They had planned the same attack, but Simmons did it first and won. Richeze walked behind with his head down. And when we saw him coming towards us, he was crying. It would have been a home victory in the final race of his career, it would have been so satisfying.
The third stage of the Return to San Juan it ended inside the Villicum Circuit, with an audience in the stands and a thrilling finale. It was all about getting into the lead on the final corner and from there sprinting to the finish line., anticipating the sprinters and their trains.
Baffi's plan
«We have achieved what we had thought about last night and reiterated this morning. Sometimes you make a thousand plans, but when they succeed there is great satisfaction».
Adriano Baffi speaks with motivated pride, while Simmons from the stage greets and behind the technician of the Trek-Segafredo Cataldo, Vacek and Aberasturi review the tactics put into practice perfectly.
«He fell in the first stage – Baffi recalls – but I told him to pretend it had never happened. It's as if we started over yesterday and finished third. Today we won. The boy had quality when he arrived, we knew he still had it and now he is learning the right way to run, less impulsiveToday he had to stay close to his teammates until the right moment and that's what happened."
The last curve
On Friday he arrives on Colorado, which will remind him of home. At the joke he smiles and receives yet another salvo of compliments. When we met him in Calpe He said the focus for this year was to win, no matter what. He succeeded on the third day.
“We had talked about this finale,” says the red-haired and bearded American. “It was my only chance to win, since I’m not a sprinter. Mathias (Vacek, ed.) guided me perfectly at that last cornerThe team worked all day for me today, It's even easy to put in a minute of effort when others help you like this. Baffi told me to forget about the first day and stick to the plan. He instilled great energy in me."
Early Richeze
Richeze had also circled it in red, knowing he didn't have the pace or the legs to compete with riders ahead of him in condition.
«I haven't run since June – he says – and Despite everything, this second place has a bitter tasteI'm not able to do a group sprint with everyone else, I use 54 and it seems hard to me, they use 56I wanted to attack, I had spoken about it with Fernando (Gaviria, ed.). I knew that whoever started first on that corner would have a good advantage.. Except that as I was about to leave, Simmons beat me to it. He had more stamina than I did. I tried to get out, but I didn't have the legs to close».
Colorado, his home
Baffi also said that with Simmons they came looking further than the single stage. And that someone like him, who last year at Tirreno Carpegna fled, on the Upper Colorado it might even hold firm.
“It’s a big climb,” he smiles, “and I weigh 72 kilos. It's difficult for me to keep up with the Colombians, who are lighter. In the team there is Vacek who could think about the standings, but it is clear that We'll get to that last climb very close and I won't back downIf we reach the top in a small group, I will definitely sprint. I'm getting to my house, I'll get to the top (laughing, ed.)».
Cavendish's message
As Richeze leaves, we ask him a slightly wicked question: Would you have dedicated your eventual victory to Mark Cavendish?
«No – he says – for me it's an outdated thing. Anyway, he wrote to me. He said I shouldn't gossip and I should first talk to him or his agent.I told him I'd been trying to contact him for days and he'd never responded, and that I was simply telling the truth. Then he said I should also be angry with Gaviria and Viviani for not helping me. I replied to him that they were clear from the beginning., they said they couldn't and anyway They weren't the ones who promised me a place on the teamHe doesn't apologize, but that's okay. If I had won, it wouldn't have been for him. Now I'm going for a bike ride, because I have wooden legsTomorrow could be good, if I can get through the climbs. I could go on the run or think about the last stage, winning it like in 2017. It would be the best way to end your career."
