In San Juan, for the last stage of the Return, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streetsSomething unthinkable, if not for stages like the Giro d'Italia or the Tour in their hottest lands. Along the 16-kilometer circuit, not a single meter seemed to be uncovered by the public and in the end the victory went once again to Sam Welsford on Jakobsen and Nizzolo. And if in the first stage he had been scared, this time the Dutchman got it right. That's why when he was walking towards the podium he had a shaken look on his face..
“It was already super special,” Welsford says, “to have won yesterday and it gave me great motivation. Today I had great confidence and this second success makes me believe in the process that I started here and will continue for the rest of the seasonThe results on the track were an important experience in getting to this level. The team helped me a lot throughout the weekWe were surrounded by an incredible crowd, I couldn't hear what my teammates were saying.
"I hope to come back here next year and that this will be one of the many victories to come. We were very fast in the sprint, Fabio tried to get between the barriers and was hit by a telephoneI saw the replay. I hope he's okay, he really risked falling. Sometimes you have to understand from the outside that when you get so close to the riders, we must be careful about their safety».
Danger escaped
Jakobsen tried to slip in on the Australian's right, demonstrating that he has recovered well psychologically from what happened to him in Poland. But just as he slipped into the few centimetres between Nizzolo and the barrier, He was hit on the head by the cell phone of a fan who was leaning out to photograph him.
The phone flew away and with it Jakobsen's glasses, but The Dutchman's front wheel skid was about to cost him dearly.. If he had not corrected the trajectory with a swerve, Jakobsen allegedly lifted the advertising panel tied to the barrier with the wheel and the consequences could have been very serious.
Nizzolo, the right relationship
Third again, as after the first stage, Nizzolo greets the new podium with greater awareness. If on the first day he found himself sprinting with a gear ratio that was too short, paying for Bennett's change of pace, this time the Milanese tried to anticipate the sprint by starting very long.
«I had a good feeling – he explains – but The sprint was a bit strange for me, in the sense that I don't like sprints. It wasn't very technical.But I found the way out, even if it was a bit far from the finish line. I tried and anyway Having done such a long sprint is a sign that your condition is quite goodA podium that motivates me, different from the first. With the relationship I had last week, I had little chance. Today I did a sprint, which is always nice.. Then, of course, being overtaken at the best moment isn't nice.
«Did you see how many people? I was telling my teammates that in 2018 I won this stage in a practically identical scenario and it was an incredible emotion.Because, well, having these people is unusual, so it's wonderful. I thank them all».
Between Lopez and Tarozzi
The Vuelta a San Juan 2023 has taken it Miguel Angel Lopez, thank you to the enterprise at the Alto del Colorado, with ours Tarozzi who won the Grand Prix of the Mountains jersey, thanks to his jaunty and stubborn conduct.
«I'm very happy with this team – says Lopez – I thank everyone for their work every day, I hope this victory is a nice rewardI also want to congratulate the organizers for this wonderful race, I think the people really enjoyed it. I take home this victory and start the year very motivatedI have to thank Medellin for this opportunity they gave me to show my qualities, we have proven to be the best teamEveryone has seen how united we are. This victory makes me very happy and above all I want to dedicate it to my family, to my wife and my children who are the most important thing. They are always there, for better or for worse."
For the Colombian and for the Romagnol of the Green Project-Bardiani-Faizanè it's a win-win. The first wanted to prove something to himself and Astana and now we will have to wait to understand how his story will end. Meanwhile, the Team Medellin Pack your bags for invitations you've already received in Europe. Instead, Tarozzi has to recover from the injury he suffered in 2022 and is just waiting to tell everyone about the work it took him to get here..
The evening lights up with lights, colors and fireworks. The messages recorded in the last few days are shown on the big screen on the stage, with which the riders bid farewell to Maximiliano Richeze.Tonight there will be a party at the Hotel Del Bono, where all the teams will gather, then it will be time for Pack up your bike, dreams and hopes and set sail for the European winterThe Vuelta a San Juan closes the series of first warm-weather races; soon all the riders will return to competing on the European routes.
