PIEVE DI SOLIGO – To understand what the Cycling Stars Criterium, last night you had to be outside the bus parked in the square of Pieve di Soligo Just before the riders came out. Behind the tape marking the athletes' area. a crowd of children were gathered waiting to see the samples up close who, only the day before, had finished the Giro d'Italia number 108.
Mexican television is also present
However Cycling is the popular sport par excellence, passes through the streets of the villages, and often the champions were and still are heroes from the people. The purpose of this event is precisely this: bring the champions back to the fans, especially the little ones. While we wait, we too, together with the children, have a chat with a television operator with Central American features.
Could it be a guest from Mexican TV who came to Italy to follow the phenomenon? Del Toro? It is. His name is Emanuel and he works for Televisa Mexico, the equivalent of RaiHe arrived in Rome on Sunday and he is here today because tomorrow he has an interview scheduled with the new phenomenon of UAE Emirates. He says that to see a compatriot in the pink jersey, who almost won a race as important as the Giro d'Italia, it has sparked enthusiasm throughout the country, because cycling is a very popular sport there.
The enthusiasm of the children and the words of Del Toro
The excitement among the children begins as soon as Carlos Verona, winner of the Asiago stage, gets off the bus, and the young fans are already asking for photos and autographs. It stays high on the arrival of Masnada and Zana, more photos and more autographs. With Fortunato's descent there is a half roar, when Pellizzari arrives there is a whole roar and when it's time to Del Toro a roar and a half, or rather two. Besides, these champions are about ten years older than them. If you think about it... there is much more age difference between Caruso and Del Toro that between Del Toro and a fifth grader.
When Del Toro he walks the few meters that take him from the bus to the gate that leads onto the path we shoulder to shoulder with the crowd of children to ask them a few questionsWe prevailed only because of our size advantage, not because of our greater determination. He says that the intention at the start of the Giro was to stay ahead, but what happened then – all those days in pink, the support of an entire country – it was a dream.
We asked him if letting Yates go on Finestre was a question of tactics or legs. He replies that there was certainly a lot of tactics, but he doesn't want to and can't change the past and so that's fine.Will we see him at the Tour alongside Pogačar or at the Vuelta? He hasn't made any plans yet, now he's just focusing on enjoying the moment and resting.
Hostilities begin, but not too hostile
Before the competition reserved for professionals, the former professionals had already competed, where Alessandro Ballan won, and the women, among which the European champion Lorena Wiebes won ahead of the Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini and Soraya Paladin.
There are 22 professionals competing and they start around 9:20 PM, when the square is packed. The program includes 30 laps of the one-kilometer circuit in the center of Pieve di Soligo. One after the other Masnada, Verona, Mosca, Zana, Fortunato, Vendrame, Caruso, Frigo, Pietrobon take turns at the head, a bit of all the most famous faces show up in an action for the public, as is right.
The Mei-Cassani commentary and the Mexican's inspiration
There are those who do the commentary Davide Cassani and Paolo Mei, the Giro's speakerAs the laps go by, Cassani talks about the time he lost the Coppa Placci due to a very bad tactic together with Chiappucci, about that time (those times) he won the Giro dell'Emilia, about the fact that Caruso is one of his favorite riders, a true team player, so much so that he took it to both Olympics in which he was coach.
This is also part of the beauty of the Cycling Stars Criterium: to hear and see live a voice that most people have only heard and seen on television. If you think about it, it's something much more similar to a rock concert than a cycling race.
A small group tries to escape and Mei asks Cassani: "What are their chances of reaching the finish line?"
«Few, I think almost none».
Then: "Davide, what gear ratios do they use?" "54x15, 54x14, because on this circuit you need to rev up through the corners."
When though Del ToroFortunato and Pellizzari break away on the final lap, Cassani says: "They won't catch them again.". And so it will be. Del Toro (and who else) has lengthened in the last few hundred meters and He won the 10th edition of the Cycling Stars Criterium. Pellizzari took second place, Fortunato third..
A shared success
After the awards ceremony, and after having tasted (twice) the famous Pieve di Soligo spit, let's get closer Enrico Bonsembiante, who organized the event together with Alessandro Ballan.
«It seems to me that it went very well – he says – beyond expectations, despite the unstable weather which in the end was kind to us. We estimate around 10 thousand people came during the evening to watch the Criterium, so it was a great success.For this reason we must also thank the over 100 volunteers, our partners and the many local associations, to all those who helped us make all this possible».
The "all this" Bonsembiante talks about is an evening where cycling transforms into a celebration, a show, a rock concert. Something that goes beyond a bike race.
