October 13th. Sixth stage of the Tour of TürkiyeThe longest, the most severe, decisive for the ranking. The Green Project-Bardiani-CSF-Faizané it's well placed, Pellizzari fight for top positions but also Santaromita e Nieri They are in the top 20. The latter remained behind on the penultimate climb, but is recovering on the descent. He has placed himself behind the South African Gibbons, follows its trajectories.
The rider of uae However, he takes a wrong turn and slides. Nieri tries to brake, but there's not enough room. They will tell him the rest that evening, in the hospital, at the beginning of a true odyssey.
«I don't remember anything about the fall – says the Tuscan – I only know that I hit the guardrail and flew away, They told me I fell on my head and in fact the helmet is destroyedI regained consciousness while I was sitting up. I vaguely remember that they were giving me first aid, and meanwhile I could feel that acrid taste of blood in my mouth. I had bitten my tongue, it had hit me in several places."
What damage did you suffer?
The worst thing was the pneumothorax, which was quite serious and required hospitalization. They also feared I'd broken something, and I honestly don't understand how I managed to keep my bone structure intact, except for a few microfractures. They put a drain on my lung, and for the first few days I was almost paralyzed, unable to make the slightest movement.
How long were you hospitalized and where?
I was at Izmir University Hospital. I stayed there for ten days and it was tough, I can't deny it. My parents wanted to join me, but I told them not to; they would have been unnecessarily shocked.I was completely alone, with the doctors at least speaking English, but with the nurses and staff I had to use my smartphone translator. Luckily, in the last few days, a dear friend of mine joined me, like a second mother to me, which made my stay a little more bearable. At least I had a friendly voice, in Italian…
And how is it going now?
At least I'm moving. However, I had a small recurrence of the pneumothorax because when they removed the drain, air got in, so I still have to be very careful.I still have back and wrist pain, but every day is a small step toward recovery. The problem is that I realize the accident has affected my physical fitness, and this could translate into problems once I get on the bike.
When will you be able to go up there again?
For now there is no talk of it, I hope to be able to start again very slowly by December, but I'll definitely have to do more than just physiotherapy, but above all I'll have to find the right fit on the bike. I'm sure that if I were to get on it now, I'd be pushing with just one leg...
So far we've talked about the physical aspect, but what about the moral one?
I try to cheer myself up as best I can. I was very disappointed because the race was going well, the last climb was missing and I was counting not only on giving Pellizzari a hand but also on climbing further in the standings and it would have been a nice way to end a season of ups and downs.This, together with the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China, was the longest stage race, and I wanted to finish it well to put two unlucky years behind me, from which I expected much more.
Maybe a luckier outcome would have changed your future too…
Maybe. However, I already knew that Bardiani would not confirm me and I had found a new landing place in a continental which I can't announce yet. The team has been very supportive, however. Amoriello He was our sports director and was with me on the day of the accident and has never missed a daily contact. The doctors have also continued to monitor me, albeit remotely. The same goes for the new team.
Who hired you before all this problem…
Exactly, but I have to say that they were extremely sensitive, they left me alone, They know that I may not be ready for the start of the season, that it will take time and a lot of work.This also gives me the strength to keep going.
In this regard, how is the morale?
I alternate days where I'm really eager to get back on the bike with others where I wonder if I'm doing the right thing by continuing. I don't deny that even before the accident I asked myself whether it was worth persisting, but if I look back I tell myself that I have to try because in these two years we haven't seen the real Alessio Nieri. And I know it's still there. Above all, I want to go back to having fun, which I no longer had…
It will change your calendar.
Undoubtedly, landing in a continental team but I know that there will be opportunities to race with the pros, opportunities to go abroad. There will be a lot of competition in Italy, a lot with the under 23s and I like the fact that the team is balanced between young players and slightly more "experienced" players like myself.If I can accompany someone younger than me and offer some advice, that too motivates me to get back in the saddle as soon as possible...
