BORMIO – A day spent in the second flagship of the Team Cofidis to breathe the race and hear its voices. Getting to the heart of the matter Tour of Italy It's something unique and capable of giving a different point of view on the Giro d'ItaliaThe meeting with the team led by Roberto Damiani is in the square where the buses are located at the start of San Michele all'Adige. The French team has no player in the standings and in a complicated and demanding stage like stage seventeen of this Giro there is only one objective: to break away.
We get in the car with Gorka Gerrikagoitia, Cofidis sports director, who will be our sherpa on the mountains that take us from Trentino to the heart of the Lombardy mountains: Bormio. 155 kilometers and two passes that will make your legs tremble: Tonale and Mortirolo.
12,25pm: off we go
We close the door and get into the racing mood, the second flagship starts early and goes to position itself at the first refueling point. There is a gap between the Alpecin-Deceuninck cars and the XDS Astana one, yesterday's winners. The race heats up early and the group's pace is jerky, the voice on race radio tells us. The man designated to enter the morning escape is Stefano Oldani and the tactic is simple: gain an advantage and then try to stay close to the pink jersey group should he come back.
The red and yellow jersey of the Milanese can always be glimpsed on the small screen of the team car. Once the intermediate sprint in Cles is over, the advance group takes shape, Oldani is there. Between the doors and the seats loaded with wheels and water bottles you can hear the voice of Roberto Damiani, calm and seraphic. The sports director guides him by giving him constant instructions: "Stay on your wheels," can be heard from the crackling transmitter. they mustn't see you all the way to the top of Tonale».
“The road flattens out now,” he continues shortly after, “there are three kilometers to go to the summit.”
«Keep your pace steady – he advises him when Fortunato reaches out – there is also the Mortirolo after"Meanwhile, the zipper of the red and yellow sweater is wide open. "Good, you're over the hill – again – it's time to put something in your mouth."
The little group
Behind Oldani is the car driven by Damiani, as we were saying, while we, Gorka Gerrikagoitia and the masseur Michael Mainguenaud, are behind the group. From the initial kilometres of Tonale you can tell that the day will be long for the first ones.Even before the real climb begins and the small group of sprinters takes shape, there's a constant back-and-forth between the team cars from its tail. Pockets and legs need to be filled. Jonathan Lastra, Nicolas Debeaumarché, Jan Maas, Sylvain Moniquet and Anthony Perez come and goSome people ask for a gel, a water bottle with fifty grams of carbohydrates (it says so on the cap), or some bars.
With Tonale behind us, we're off downhill. There are still ninety kilometres to go, but at least the next twenty-five won't cause any more leg pain. Debeaumarché takes the cape too late and fails to close it in timeHe takes some risks and receives a few words of rebuke from Basque sports director Gerrikagoitia.
Mortirolo and attacks
The leading group attacks the Mortirolo, Oldani is still with the first and Damiani's voice returns to mark the climbMeanwhile, Polti-VisitMalta is setting the pace behind them. "They're giving EF Easy Post a big hand," Gerrikagoitia commented. "I don't understand why they're still pushing. The breakaway is gone now." Today I see Carapaz well, in my opinion he will still attack».
The signal comes and goes and the small television positioned between us and the Basque sports director shows us little. Meanwhile, the group, which is numerous today, is getting their legs going in the hope that the climb will end soon.Two Intermaché riders return, Van Der Hoorn and Van Hoecke, and to celebrate their recovery they bang their fists together in a show of understanding. More gels and bars come out of the car and when Carapaz attacks a few meters from the GPM behind, the arc of less than fifty kilometers to the finish can be seen“The day is still long,” we comment in the car.
Del Toro or Carapaz?
The dive towards Sondalo and Valtellina allows the rear of the group to catch their breath and gather their thoughts. The fireworks start in front"Steinhauser," Gerrikagoitia commented, "is a good ally for Carapaz. I think they'll catch the breakaway and go on to win." However, Pidcock's presence forces Q36.5 Pro Cycling to work together to close the gap. The Le Motte breakaway is taken head on and Bardet from the head of the race extends his lead. Carapaz and Del Toro: Victory is a three-way game.
When the pink jersey extends its lead in the last kilometre, the comment of our travelling companion is a classic expression among the Spanish: «Que ataque brutal!». «This is a nice coup for Del Toro comments the sports director of Cofidis – an important signal for morale. But the challenge is open."
The Mexican celebrates, we still have fifteen kilometers to go and just when we think that the fate of those running behind is to struggle and have little time to recover, it starts to rain. As we pass on the Le Motte climb the group stretches out and number 23 Simon Guglielmi loses his wheelsWe pass him, he joins the queue for a moment, and then rejoins his team car. Before the turnoff to the finish line, he passes the queue of cars and turns left towards the finish line. A nod of thanks to Gerrikagoitia and the paths divide.
It was a long day, finishing well after the first ones but at the same time full of emotions. Experiencing a stage in the heat of the race and together with the last ones reminded us that the Giro d'Italia belongs to everyone. And not just the colorful jerseys and energetic looks. Everyone deserves respect and a few words, and the cycling community who flocked to the roads knows this. The enthusiasm never failed, not even 37 minutes and 28 seconds after the passage Del Toro.
