Italian Matteo Tosatto, 42, is ready to retire after failing to find a team for next season.
“I’m not going to beg for another contract,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I’m convinced that I could have had another season at a high level, like the last one. But I am calm. I’ve already started to disconnect.”
The 42-year-old has had a 20-year career, racing in 34 Grand Tours in support of many GC podiums. As the top Tinkoff riders secured contracts with new teams, including contracts for their support riders, Tosatto said he was led to believe he would be following Alberto Contador to Trek-Segafredo. However, the contract never materialised and he has decided that enough is enough.
“Yes, Alberto had hinted that he would take me with him. If I had known earlier that wasn’t going to be the case then I could’ve started looking earlier for a top level team and I could’ve found one. By October, the game’s already over. Then it’s harder to do anything. Even still, many made offers and that was great.”
“I have participated in 34 Grand Tours: 13 Giro d’Italia, 12 Tours de France, 9 Vuelta. It’s a record. And the eight World Championships in the national squad, which I attended, four ended with the victory of an Italian. [Mario] Cipollini at Zolder, the two [Paolo] Bettini, [Alessandro] Ballan in Varese. I think it is also a record that …”
Now, Tosatto is studying to become a sports director. He said, “The dream, to become Italy’s national director.”
