When Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) lost second place in the sprint at last year's Giro del Veneto, the first person he met across the finish line in Padua's Prato della Valle was race organizer Filippo Pozzato." Ma die, are you paying me to finish second or what?" Pozzato playfully called out.

Trentin chuckled and had to endure some gentle teasing from his friend. After 12 months of taking that teasing, the Italian was back on Wednesday, winning the Giro del Veneto, fending off Remy Rochas (Cofidis) and Matteo Vercher (Total Energie) in the sprint in Vicenza.

"Finally Pozzato can't say I can't win his race," smiled Trentin from behind the podium. He's only been organizing this race for one year, but you know we've been chatting together. Last year, when I didn't win his race, people pissed on me.

Trentin's victory here has made his life more bearable in at least one WhatsApp group. The Italian rider has three wins in 2022, but his campaign has been dogged by bad luck. A major crash and delayed concussion in Paris-Nice ruined his attempt at the classics, and a diagnosis of COVID-19 prevented him from competing in the Tour de France.

"I was in great shape this year, but I ran into problems every time," Trentin said. Just after winning in Le Samyn, I crashed in Paris-Nice and suffered severe trauma to my cranium. I came back, trained and came back for the Tour, but I got infected with Covid and had to go home. Luckily it didn't leave me with any permanent injuries, but it was the third time this year I had to start from scratch."

Trentin got back on track with a stage win at the Tour of Luxembourg, but at the World Championships in Wollongong, he was disappointed to finish fifth after sprinting without realizing that silver and bronze medals were at stake. Meanwhile, problems arose in the final part of the season. After finishing fourth in the Coppa Bernocchi, he suffered from asthma in the Gran Piemonte and, by his own admission, "had no legs" in the Paris-Tours.

"I'm finally in good condition. Last week was a bit depressing, so I'm happy to win today," Trentin said in the press room of the Palladio-designed Loggia del Capitaniato in Vicenza. Last week we had a race where we were in good shape but didn't bring anything home. Today I did it, so I'm happy."

Mathieu van der Pol, who was added to the start list on Wednesday afternoon, was clearly the dangerman, but Trentin's UAE Team Emirates team managed to eliminate him from the competition after he was forced to drive too hard midway through the 160km race. Meanwhile, in the finishing section in Vicenza, Trentin chased down Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana-Cazakstan) and Alessandro De Marchi (Israel Startup Nation) to snatch victory from a five-man group.

"From kilometers 70 to 85, the road is narrow and technical, like in Flanders. I had really good legs today and a great teammate in Diego Ulissi. And I was finally able to win."

Trentin has been the clear spokesperson for the peloton on rider safety issues in recent seasons through formal lobbying on behalf of CPA members and informal (but no less thoughtful) media engagement. Philippe Gilbert's retirement from Paris-Tour, which led to the store steward's departure from the peloton, left Trentin more concerned about the inertia of those who should be taking action to improve safety-the UCI-than the loss of an important advocate.

"We talk a lot among our riders. The question is, who will listen to the other side? Maybe they are listening, but no action. So far it's all political talk, and that's what happened with the CRO tool," Trentin said.

"It is very difficult to organize a bike race. I know that because I organize a small charity criterium in Monaco. But there are simple rules, but unfortunately too many people don't follow them and nothing is done about it.

"The UCI and the race commissaires should listen more and take more action. There is a need for a more open dialogue between the UCI and the organizers: the riders and the organizers, the organizers and the UCI, the UCI and the organizers, and the riders.

Trentin is well aware that the demands of host towns and TV stations make life very complicated for course designers, not to mention the many traffic restrictions in urban centers.

"I understand the difficulties race organizers face. But we need more precise rules. Once we have rules that are accurate for everyone, things will start to turn around," Trentin said.

"With the introduction of the helmet rules, no one now thinks of running without a helmet. For example, if they made a rule that goal straights had to be at least 200 meters long, all goal straights would be at least 200 meters long and no one would think of doing that. But if they keep putting goal straights in corners and no one says anything about it, then they will keep doing what they want to do."