Between the folds of the Tour of Slovenia the story of also nestles a forty-one year old who, despite his age and many small/big problems on the eve, as we will see, came close to reaching the final podiumBut then again, who knows Domenico? Well I live He's certainly not surprised, given everything he's done in his twenty-year career.
For him, every race since he announced his permanent retirement at the end of the season has become a catwalk, but it's not in the Lucanian's nature to approach races superficially—quite the opposite. This was also the case in Slovenia, where there were moments that deeply touched him.
«We also passed through Skofja Loka, where I won in 2012 – he says – and I won't deny that when it happened, many thoughts came to mind. I can't deny that these are special weeks, every run is tinged with melancholic feelings. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just... a series of emotions that overwhelms me».
What does it depend on?
When you have a twenty-year career behind you, competing in so many races over and over again, it's normal to be like this. I want to emphasize that it's not bike sickness, a desire to finish, or saturation. None of that. It is the awareness that time passes and that the moment has come to turn the page, to close a great and painful parenthesis., full of good and bad, which has characterized my life since I was a teenager. For someone over forty, that's no small feat.
How did you get to the Tour of Slovenia?
With many doubts, especially since the end of the Tour of Italy it hadn't been easy. The strange thing is that I finished it with Covid on me, which hit me for the third time and always around the same time. In fact, I barely managed to finish the race. Then I suffered from a cough for ten days, even developing pneumonia. At one point I thought I wouldn't be there, but I would have been sorry because I won't have another chance.. Then on the eve of the event with my team of VF Group Bardiani we decided to leave despite everything.
It certainly wasn't the best spirit…
Luckily, the first two stages didn't have much of an impact on the overall standings, and I was able to ride together, staying in the group. Those two stages gave me back some brilliance and in the following stages I was able to fight with the best.Already from the hamlet of Nova Gorica I saw that I could do something interesting.
Slovenia arrived two weeks after the Giro. After a major stage race, there are always some who say that doing another stage race is contraindicated and those who think it's useful. Which side do you belong to?
I have always been one of those who came out of the Giro d'Italia with excellent legs to exploit., for example at the Tour of Switzerland where I won a stage in 2017 and where, when I raced, I never finished outside the top 10. The difference, in my opinion, depends on the time after: The Dauphiné comes too close to the Giro, it's clear that you haven't managed to recover there yet, physically but also mentallyBut the following week is already useful, the form emerges at that point. Experience also plays a big role: in the first few years I had mixed feelings, but then I got better and better.
Are these absolute concepts or does it depend a lot on the individual?
The characteristics of the individual rider always have an impact, but speaking over time with teammates from various teams, I've found that the basic principle is this: the first week is difficult, but after that you emerge. The speech related to the Dauphiné is subordinated to its lengthWe're not talking about a short stage race, but when it comes to 7-8 day trials, it's a different commitment from an organizational point of view, so it requires a little more attention.
What level was the Slovenian race?
Very good, there were WorldTour teams and other riders coming from the Giro. We were always going very fast, it's a race that has grown a lot and that tests the competitors.
Will we see you at the Italian Championships?
Will my last appearance as a rider, I want to honor them as best I can and manage them well, also because then I will pull in my oarsIt wouldn't make sense to continue without essential commitments, especially considering what I had at the end of the Giro. In other years I never had time to recover, now I want to take a break, recover well, and start preparing for the second part of the season.
What do you expect?
I plan to finish well, to regain the form I had two years ago when I really regretted not being able to race at the Lombardia. This year I don't want to miss it and I promise everyone that it will still be a great party. We're already thinking about it, especially something gastronomical...
