The flowers of Valdobbiadene, Philip gave them to his motherNothing strange. Anyone who listened carefully, from Imola to Palermo, heard him dedicate every victory to his family. Daniela still has those flowers in her arms and hugs them like a child. The Piancavallo stage started a few minutes ago. Ganna's parents came to the start to say goodbye to their son and will now head home, where their daughter Carlotta stopped to study and look after the family dogs.
One hundred miles an hour
Daniela smiles under her mask. We met for the first time at their place, in Vignone, after the first pursuit world championship and the memory of the warmth of home is still alive.
"We're very close as a family," she confirms, "so this really moves me. Seeing how much he loves his sister, the relationship they have... I say that we parents did a good job.».
But mothers worry. And if we trembled watching Pippo descend from Monreale at breakneck speed on his time trial bike, imagine her. She emphasizes it with a silvery laugh.
«I cursed the reporter who said he was going a hundred miles an hourI was saying to myself: don't you think about the mothers who are worried about their children? I experience every race with a little anxiety. I think that for every mother, cycling is a wonderful sport, with its risks, but... I still haven't gotten used to the anxiety and fearI try to live with it. I see Filippo calm, confident, and enthusiastic about what he does, and automatically I become so too."
The Sky Dream
Philip said it first: his dream team would have been Sky. Then he moved to Uae, but the moment Lombardi gave him a place with Brailsford is still celebrated.
"He's grown so much," his father is speaking now, "especially since he changed teams. He needs peace of mind. With Villa he reached the top of the track and here with Cioni, which allows him to work without pressure, has become greatThe time trial at last year's World Championships also had a huge impact, because he became more aware of his abilities. This year he has always worked well and the results are evident."
Trust at the top
Marco Ganna went to the Los Angeles Olympics with canoeingHe's the one who often follows his son to training and has seen him grow up.
«Before the World Championships he was calm – he says – even though he was coming from a fabulous time trial like the one in Tirreno, after six days of pushing for Thomas. This means that he grew up in the headHearing him dedicate his victories to his family was a thrill and a source of pride. You know us, we're very close. When he left for the Giro, we never would have thought, it being the first time, that he would win three stages. For now. Even when he left for the World Championships... I follow him in training and I saw that he had improved in his times, on our climbs and our climbs, but There's a long way between improving and winning a world championship».
The uphill arrival
And then there is the day Camigliatello SilanoThe one where the giant wins uphill, opening the door to a career sequel that could be even more unexpected.
"Everyone was saying that he was working for Puccio in that breakaway," he says, "and I thought: yes, perfect, that's fine. Then when the hardest climb came and there were still a few kilometers to go, I said: he competes like when he was a student or a junior, he doesn't look anyone in the faceAnd after Carrettero's two shots, they pissed him off. He put his head down and started hitting. At that point I thought he was coming. They got a close-up of his face, I saw that he was well, he had a nice face».
Saying whether he has a future in stage racing is something that is perhaps not even worth investigating.
"If he grows," he says, "nobody knows where he can get to. Even if he doesn't become a Grand Tour cyclist, he'll have some great successes in time trials and classics. Let's remember that this year on the Cipressa, after almost 300 kilometers, he was the second to reach the top.
Now the Gannas are off again. The journey to Vignone is long, but the last word is for Mom.
"He's been living in Ascona for a while now," she says, "but it's close by. If we want to see him, we'll take the car and go. You can be sure of one thing: he won't get rid of his family very easily».
