically strong.

“Just because someone is physically ready doesn’t mean they are mentally ready,” Trentin said, pointing out how demanding life as a professional can be for a young rider. His comments appear to reflect a wider trend of top prospects skipping large parts of the U23 development path.

Finally, the former European champion questioned why safety still hasn’t improved enough in the sport. “They try to change the situation, but the same stupid mistakes keep happening — like a few days ago in Andalusia, where there was a speed bump 50 metres from the finish,” Trentin said.

He stressed it is not only on organisers. “Organisers can certainly do something, but so can riders and team directors. Sometimes completely unnecessary risks are taken,” he argued. Trentin sounded increasingly pessimistic about cycling’s ability to fix the issue: “It feels like a lost cause. What can we do with it? We’ll never reach the same level of safety again.”