Actually, he's not the fourth, but the first of the quartet: the one who launches it. Lamon came back from the gym and turned on the TV. It was raining outside, so he didn't go out on the road. Instead, today, right as you're reading this article, he'll be driving towards Montichiari to ride on the track. There were 10 kilometers to go until the finish of the Andora stage and Francesco settled in just in time to see Ganna's attack and started cheering..
"When it started," he says, "I was rooting for him 100 percent. Then I imagined that it would inevitably end this way, and in fact a moment later I saw that “Simo” closed. Of course, it was inevitable that it would end like this and even more so Johnny won. And I say that I very much agree with the words said by Consonni, who found himself between a rock and a hard placeBut I consider them super professionals, so this thing goes into the background. I'm sure all three of them think so, like I think after the finish line we went back to being the same four idiots we always were…».
Between road and track
Of the four Olympians in the Tokyo quartet, Francis Lamon he's the only one who isn't racing the Giro. Seeing his three teammates compete in yesterday's stage filled him with pride. It was striking to see all three of them at the head of the group: Ganna trying to break away, Consonni closing, Milan winningVilla must have also jumped at the sight, before bursting into the predictable applause for Milan. Lamon talks about his days between home and Montichiari, trying to build the strength and endurance that the other three are finding at the Giro d'Italia..
«After the World Cups – he says – I took a break for a week, then I immediately started again to build a good base on the road, running and going deep to try to fill and simulate what the three of them are doing in the raceI'm trying to do some road blocks and I'm going to the track two days a week until the end of May, before going to high altitude for twenty days. Initially with Elia and then Pippo (Viviani and Ganna, ed.) will come too, after recovering a bit from the Giro. I don't know what plans Consonni and Milan have with Lidl-Trek, but we should all be reunited around the beginning of June, between high altitude and track.
The dismembered quartet
Lamon also raced on the road on Sunday, at the Port Circuit, a classic for sprinters, which takes place in Cremona. He came out with a thirteenth place, on the day of Jakub Mareczko's success.
"I really wanted to sprint on Sunday," he explains, "because it was the team's home race, so I had made the commitment. But I was cut off by a crash with six kilometers to go. We returned with practically two kilometers to go. The time to climb back up helped by my companions to the finish line and they fell again in front of usThen I had another slip-up and came back to thirteenth place. But that's not what I'm looking at; it was more about understanding my condition, having just started again. I'm feeling better than I thought, so I'm super relaxed. I'm working to stay aligned with others.
"In the three World Cups we've competed in, we've always raced with a dismembered quartet. Once there was Ganna, once there was Elia, so inevitably we never tried the four of us. However, we've always had excellent young replacements, like Giami, Galli, Boscaro, and even Scartezzini himself, who did it in Hong Kong. I too was forced to make different efforts than I usually do.I did the starts and then the final stretch, the one that when Pippo is there they don't ask me to do. I've been working on raising the bar a bit on my resistance and I see I've succeeded.I feel like I've made a little more progress in terms of my ability to push myself harder."
From the Giro to Montichiari
The approach to Paris continues and glancing at the TV in the mid-afternoon to see what his friends are up to is a way to feel part of the same group.
«In my own small way – says Lamon – I'm giving 150 percent to be ready, so I'm happy and I know we're working well. They will come from the Giro with greater stamina, but they will lack all that explosiveness that perhaps I can provide. As I was saying, from June onwards our paths will be aligned, so there will be fewer differences. They'll need a little more practice to be explosive, while I'll have to work on being just as resilient. Our strength will be the two months we will spend together and we will make the most of them.In the meantime, we've got the new bike and I'm really happy with it. I immediately felt the difference. Even though it's a little heavier, Pinarello has been a guarantee once again. It's the bike we needed; once you get going, it's fast. It's a little heavier in the first few meters, but what you gain in the next lap is more than what you lose in the first few meters».
A story to remember
It remains to be seen whether the Andora stage will leave its mark or whether, as Lamon certainly does, it will become a source of ridicule. To remove any doubt, After arriving, Consonni went to look for Ganna, admitting that he found himself in the middle.
"I hope Pippo doesn't get revenge for this," Lamon laughs, "when I'm in the middle of it too. You know how many times from now on, when we'll be back on the track, are we going to act stupid in training by simulating this situation? You can bet we will. But I'm happy to see them there playing, regardless of what jersey they're wearing. It means they're doing well."
