A curve. The last damned curve has ruined the plans of Andrea Vendrame. We were almost certain that Andrea would break away today. A rider like him, as we've come to know, wants to leave his mark. At least he wants to try.
But how? It would have been fair to ask: Vendrame, who is almost a sprinter, could win a stage with 3.600 meters of elevation gain, and what's more, with a mountain finish? The answer is yes. And it wouldn't be the first time he's won tough stages; remember last year. in Bagno di Romagna.
Before the Sanctuary of Castelmonte, in this Tour of ItalyHe had thrown himself into two bunch sprints and a couple of breakaways. But the Venetian is special. A rider who thinks carefully and weighs every move carefully. He once told us: "Cycling is 80% head and the rest legs."
Castelmonte in the crosshairs
In Budapest, on the evening of the team presentation, he told us that he would circle two or three stages in red, also with the help of his mental coach.
"And this was one of those," reiterated the rider of theAg2R-Citroen after arrival.
Today he wanted to go on the run and he did.
«On Kolovrat – says Andrea – I tried to maintain my pace, I didn't want to go overboard. I knew I could get back downhill, where I go well. I hadn't come to see the stage, but I had studied it carefully."
And returning to the four at triple the speed, he even tried. He rode straight, as the good cyclist's handbook dictates.
Climbing obstacle
The final climb, however, is once again a huge obstacle for Vendrame. He is certainly the fastest, but he is also certainly the least capable of climbing. Luckily for him, the other four were exhausted.
During the climb, Vendrame's eyes are glued to the asphalt and in particular to the last wheel to follow.
"In my head," Andrea says, now with his hands in his head and still shaking from the adrenaline rush, "I was thinking of sprinting to the finish. I was climbing at my own pace again. I knew and hoped they'd control themselves. Also because that was their only hope of finishing in a sprint. My legs were good. I'm glad I tried."
The curve…
And finally, he makes it. His plan is (almost) successful. He passes Castelmonte. At 800 meters, the climb is a thing of the past. The road descends imperceptibly at one point. Awareness grows within him. And even before the slope decreases, he has his hands down.
Now the distance to that last wheel is reduced to the bare minimum. It's no longer "out of the way." The left-hand bend is perhaps even tighter than the usual ninety-degree one.
"I knew," Vendrame says, "that I was the fastest, and I knew this corner was there. I'd even seen it this morning before the start online, with the team. Maybe I didn't think it would be so tight."
«My idea was to take it on the outside, in first or second position to be able to get out faster. That, for me, was the best trajectory to win. But unfortunately, they went straight and forced me to go wide (in the opening photo, ed.), as you can see. I also think they played a bit unfairly. Today, everyone wants to take them on the inside and… What could I do but slow down? Luckily there were no barriers, otherwise we would have hurt ourselves."
"Sometimes you win sprints, sometimes you lose them: it's a wildcard. And that's how it went. Better a fifth place than a crash."
The rider from Conegliano had chosen a 53-39 in front and 11-32 behind for this stage Vendrame's computer data at the end of the stage A bag of gummy bears in hand. The Marmolada recovery begins here.
The rider from Conegliano had chosen a 53-39 in front and 11-32 behind for this stage Vendrame's computer data at the end of the stage A bag of gummy bears in hand. The Marmolada recovery begins here.
And the broken dreams
Vendrame's dreams were shattered 70 meters from the finish. Perhaps it was his psychological journey, or perhaps Andrea is just like that, but he was already trying to put this episode behind him. But there is disappointment on his face.
By the way, this is not the first time he has experienced a similar situation. Already towards San Martino di Castrozza, at the 2019 Giro, broke his chain in the finale when he was about to win.
«A lost stage at the Giro hurts, but we'll try again. In some other Giro or already at the next one Tour de France, we'll see what the team decides."
Meanwhile, Rai's Antonello Orlando asks him if he wants to go to the Processo alla Tappa. Andrea, who was already ready to head down the valley with his now obligatory whistle to clear the traffic, translates the request to his press officer, who gives him the okay.
Before leaving, he just has time to grab a bag of gummy candies and tell us: The Giro isn't over. Tomorrow there's another stage, and we're still racing at home. Let's see what we can do."
