SESTRIERE – When all, and I mean all, of the 159 riders left in the race have filed towards the team cars, here comes the Edoardo Affini. The giant of the Visma-Lease a Bike he has a smile this big.
Edoardo passed 41'08” later the very talented Chris Harper and wasted more time because he slipped straight into the mixed zone to crush with a hug of his own Simon yates. They won the Tour of Italy and rightly so.
They won it with a great team effort. The role of Wout van aert if not decisive it was decisive. What a powerhouse, Wout... In the end, champions always find a way to show off, to shine, and above all, to be at the heart of the race. But Edoardo Affini was also at the heart of the race and of this Giro. It was from Primoz Roglic's success on Lussari who did not win a Grand Tour, but that was a whole other story. That pink jersey was definitely more anticipated. And the the party can begin.
Edoardo, you're excited, did you expect this?
You were expecting "ni", in the sense that I honestly believed it. If you also ask the masseurs, the staff guys, when we were talking to the directors I always said that Simon had to believe it, because I still saw him wellHe was very lively, and perhaps in a certain sense we believed in it more than he did.
Incredible, but now you too have some experience when it comes to great captains…
Last night I told him, too, "Come on, Simon, believe it. Keep at it." And so did the others. We tried to give him the right push and then today this is what happened! When I heard on the radio that he was starting to make money, I said: "Come on, come on... what the hell is going on?" Who then won the Giro d'Italia on the climb where he had lost it. But he came back to win it. I think it's an incredible story, a really beautiful story.
Was it your plan to send Van Aert fleeing? Had you planned this action?
Yes, but not in a forced way, let's say. Let me explain: It's not that he should have done exactly what he did, but a large group of attackers was created, we wanted to put a man in there and Wout managed to get in there. Then clearly, the way the race went, a perfect plan emerged.
Edoardo, how did you experience these final kilometers?
I suffered them! Because after three weeks and with these climbs I'm pretty done, but it's clear that having that news gave motivation.
What did others around you ask you?
Oh,” he laughs, “they wanted to know how it was going. “Is it over?” “How are things going?” “What happened?” I gave some directions, but only up to a certain point, because then the distance started to get too far, and even the radio couldn't be heard properly. Getting up here and seeing everything… a joy!
Have you had a chance to see Simon, to compliment him?
Yes, yes, I went to the mixed zone. He was doing interviews, but I totally "didn't give a damn" (let's grant him this license, ed.) and I pounced on him. There's no interview for something like this. We hugged right away.
It's a great satisfaction also for those like you who work for these captains, right?
Absolutely. During these three weeks I acted as his bodyguard, obviously for the fastest stages. For the toughest ones, I stayed there as long as I could. Then, of course, I also supported other riders on the team. But what can I say? Simon and I did a training camp together in Tenerife, and at the beginning of the year we shared a room together... I think a nice bond has been created. And then, guys, after a victory like that… It's a lot of stuff.
