Antonio's victory Tiberi al Tour of Luxembourg It caused a sensation. Even though it is not a WorldTour event, the race has always had a very high profile line-up, being considered one of the most prestigious stage races in the final phase of the seasonThe last Italian who had managed to bring it home had been Andrea Pasqualon in 2018 and this is striking, given the technical difference between the two, who have also become teammates since 2023 team.
Pasqualon is certainly not a specialist in stage races, so it is reasonable to believe that the two editions of the Luxembourg race, 6 years apart, were different: «Actually when I won – remember the Venetian – there was no time trial and for Antonio it was important. Then there was a prologue of a couple of kilometers. I built my victory thanks to time bonuses, winning two stages and finishing third in the other two. It was a different race, it was held at the beginning of June before the Tour, but it wasn't flat, that's for sure, the routes were quite similar to the ones I've seen, with constant ups and downs and opportunities for escapes."
What similarities do you see between your victory and that of Tiberius?
Few because we have different characteristics. In some ways I see myself more in Van der Poel who lost his shirt on the last day. I won it in the third place and I managed it like the Dutchman was doing, but he didn't have the team to support him in the last fraction.I remember that in the last stage many teams tried to attack me and my teammates Wanty Groupe Gobert They worked incredibly hard to keep up the pace, but in the final stretch, I had to move alone to close in on the final climb. VDP found himself alone too early; he couldn't close in on everyone, and at a certain point, he had to take a risk, leaving space. Antonio was good at taking advantage of this.
Did his victory surprise you?
No, he's a very suitable rider for that type of race. Especially for a ride with little flat land and where you always pedal at the limit, with continuous climbs and where the evolution of the race leads to the group breaking upTiberi is the classic fast rouleur at ease on tracks like those. But his was above all a head-to-head victory.
What do you mean?
Antonio had the genius to attack, not to be satisfied with the placing and to try to turn the situation around by reading the race and the difficulties VDP would have faced without teammates around him. He chose the right moment, went very strong, and it worked out for him. He won because he knew how to take risks.
It's actually not often that an Italian rider finds himself in the thick of the action and playing his cards, especially a young one from a WorldTour team. Why?
This is a sensitive topic. First of all, let's take into account that we are racing in a cycling world with 4-5 phenomena who are used to intervening and attacking already halfway through the race.This puts them ahead of schedule, making it difficult to surprise them, and you try to do so in the early stages. That's why you try to break away from the start, hoping the race will shape up so they can catch up. But this also means something else.
Or?
If I were a ranking man today, I'd tear my hair out... This is the worst period, to emerge you have to have monstrous numbers. Look what the uae: it does not only have pogacar, but all the members could be captains in other teams, it is difficult to go against them. You have to know how to read the races, seize every opportunity, and we're pretty good at doing that. Tiberi did it, he wasn't satisfied with a placing that no one would have talked about., instead his victory had a huge impact and this is what Italian cycling needs.
Let's get to you, how are you doing now after having to withdraw from the European Championship for which you were called up?
The blue jersey doesn't bring me much luck... Last year too I was forced to give up racing in the world championship for the fatigue accumulated in supporting Mohoric at the Tour of Poland. This year I crashed in training and the injuries I sustained forced me to sit out two weeks. Now I've been working for a week and am aiming for the end-of-season classics, from the Emilia to the Agostoni to the Gran Piemonte, to be competitive and help Tiberi. Zambanini, Bilbao.
How do you feel in this new role as a helper?
I really like the gregariato as I understand it, that is, being helpful in the salient phases of the race, supporting the captains in the approach to the key moments as well as piloting Bauhaus in the sprints.I see that the team believes in me, and I want to help them achieve as many results as possible, which I also feel are mine, such as Tiberi's at the Giro, as well as Mohoric and Zambanini's 6th and 7th place finishes in Poland. Wherever there's a lot of fighting and breathing space, I'm there. The guys thank me for what I do, and that makes me happy. At my age, a final placing wouldn't mean anything more; this position is better suited to me, allowing me to finish my career with dignity.
