On the muddy road leading to the chairlift to return to Quartier Tappa, the flagships of the Eolo-Kometa they are one after the otherIn the first one we meet, Jesus Hernandez is talking on the phone and laughing heartily. We knock on the window and he gives us a smile from heaven, a thumbs up. The one immediately ahead has the door open and Ivan Basso is standing looking towards the mountainHe, who won up here in 2010 on a certainly less freezing day, is experiencing deep emotions, as happens when you start a business and Victory dispels the doubts that walk beside you.
«We had to escape with the right men – he says – but for us this is a feat, because Fortunato is one of our talents, which until now had not expressed its full value. We are happy that he was able to do so with us. And now Zanatta has won two ZoncolanIt was beautiful when I won, but it's still beautiful today. When you win it's always nice».
He's excited. He gets into the flagship, while Zanatta he has the smile of the best daysThe return to the peloton is bearing fruit. He was truly there on the Liquigas team when Ivan tamed the Zoncolan and climbed from eleventh to third place, charging toward the second pink jersey.
Team action
The plan has been put into action 194 kilometers from the finish Or perhaps it would be better to say 11 kilometers after the start from Cittadella, where the walls and every stone recalled Nizzolo's Italian flag. In the breakaway of the 11, among the pairs from the same team—Affini-Bennett and Mosca-Mollema—the presence of Albanese and Fortunato was perhaps the least intimidating.
«The trouble – says Zanatta laughing – is that Fortunato was fine, but he couldn't catch the escapes. So, since he had good values, this time we put Albanese next to him and initially Gavazzi, to get him out and they succeeded. In recent days Ineos has let it happen, but certainly in the end we were afraid that the group would come back. We were here to make a good impression and already Gavazzi's second place in Guardia Sanframondi seemed like a huge achievement to usWe certainly didn't think we would win and we certainly still don't. we don't really understand what happened».
The Giro and Asturias
Fortunato he had to earn his place in the Giro, with its history between Mastromarco and Hopplà, then two years at Vini Zabù.
«He had a good retreat in Sierra Nevada – he says – then he went to the Vuelta Asturias and On the last day he finished seventh at Alto del Naranco, earning his place in the team. In Sestola he had dropped on the descent. In Campo Felice he was in the group of the best… In short, we knew he was fine and We had been thinking about this arrival for three days alreadyI think a great chemistry has been created in the team, the right spirit, between the enthusiasm of the young players and the experience of myself and Yates, which we've seen some of so far."
A long story
The convoy of team cars begins to stream down the narrow road. The first ones are already cycling down to the buses parked at the foot of the steepest section. Up here, on the last climb that saw Marco Pantani great, a Bolognese won, in a sort of unconscious tribute to the Pirate and sought and desired by Ivan Basso who knew how to motivate him. His last victory is dated June 12, 2016, when in Lamporecchio he beat his teammate AlbanesePerhaps nothing truly is by chance, as Zoncolan records the fourth Italian victory in this Giro d'Italia. After Ganna, Vendrame, and Nizzolo, tonight we'll toast Lorenzo Fortunato's victory.
