The Eira Pass is grazed by low morning clouds, but it's not cold. It was worse yesterday, when a downpour caused the temperature to plummet to 5 degrees, discouraging the riders from heading out. Damiano Caruso came down first to have a chat, for which we are truly grateful.The intention is in fact not to be distracted from the concentration towards Tokyo, therefore our presence will also be reduced to a minimum, respecting his space. Today's program includes four hours in the legendary mountains, but when we see him repeating the Stelvio with the 53 before leaving, we'll have a clear idea of what a distance like that can mean in terms of work and effort.
2.208 quota
The mechanics have already lined up the bikes of the other guys Team Bahrain Victorious, but so far only Gino Mader has come down with his scattered curls. With Damiano, at the La Tea hotel in Trepalle, precisely at the top of the Eira Pass, there is also his wife Ornella and the children Oscar and Greta, who certainly They will miss the sea of Inspector Montalbano, but not the 40 degrees that these days are gripping the south of SicilyThere are 13 of them here now, the mountains stand out clearly against the sky and life seems more beautiful. Damiano sits down, the story begins where we left it, in Milan, exhausted on the asphalt of Piazza Duomo and then ecstatic on the Giro d'Italia podium. Second, who would have ever said it at the start?
Not even in dreams
«The post-Giro period – he says – was particular. Let's say that the emotions felt at the Giro continued even after. Above all, the best part was feeling the warmth of the people up close, of all the people who cheered for me and followed me in the Giro."
The embrace of RagusaThe stadium. Friends. Messages. An unexpected wave that overwhelmed him and carried him away, further away than any horizon he had imagined as a boy when he left for Tuscany, dreaming of this without the courage to tell anyone. Damiano is thin, tanned and has a determined lookHe closed the door on the many requests and focused on work.
Was it tiring?
Maybe for some it isn't, but for me it was all newI found myself at the center of media attention. I spent many days, many afternoons chatting with journalists and with people who wanted to know more about this Giro. I think it's part of our job, so this was an experience too.
When did you find out you were one of the five for Tokyo?
For better or for worse We had already spoken to Cassani during the Giro d'ItaliaAnd after Milan he told me that I was one of those who were almost sure of the shirt. So from this point of view I was quite calm.Then came the Italian championship. I wasn't expecting a great performance, for a series of reasons anyone can imagine, given the thousand things I'd done in the previous days. But now we're on the right track. I'm in Livigno to begin the preparation. Actually, it started a while ago, though. now is the time to do the right things to really get there ready.
What's on in Livigno?
Usually when I come up in the summer, I do maintenance and recovery. This time, however, I'm working differently. I'll do quality work. We will have to be ready for the Tokyo road race and we won't have many races to refine our condition.In these days we will have to push harder.
Nice place to do it…
I think that Livigno in summer is for us cyclists or sportsmen in general, the best place to prepare for goals in the second half of the seasonA great place for cycling, but it's also a great place to come with the family. Let's just say that in these mountains everyone can find what they're looking for. In my case, I live like a hermit.This retreat is very important. So maybe you can set aside 10 minutes, an hour with your family, just to spend time with the children. But everything else is about the bike and personal feelings.
Is there a difference between the emotion of Rio and that of Tokyo?
In Rio I was super happy, because I was realizing a dream which was precisely that of participating in the Olympics. Obviously I'm happy now too, though Now there is an added responsibility, because we will face the race without a single leader, at least it still has to be decided. And so we all have a more important role.
Five equal captains?
Not having a specific point man, We need to think among ourselves about how to approach the race and try to get the best result.This must be an extra motivation in each of us, for work at your best and arrive in Tokyo in top conditionAt least do everything possible to be so.
Has the Giro result become an additional weapon in terms of conviction?
At the Giro I simply understood that When I'm in the right condition, with the right mentality and motivated in the right way, I too can compete with the strongestIt's clear that the Olympics will feature the best athletes in the world, so the level will be truly high. But clearly, you compete to win. You should never underestimate yourself and start off already defeated.This seems obvious to me. So I work, I'm calm, I go my own way. And then we'll see what happens...
A new Caruso
They call it. You go down to the left and then go back up towards Foscagno. The wind and the sun have cleared the clouds, it looks like it will be a great day of work.The roads up here are crisscrossed by dozens of cyclists. Bettiol e ciccone Today they're following different paths. Dumoulin is training hard on his own. The boys from Bahrain Victorious are on their way. Damiano gives instructions to his teammates in English and it is he who activates the real-time position on WhatsApp so that the team car is updated on the riders when an unexpected queue forces it to stop. We're heading towards the Stelvio. And if the giant is in good shape, the goal will be to reach the summit. The mountains are friends, but they must be respected.And Damiano has learned to speak with them. Ever since that day near Alpe Motta, he recognized their call and was admitted into the kingdom of the greatest. Good luck, boy.
