LEVICO TERME – Two riders celebrated in the same way at the finish line on Viale Vittorio Emanuele. In Levico Terme, the last stage of the Tour of the Alps is won by Aurélien Paret-Paintre, while Juan Pedro Lopez placeholder image (ninth) wins the general in front of O'Connor and Tiberi.
The final part of the “TotA” is explosive, less obvious than one might think. Lopez doesn't panic when he's under attack from almost all of his closest rivals, from the men of Bahrain-Victorius to those of Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale. Just looking at the competition, the triumph of the Andalusian of the Lidl Trek it is as unexpected as it is deservedIf the victory in the third stage in Schwaz could have seemed like the fruit of a great day, the final green jersey is confirmation of the renewed dimension that Lopez has entered.
“Juanpe’s” first times
We left off with the Lopez we met on the summit of Mount Etna at the Giro d'Italia two years ago, when he won the pink jersey he wore for ten days. Then, for one reason or another, all trace of him disappeared. On the roads of the Euregio we wanted to test it and the result was amazing, with a thought for everyone and about everything.
"It's my first overall victory," he said at the press conference, "just a few days after my first pro win. I'm so happy, and thinking about it makes me very emotional, but not just for myself. I'm thinking of my family and friends. But I'm also thinking of our general manager. (Luca Guercilena, ed.) who is not going through a good time. So I told myself that I had to try to win for him too.
"Looking at the stage elevation changes," Lopez continues, "the fourth should have been the toughest, but in reality, it turned out to be the last one. My opponents made me sweat today. We knew it would be difficult, but we were convinced that we could control the climbs well.The work done by Carlos and Amanuel (Verona and Ghebreigzhabier, respectively, ed.) was truly incredible. I have to thank my team so much."
Lopez returns home with new convictions. "I said right away when I won in Schwaz that the terrain of this race is truly fantastic for training. Maybe a little too cold for me, but now it's perfect (smiles, ed.). It will remain a race that I will always carry in my heart because it allowed me to achieve my first victories. I hope to return to TotA in 2025 to defend this success."
Dribbling and route on the Giro
On the press conference table every day there was a football, symbol of the partnership of the Tour of the Alps with FC Sudtirol of Serie B. In the last two post-stages, Lopez showed a glimpse of a one-man show, dribbling for a long time before giving in to questions.A sign of a calm and confident rider.
"These days," he explains, "I've been wearing the green jersey, which has small white stripes. That is, the club colors of Real Betis Sevilla, the team I support. I played a lot of football as a child, and it was an important sport for me. This last morning my trainer encouraged me with the Betis slogan and it gave me a lot of energy..
On the horizon is the race that launched him to the general public: «In 2022 I spent 10 days in the pink jersey, finishing tenth, but it's 2022. Now I'm looking at the next Giro without thinking about the one from two years ago. I'm going to the Giro to aim for a few stages, that's my goal. If I get the general classification, so much the better.After this victory, I'm not looking long-term at this season. The first thing I'll do tomorrow is focus on recovery and getting some good rest. I don't want to look too far ahead because you never know what can happen.».
Seen by Popovych
One of the first mornings, we had met Yaroslav Popovych in the bus area telling us about his Lidl-Trek mix. A team made up of a couple of youngsters from the I have to team up With Cataldo acting as a mother hen and other experienced athletes supporting Juanpe Lopez, it was difficult even for the Ukrainian sports director to make predictions.
«I honestly didn't expect a Tour of the Alps of the genus – he beams behind the awards podium – We came here with the goal of winning a few stages, knowing that the race was very tough. It became even more so with the rain and cold after the first few days. For us this victory is a dreamWe were always there fighting, but Juanpe showed us something spectacular. In Schwaz on the day he won the stage, at the end I shouted at him on the radio “you’re not back, you’re a completely new Juanpe!”Before, we knew him as disoriented and agitated. But here, with the way he ran, with intelligence and clarity, he's a different rider.
«Juanpe is a great talker, he's very nice – continues Popovych – he's everyone's friend, he talks to everyone, from his teammate to his opponent, from the drivers of the racing cars to the motorcyclist. At the end of the race, he encouraged his teammates and even encouraged his rivals. The classic words that are said in those moments:. However, this is a demonstration of his superiority in mentality and physical condition.
Popovych is also on the same wavelength as Lopez regarding the conduct of the race. «We had a less equipped team than the competition, but we were well preparedCarlos was like a train today, making up for yesterday's performance where he had lost his way. This morning I was a little scared, but when you have the leader's jersey everything changesHigh morale helps and gives you at least 15 percent more energy and motivation. Amanuel also showed what a strong guy he is.
«We will go to the Giro in stages – Popovych says goodbye with his final consideration – Basically we prepare the team for the Milan train for the sprints, then we will have 2-3 riders to aim for the stages. Before Tour of the Alps Juanpe was aiming for the stages, now the bar is raisedLet's see how the first few days go to understand what he can do and whether to aim for a good overall ranking."
