MAGENTA – The group, seen from afar, reaches the finish line like a wave ready to crash on the rocks. Everything is resolved in the blink of an eye, in a twist of the hipsMoments captured in the mind of Luke Lamperti (LaPresse photo above), who crossed the white line and did not celebrate. The challenge with Ugly mess It was so uncertain that it needed a photo finishAll the riders ask the same question: "Who won?"
Lamperti's thrust
Lamperti finally climbs to the top step of the podium, the American who learned to do everything with the bike: above all to win. The Giro Next Gen It arrived in Magenta, the city where the famous battle that led to the unification of Italy was fought in June 1859. The fact that the Under-23 Giro d'Italia passes through these territories is significant and deserves to be emphasized. Today's battle was won by Trinity Cycling, the riders of Kennaugh they had the best train.
Lamperti in one recent interview he told us he was not a pure sprinter, but today he found himself winning the flattest stage of the Giro Next Gen.
"It's true," he says in the post-stage chaos, "today was the classic stage dedicated to sprinters. The team played a good role and in the last kilometers they were excellentWe managed to get three of us to the final 500 meters, so I made the most of my teammates' work. In arrivals like this you always have to be careful, there are many roundabouts and many obstacles to overcome."
Gradual growth
The theme of these first stages of Giro Next Gen It's how certain races are dominated by riders accustomed to competing in high-level contexts. Lamperti comes from 32 days of racing, including five stage races: all steps that allowed him to grow and arrive ready here in Italy.
"Doing so many stage races," he explains, "helped me prepare for this Giro. It was very helpful to run a lot and gradually get into shape. I started with the Gran Camino in Spain in February and made it all the way to the Tour of Japan at the end of May.Running all over the world has helped me a lot, especially by comparing myself with so many different athletes. It is clear, however, that the dream is to participate in the great classics, like Flanders and Roubaix."
Bruttomesso: regret and revenge
At the last bend, far from the finish line, Ugly mess he was in the top positions, but the effort he made to stay afloat in the group eventually got to him. Il corridore del Cycling Team Friuli he launched the sprint alone And all in all, this second place is worth its weight in gold. Above all, it helped him get his bearings.
«Second by a hair – he huffs – even in a comeback, but I lost half a wheel. Today we had to close our eyes and dive inWe had an unprecedented battle for position. The finish was a bit tricky, with roundabouts and narrow roads. I even came out right, but they (Trinity, ed.) were more numerous and they asserted themselvesIt's a shame, but there will still be two or three chances to try again: the last one in Trieste, but also the home one in Povegliano. Maybe even the one in Manerba."
«Managing a stage like this with five people is not easy – he continues – As soon as we saw that the breakaway had too much margin we started to pullI spoke with Colpack and Trinity, the Bergamo team put a couple of men in front, Trinity didn't. They preferred to do it this way and wait for the arrival."
