There is a particular list that for a couple of weeks, alongside champions like Coppi, Gimondi, Pantani also includes Simone Velasco. And it is the list of the first Italians classified in the Tour de France. Let's be clear: it's just a pure statistic.
It's clear that there's a big difference between talking about champions who won the Grande Boucle and a rider who finished 31st and Velasco knows it well.But it's still something, considering that the Elban had left for France, certainly not to get into the rankings. The task was to work for others, in this case Lutsenko.
Velasco answers us from Elba, where he landed after the San Sebastian classic for a few days of well-deserved rest with his family.
«It's no coincidence that he turned out to be the best Italian – he says – I certainly wasn't running with this goalIt came after important retreats, such as that of CarusoI'm satisfied regardless, I had to help Lutsenko, then by getting into a few breakaways I also improved my ranking. To tell the truth, it's more regret for how things went on a couple of occasions."
What happened?
I wanted the stage result, but from the second day of rest I started to have bronchitis and a cold and I carried them with me throughout the Tour. I'm starting to feel better now, after a few days of sea and fresh air.
Was this your first Tour?
Not only that, it was the first big Giro… It was a huge experience, The Tour is more than stressful: never calm, you have to be on top of every single meter, with the heat suffocating you and the asphalt melting under your wheelsBut it's beautiful when you walk among the people. Hearing that huge cheer is an unforgettable feeling.
Even giving that placing its due value, it also confirms that you are still a stage race rider, as has been said for some time…
These are the characteristics and I'm happy that even such a particular race, approached in this way, confirmed them. I think that in short stage races I can have my say because I can defend myself on the climbs and in the time trial I am certainly not stopped.But to stand out, you always have to be at your best. The difference between the winners and those who finish behind is this: the first ones never give up.
What awaits you now?
The greatest emotion of my life! I'm about to become the father of a beautiful baby girlIt should arrive around the time of the Lombardy. The season schedule includes a nice series of classics, one-day races. However, the team knows that as soon as the signs of pressure arrive, I'll switch off everything and join my wife to enjoy that moment together.
What will you do after Elba?
A couple of weeks of high altitude, in Val di Fassa. Then I'll resume with the two WorldTour classics in Canada. Next up is the Pantani, and as for the rest, we'll see.
Let's go back to the Tour, how was he judged by the team?
Quite positively. We had to get Lutsenko into the Top 10, and we did it in a decidedly difficult race. We may have missed a few more stage results, but that's okay.
The fact that your result has received such a stir also shows the state of Italian cycling in the Grand Tours, which is decidedly not positive.
I think a lot of it is coincidental. Caruso had started with great ambitions, but if you're not at the top, there's little you can do against such champions. Others who could have done well had a different schedule.It's hard to be competitive, but I think we'll be back soon. There's movement, right now everything seems to be going badly, but there are some positives. Sometimes all it takes is a little extra luck, and this year, objectively, everything has gone badly for our cycling team...
You, who run a team like Astana, which has a strong Italian core but remains a foreign team like all the others in the WorldTour, what do you think about the lack of an all-Italian top team?
Which penalizes us a lot. However, I must say that in theAstana There are no preclusions or preferences based on nationality and I believe this is also the case in other teams. The team is interested in getting results and winning: the riders are evaluated on the basis of their legs and athletic condition, certainly not on their passport..
