The second week of the Vuelta is behind us, six days of great effort, from the time trial to the Tourmalet. Together with Lorenzo Germani let's continue the diary of this, his first great Giro. After so many days in the saddle, you can definitely feel the fatigue., but the determination to get to the end is greater.
«The day of the time trial – he says Germans Just before going out for a jog with my friends – I felt terrible. I had strange sensations, I couldn't stay in the right position, I was constantly out of the saddle. Horrible sensations that I carried with me for practically the whole week."
Accumulated fatigue
Having a time trial the day after a rest day is never easy, he also told us Vincenzo NibaliEven when you have no ambitions for the rankings, you still have to push, because in this cycling, slowing down seems almost forbidden.
«In the two days after the time trial – Germani continues – I had that feeling of an empty leg. Little by little it got better and better, but I lived with a general feeling of tiredness. The cold that has been affecting me and my companions for a few days has also contributed to this. I don't think it's a virus or anything else., it is simply due to the temperature changes and fatigue."
In a team like that, do your teammates have the same feelings as you?
More or less yes. The rhythms are really exaggerated, just think that in the Laguna Negra stage, the day after the time trial, we averaged 46 miles per hour. Also considering the final climb.
High pace, which never allows you to catch your breath…
Yes, even Lenny (Martinez, ed.) suffered from them. Basically, the day after the Tourmalet stage, the whole team formed a small group.
How did it go on the Tourmalet? It was the stage that shook up the Vuelta.
That day I only thought about the maximum time, I had to stay within it and that was it. It was a very tough stage, the pace was very high from the first climb, so much so that many riders immediately dropped out (including evenepoel, editor's note).
There was an uphill start right away, even if a short one.
That one is tough too, then the next 30 kilometers of descent were done in one goJumbo decided to race hard right from the start and the risk for me was the maximum time. The stage was short, so there wasn't much margin (the limit was 37 minutes, Germani and his teammates arrived at 31'57”, ed.).
How was it managing?
The thing I understood right away was that it wouldn't be useful to overrev from the first long climb, the Col d'Aubique. I would have paid it with interest later, so we went at our own pace, but still we had to fight a lot.Only on the last climb were we able to manage the effort more. Luckily I had the flagship behind me., so I could go and get supplies whenever I wanted, plus they gave us directions for the maximum time.
The next day, however, you struggled again, and quite a bit…
That stage was difficult for everyone, even for Lenny Martinez. He had held out longer than us on the Tourmalet, arriving at 8 minutes. The next stage, however, he didn't even try, too much effort.
How did you find the strength to reach the finish line?
That day I let Lenny push me (he says laughing). With all the water bottles I brought him, some help was more than necessary.As mentioned, we were all in the small group, only Storer was in the breakaway, he tried to win, but he found Evenepoel over the top.
His was a super reaction after a day of nothing…
From inside we all said: "Chapeau!". React like this it's not for everyone, in fact, the next day (yesterday, ed.) he tried again.
What is being said about the Jumbo-Visma domain?
We expected it, they are the strongest team. Maybe we didn't expect to see it Kuss in red jersey. But they are really scary, they were the team to beat and so they are, for now quite unchallenged.
This last week's effort is called Angliru, what do you expect?
Hard work, a lot. In stages like this I only think about getting to the start of the final climb and then getting away. Luckily we have a sprocket set that goes from 11 to 34 and despite this wide range we manage to fit the 54-36 in frontIf I had had to mount the 52 I would have felt like a student among professionals (laughs again, ed.).
There's just one week left until the end of the Vuelta. What are your goals?
I'd like to get into a breakaway, I've tried a few times these days, but it's really tough. The stages have been won only by great champions, there is practically no room for othersI tried going out on Sunday, and I felt pretty good. After 10 kilometers, the road narrowed, and I'd identified that as the ideal spot. Instead the escape went away 50 kilometers laterThis too is all experience, you have to know how to wait and move at the right time.
Then Germani tells us about the cold he's getting over and other problems. Around 11,30 we let him go, he has to get on his bike soon for a ride., hoping that it will ease the burden of these 15 stages a little.
