Take it, if you can. He took them out with a series of shots and now Ciccone is digging a furrow behind themSometimes he bends his left knee a little and looks down, as if his bike is having some problem. But the wheels keep turning and the legs keep pushingThe finish line is approaching.
Cogne is there ahead, somewhere in the woods. The road on the last climb has downhill sections that allow you to catch your breath, but after the first two climbs and especially the Turin stage in his legs, no one has the strength to catch himSo "Cicco" goes and who knows if he gets kicked in the head the Blockhaus crisis. Strange coincidence, when you think about it. The two riders who failed in the Abruzzo climb made up for it the following weekend. Yates yesterday, today Giulio.
Unmotivated inheritance
The judgments have often been unfair, a bit like when it was decided to put Cunego alongside Pantani and every mistake made by the Veronese was thrown in his face almost with contemptIt is not known why someone at some point decided that Ciccone was supposed to be Nibali's heir and it was like touching another sacred monster.Why? And just as Cunego didn't ask for the investiture, even today certain things continue to be asked of Giulio.
When we find it in front of us, the shadows have thinned and with his mischievous face, Ciccone just wants to partyOn the same climb back in 1998, another rider from his area – Ruggero Marzoli from Pescara – won a stage of the Giro delle Regioni. Both grew up in Colpack, both with crazy looks.
Can we say it was about time?
More than anything else we can say that it was neededIt was a hard-fought one, and it comes after a long, difficult period, during which I was very unlucky. It wasn't easy, but it came.
Yesterday Yates told us how he recovered from the Blockhaus blow. What was your journey?
It was definitely a big blow for me. I knew it could happen, because before the Giro I was sick.We had also taken it into account with the team, it was absolutely not a surprise. But I certainly couldn't imagine that it would happen like this, in my house, on the BlockhausThen the next day there was rest, so I was right inside the house. With my people. The feeling was even worse.
How did you get out of it?
I tried to hold on to the right things, to my abilities, to staying focused. I knew I was somewhat limited by the problems I had before the Giro. But I also knew that sooner or later it had to come. If I continued to run well and manage myself, the opportunity was bound to come.. And today it arrived at the right time, with the right legs.
What right things have you held onto?
I thought about the events of the last year and the last few days. On many occasions I have been the subject of criticismIt's absolutely normal, I accept it. We're athletes, and criticism should be accepted. A bit like in soccer, when you support different teams and tear others down. Criticism is also constructive, but lately it had become exaggerated, because expectations were always inflated., although I always keep a low profile. I don't like to expose myself too much, because it's in my nature, not because I want to back down. I simply stick to the basics.
Which?
As I was saying, to my characteristics. To the work I have always done seriously, even if some have doubted itTo the people who believed in me. To my family. To the people who told me every day: "Cicco, it's always you. Don't worry, he'll be right there!"Unlike those who said: "Cicco is finished. Cicco is a flash in the pan. Cicco here and Cicco there." I clung to those who believed in me until yesterday, even though we still took a beating.
Is ranking in a Giro now a utopia?
Last year bad luck has decided to influence mei. At the Giro, in my opinion, I was in excellent condition, I was always there in all the stages fighting with the men in the general classification. And at the 16th stage I was sixth, after fighting for almost three weeksFor me, it was the first classification. I'd started with Vincenzo as the leader, and it had all come as a surprise. But I was there, and instead I was caught in a crash and I had to retire. Then the Vuelta...
How did it go?
At the Vuelta we wanted to get into the general classification, but on the same stage I went home due to a crash. There too I was growing and was getting back into the top ten, with a very high levelI repeat: I know that we are experiencing a cycling in which Champions like Pogacar and Roglic are in another categoryIt must be accepted that they are stronger, but I have always said that for me, getting a good ranking meant get closer to the top five, start gaining experience and see how my body reacted in the three weeks.
You had to do it this year…
That was the plan, but from Tirreno onwards, everything went awry. With Covid and bronchitis. A month before the Giro I took two weeks of antibioticsI gave up on the Flèche and the Liège and all the lead-up races. I arrived at the Giro with my headlights completely off, and the result was that the classification was not possible.
This comparison with Nibali?
It's a strong comparison, because We are two completely different riders, with different characteristics and mentalities.It's a huge responsibility, because he won everything he could, and if you're compared to a champion, it's always a huge responsibility. For my part, I was potentially and still am convinced that I have everything I need to achieve a good ranking and be competitiveBut there are factors you can't control, as happened to me since 2019. There were many obstacles that led to this situation.
What did you feel when you saw Lopez in the pink jersey?
“Juanpe” is more than a companion to me. I spent a month at altitude with him and, laughing and joking, I told him more than once that he would be very strong in the Giro d'Italia.So it wasn't a surprise to me. Of course, seeing him in the pink jersey, especially on the first day, had a strange effect on me. The pink jersey is something important, and in him and his carefree attitude. I saw a bit of Giulio Ciccone from 2019, when I did it like this, a bit carefree and a bit light-hearted.
How were those last few miles?
From the flagship they kept me updated on the advantage. They told me to manage myself and not blow up. and that I would have arrived anyway, because they were quite far behind. I enjoyed the people and I savoured again the beautiful feeling you experience when you are about to win.
Did you enjoy attacking like that?
I was Giulio Ciccone, who always does this when he feels good, as has always happened. When I'm well and my leg tells me to go, I try to attack: whether it's uphill or downhill. They are not attacks of desperation, but to do harm and in fact they did harm.Because in the end there were three of us left, then two, then I was alone. When I'm well, that's who I am.
