May 28, 2010 was a Friday and Basso was still 2'28" behind Arroyo's pink jersey (in the opening, Ivan with Scarponi on the Mortirolo). That Giro had started in a crazy way, with the escape from L'Aquila which had pushed forward those who had believed in it and sunk the ambitions of othersBut Liquigas did not give up and on the eve of the Aprica stage, Basso had already recovered 9'21”Still a short time compared to the 11:49 on that cursed evening in Abruzzo, in the shadow of houses still devastated by the earthquake of the previous year.
«Aprica and Trivigno were made – Ivan remembers – then the Mortirolo from Mazzo, descent to Edolo and back to ApricaI had to play everything on the Mortirolo, the next day on the Tonale there was little that could be done. I had to throw him into a crisis. On that climb, if you attack hard right away, you'll make real gains.It was a very particular Giro, having to constantly recover. It was truly exhausting…».
Arroyo took the pink jersey in Asolo in 2010 and lost it in Aprica In the first kilometers of the Mortirolo, Basso received precious help from Vincenzo Nibali
Arroyo took the pink jersey in Asolo in 2010 and lost it in Aprica In the first kilometers of the Mortirolo, Basso received precious help from Vincenzo Nibali
The Mortirolo and the rose
The Mortirolo returns today for one of those stages that, especially after rest, has always made people tremble.
«It will certainly be decisive – continues Basso – considering the lockdown of the weekend just gone by, with Turin e Cogne and what will come next, with Lavarone and Marmolada. Whoever comes out of Mortirolo wearing the pink jersey will hardly be dethronedIf you have the energy to make a difference on the penultimate weekend, you usually go on to improve…».
The day's stage features Crocedomini, then Mortirolo, Teglio and Santa Cristina The Mortirolo from Monno, with the "direttissima" is a new side for the Giro
The day's stage features Crocedomini, then Mortirolo, Teglio and Santa Cristina The Mortirolo from Monno, with the "direttissima" is a new slope for the Giro
Childhood Memories
For the Varese citizen who today carries on his Eolo-Kometa, that climb also means something else and It has its roots in the memory of childhood and of the maternal home in Bianzone.
«My mother was over there – he confirms, remembering Mrs. Nives who passed away too soon – and the stage passes a few hundred meters from the house where I grew upI kept the highest hut, at 1.600 meters, and I often go there. I rode the Mortirolo for the first time when I was 11 years old, with a steel mountain bike that weighed 11 kilosMy first climb on a racing bike was the Stelvio, but I didn't have the gears for the Mortirolo. I needed a triple and in a couple of turns I even put my foot on the groundWhen I was a child, I used to do these climbs, and I dreamed that when I grew up, I would do them in the Giro d'Italia. For me, cycling was the theme song of Rai, with Jesper Skibby throwing himself into that descent and the music of Turandot in the background, with Pavarotti's Vincerò. Those are my memories. We used to watch the race on TV, now I see Santiago checking in on his cell phone wherever he is..."
Waiting for Ineos
This time the Mortirolo climbs from Monno and faces the direct route, a section that was a sort of testing ground for Contador in training, linked to Valtellina by an ancient friendship.
«The Mortirolo – confirms Basso – is the watershed that affects the raceThe toughest and most authentic side is Mazzo, because it's the one that made history. But in the end, everyone has their own characteristics. It's the climb they fear the most in the group, and then you also have to see at what point in the race it's tackled, because obviously the interpretation of the race will be different. In a stage like today, I expect Ineos to make the differenceLet's not let ourselves be influenced by what we saw at the Blockhaus and in Turin, those were not stages for them...".
That time with Simoni
The stage starts from Salò. It immediately tackles the Crocedomini, then goes to Monno to tackle the Mortirolo. And finally it features the climb of Teglio from Bianzone and that of the Santa Cristina, who in 1994 launched Pantani towards the same finish line as ApricaAmong Basso's memories there is also this: he was still 15 years old. And then the Mortirolo of 2006, the one with Simoni and the big argument at the finish line in Aprica.
«I saw Pantani's Mortirolo in 1994 – recalls Basso – on television. These are the images you never forget.In 2006, however, I already had a significant advantage, I wanted to win the stage. That episode is now over. We've cleared things up. And now we go to the races to follow our children."
