Now into his fourth year with the team, Alberto has made steps each season and his 2022 campaign saw him take his first Grand Tour stage win – with sprint victory on stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia to Reggio Emilia.
As a proud Italian, that win was very important for Alberto and it’s the one that he thinks saw him have his best day on the bike so far as a rider. With the memorable pictures of him crossing the line and celebrating with all his teammates, you could see the “relief” on Alberto’s face and that is one of his striking moments from that stage.
“It was a big relief for things to finally come together that day, and of course there was a lot of joy too. I think I’ve gained some more self-confidence from that day.”
Despite the bravado that can come across from some sprinters, Alberto is a quieter and more reserved individual and someone that reflects a lot on who he is as a person. That shines through when he also candidly looks back on that Giro win.
“At times I can be insecure within myself so sometimes I think that day was also a bit out of luck, but it’s really nice to get the motivation and encouragement from the rest of the team – that helps a lot. They kept believing in me even if I didn’t believe in it myself.”
Looking back at his youth and journey into cycling Alberto was an active youngster and played basketball for six years, but wasn’t tall enough to continue playing, he jokes. Alongside basketball, he used to also play football or ride motorbikes, with Alberto a self-confessed speed lover. Originally also a mountain biker for fun, he soon joined a local club at 14 years-old after watching the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia on TV with his grandparents; although his family were initially hesitant as no one else rode a bike. Luckily Alberto was soon able to convince them, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Competitive at heart, Alberto always strives for more and pushes himself to the maximum.
“I become a bit obsessed with things. I heard a quote that “obsession beats talent” so that’s something I like to live by too, I always try my best.”
It’s no surprise then that to try his best, Alberto admires some of the best with Kobe Bryant and Valentino Rossi his sporting idols. He really likes Kobe’s obsessive nature with the game and how he would do anything and everything that he could do to get to the top; training hard and holding himself to a high standard – something Alberto tries to do. While with Valentino Rossi, he has liked him ever since he was a kid and admires his longevity at the upper echelons of the sport. It’s also Rossi’s approach to things that Alberto likes “he is of course a professional, but he is always smiling and enjoying himself too and that is something I want to copy; enjoy the sport of cycling.”
Away from the bike, you can often find Alberto sat in front of the TV watching a variety of sports with MotoGP his favourite.
