SANREMO – Ganna almost won the Milan-Sanremo And that little five-letter word that can't be removed produces an almost painful annoyance. Pippo arrives in the mixed zone, and staying standing among the pushing colleagues becomes a real challenge. After crossing the finish line, the Piedmontese of the Ineos Grenadiers he stopped at the end of the straight, when the bike wouldn't go any further, he then turned back. He didn't stop to talk or do anything else with his masseurs. He went straight to the podium area to be alone for a while and reflect on a second place that could really have been a victory and which came thanks to great condition and a stubborn head with which he ran from the first kilometer.
It's hard to imagine Pogacar attacking from Cipressa, even if he laughs and says it would have been worse if he had moved from Turchino. In short those 5 minutes out of range which had been discussed so much in relation to Poggio, Ganna had to invent them at least three timesAt 86 kilos, only he knows how much he struggled to match the world champion and the extraordinary Van der Poel. Yet he always had them in his sights.
Breathless pursuit
He came back and they unplugged him. He came back again and they left again. Until… he caught up with them in the last kilometre and at that point he had a clear chance of playing for the SanremoIt was a chase in reverse on the attack of Longo Borghini two hours earlier. Ganna saw them and pounced on them just before the sprint. And suddenly the Sanremo that seemed beautiful and closed reopened in an unpredictable way..
His only regret, he says, is having waited too long for the sprint: cross-country skier Van der Poel's change of pace was decisive. Remember the prank he played on Van Aert at the end of the World Cross-Country Championships in Hoogerheide?
Ganna sits down and seems to have put his thoughts in order. Backstage he had the chance to talk with Pogacar and Van der Poel And looking around, he realized that the level of the company had never been higher. Coming in second stings, but doing it at the head of the best Sanremo of the last (many) years has a different flavor.
Are you still satisfied in the end?
Yes, I think I did one of my best performancesWe also did a great job as a team, I don't know what else I could do, guys. I was in front with a world champion, a former world champion, a rider who's won so many monuments that I can't even count them, and the other one who's lost count between the Giro and the Tour. I'm happy, I did my best and I couldn't ask for more..
But did you believe in it until the end?
Oh, hope is the last to die. I think we entertained the audience, it's been a while since we've seen a Sanremo like this.Those two guys cost me years of my life, but I think I got there with the best I could. More than shots, I tried to adjust, because I couldn't do more, but if I hadn't followed Pogacar at the first attack, I would have finished th. So, it was better to take the risk.
A regret in sprint?
The only one, maybe yes. Maybe I could have anticipated Van der Poel's attack, but given how things were going, second place is more than fine.. Anyway, I repeat, I think I gave one of the best performances of my life. There were champions who took 14 years to win this race, let's hope it takes less because otherwise I'll have to prolong my career too much.
How difficult was it to come back when you were 10 seconds behind Mathieu and Tadej?
One of the most difficult moments of the race. On the Poggio I suffered a lot, but then on the descent I tried to get back on track and I told myself that I didn't care if I fell.I had to put in a great effort to get back in and I have to say I succeeded. Obviously I can't be happy about having finished second, but being the first of the losers and having given my all makes me say that it's okay like this. And then, guys, if you want, next time I'll give you the bike and you can take care of it.
Are we now heading for Roubaix?
There's almost a month to go, so let's wait, there are still a lot of races to do. Next week I'll be racing the E3 GP in Harelbeke, then Ghent and then back home for my sister's graduation.It's right to be part of the family beyond work, to have a normal life. So I'll come home for Carlotta's graduation and then we'll see how it goes. the approach to Roubaix. But let me say that The Sanremo race in Italy was a great thingAs an Italian, hearing my name shouted for 300 kilometers gave me extra energy. So, thank you all for your support, and see you next time.
