In the blinding sun reflected by the white Basilica of Bonaria, one of the symbols of Cagliari, they start invisible threads that connect the island of Sardinia to the world. In Paris, for example, where the UAE Team Emirates is celebrating Tadej Pogacar's triumph. Diego Ulissi joins the celebrations "remotely," authoritatively winning the first edition of the "Italian Cycling Week... on the roads of Sardinia."The Tuscan champion is a rider who has rediscovered his form after last winter's scare. On the island, he made things clear from day one, sprinting in Sassari to take the blue leader's jersey and confirming his performance in Capo di Sotto, again in a close sprint. He raised some doubts in coach Davide Cassani, but he is calm.
«For me, being here, having had Cassani's attention, who kept the door open until the end – he says – is already a victory. There are other events between now and the end of the season, also for the national teamI'll have to be ready."
From Cagliari to the Champs-Elysees
Sardinia made him happy, he didn't consider the two stages and the classification – conquered with 8” on the indomitable Sep Vanmarcke – as second-best victories and Pascal Ackermann did the same, even if his mind followed that invisible thread, up to France: «No, these are not the Champs-Elysées – he said, widening his smile on the straight that gave him two sprints out of two, masterful and different – but Every victory counts for me and for these three in Sardinia I'm really happy».
Three successes (Oristano and twice Cagliari), three like his teammate at Bora Hansgrohe, Peter Sagan, in 2011, but actually five in fifteen days, counting the Sibiu Tour: «I had to overcome some family problems, I was hoping to go to the Tour, but I proved to be in good shape And now I hope to continue like this. A short break, then I'll think about Poland."
For Viviani, this is the last test after the hard work on the track before Tokyo. Scartezzini has been working for his teammates on the track: now he'll take a breather. Ganna sought his rhythm in Sardinia for the Tokyo time trial. Then it's track time...
For Viviani, this is the last test after the hard work on the track before Tokyo. Scartezzini has been working for his teammates on the track: now he'll take a breather. Ganna sought his rhythm in Sardinia for the Tokyo time trial. Then it's track time...
From Cagliari to Tokyo
Between Sardinia and Romania, on that invisible thread, he made the tightrope walker also Giovanni Aleotti: a stage, a second place and the final classification at the Sibiu Tour, a third place in the stage and the one in the "general" in this Italian Week, with the primacy among the young riders.
«If we also add Ackermann's three victories, I think we at Bora can be happy», he admits, recalling that fourth overall was Felix Grossschartner. And while Santiago Buitrago completes the awards ceremony wearing the green climbers' jersey over the red one of Bahrain Victorious, with Ackermann first in points, the caravan disperses towards the next destination.
For someone that invisible thread unites the Island to Tokyo. With the Azzurri (Alberto Bettiol, Giulio Ciccone, Gianni Moscon and Damiano Caruso), Six others warmed up their muscles ahead of the Olympic road race: Swiss Gino Mader, Belarusian Aleksandr Riabushenko (second in the fourth stage), Russian Ilnur Zakarin (who finished in the top 10), Slovakian Juraj Sagan, South African Ryan Gibbons and Lithuanian Evaldas Siskevicius.
Felix Grossschartner fourth in the standings, Bora gets a rich haul Sardinia has been a great place for many Italians: here is Marco Canola "This is not the Champs-Elysées, but I'm happy," says Ackermann, who finishes with 3 victories
Felix Grossschartner fourth in the standings, Bora gets a rich haul Sardinia has been a great place for many Italians: here is Marco Canola "This is not the Champs-Elysées, but I'm happy," says Ackermann, who finishes with 3 victories
From Cagliari… to the future
A final thread floats in the air of Cagliari. It starts from the podium and flies away, waiting to unite this first edition of the Italian Week, so called because it was impossible to use the name "Giro di Sardegna" (The race is theoretically scheduled for October), with the next one. We can only see the beginning: Nature Great Events e Gs Emilia they will try to find the other end in 2022.
