On Saturday the Trofeo Melinda will decide the Italian national championship. Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) is looking to take the tricolour jersey on a route that would seem adaptable to him as a rider, but the after-effects of a bad crash suffered at the Tour of Switzerland are still being felt.

“Unfortunately, I'm still not very well, the left hip, at the height of the femur, it is still sore but I hope that from here to Saturday, the situation will improve,” the Tuscan rider told Tuttobiciweb.it.

“It was a trivial fall, but it has left me at a disadvantage. Fortunately I have nothing broken. It's just a very bad blow and I can only hope that it doesn’t impair my chances too much.”

Meanwhile, this evening Ulissi will be in retreat in "The Montanina 'of Malone, a few steps from the Fund (Trento) with seven teammates. Friday they will be joined by Michele Scarponi and Michele Stortoni, returned from Switzerland Sunday. A retreat planned for some time by the team of Beppe Saronni, to whom the Tuscan talent could not say no.

“There was also the call of Paolo Bettini,” said Ulissi, “but it came at the last minute. Of course I'm sorry not to answer the call of a rally of the national team, but it is equally true that if my team puts in a retreat program for some time, I must first respond to what is being planned by my team.”