There is nothing better than a good massage to recover from the fatigue of a tough stage at the Tour de France, especially if it's your first Tour. Lorenzo Rota he gives himself to the hands of the masseur Intermarche Wanty Gobert. Luis Manuel Fructuoso he does his job properly, while Lorenzo gives himself to our "microphones".
Some debuts are never forgotten. And this is an adventure that, more than ever, brings with it emotions and experiences.
Lorenzo, we were saying: the first Tour…
Primo Tour that started badly. On the first stage, I had a really bad fall. I even thought it was over. I had a lot of problems right away, and in some ways, I still have them.
How did the fall happen?
There were two that day. The first was the one with the now-famous sign, and I avoided it. I was right there in front. I was even on the right, but luckily I managed to move to the left at that moment. I didn't see anything except the group literally exploding. The second one, however, I took full advantage of. And to think I was right in front, around twenty-fifth place. I must have been the tenth to fall and those behind climbed on top of me. I immediately had problems with my ribs and tore the cartilage between them. It's excruciating pain that's making me suffer. I wasn't sleeping well, and every deep breath, every little dip in my stomach, was torture. They told me it would take 40-50 days to recover.
Yes, 40 days without a Tour in between!
Yes! In fact, this injury has limited me considerably so far. I have to thank the staff if I didn't go home. I've been feeling better for a couple of days now. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Was your participation in the Tour planned?
No, I was supposed to do the Vuelta. The program included the Tour of Switzerland and the Italian championship. Then it happened that in Switzerland I had some good performances and at the same time there was a case of Covid in the team. And from there a few situations were triggered.
Explain to us “a few situations”…
After the Swiss Championships, since I was feeling good, I asked to race in France to prepare for the Italian Championships. I realized my legs were good and it could be an opportunity to do well. I also liked the Imola course; I'm not saying I would have won, but something could have been done. So I went to Paris-Camembert and it went "well": I finished eleventh, but in the finale I smashed a wheel, breaking a spoke. Then the next day I got the call: go to the Tour.
And you: were you happy or scared?
I was honestly torn. The Tour is the most important race of the year and everyone prepares for it 100%, but I don't. Yes, I was in good condition, but there's a lot of water under the bridge between Switzerland and Paris. Then the team convinced me and reassured me, telling me that the first stages were suitable for me, that I could do something. Also, since I'm good on climbs when I'm good, I should have stayed close to I mean, our top-seeded man.
Are you satisfied with what you've done so far?
Now I can say it's beautiful. It's a different world from all the other races I've done. And it's something that I'm sure will be valid for the future and I believe that it will be useful to me in the next post-Tour races.
An “other world”…
I don't know if the TV conveys the idea well, but there's a crazy nervousness. It is always run as if it were a classic Flemish race. Total stress. You have to be focused every day, never get a moment to relax.
Is it a matter of speed?
Of everything. At the Giro, you still go fast, but I've also had some easy stages. That doesn't exist here. Carcassonne also seemed like an easy stage, but there were 60 of us there. We ran for two and a half hours flat on our faces. It's hard to stay focused for three, four, even six hours. But I repeat: I'm sure it will help.
What struck you most?
I've never seen so many people on the roads. On the first stage, there was a little climb of a kilometer. There was a big screen on a hairpin bend. I took a look, and believe me when I tell you there must have been 10.000 people there. I'm out of my mind!
And in the group, who impressed you the most?
Cavendish Rota replies dryly, "I've already raced with him, but he seems like a different rider. A different leg. And then, clearly, pogacar: Tadej has an extra gear.
Yet on Ventoux he too "trembled." What do you say in the group?
He has a 5-minute lead over the second, but even if he loses 3 minutes, he won't have much trouble managing his pace. Everyone has a bad day, and he probably had one on the Ventoux and was clever enough not to let it show.
Do you talk to anyone while running?
With the Italians, especially with Dancers e Colbrelli, but it's really difficult. There's no time!
What is your goal for this Tour?
Get to Paris and maybe even make a getaway. And then help Meintjes. The top ten is a bit difficult because he has a big gap, but there are still a lot of climbs.
Come on, you're at your first Tour, your team's in their first year in the WorldTour. You're making your mark, you won a stage at the Giro: that's not bad...
Yes, yes... we're happy, and we were also unlucky. Because I fell, but so did my teammates, and maybe something was compromised. We will continue to fight until Paris and then we'll draw a line to understand what worked and what didn't for the future.
