The last four days of the Vuelta saw Gianmarco Garofoli with the sign of the wind on his face. 109 kilometers of escape on Thursday, in the Los Corrales de Buelna stage. 174 kilometers on Friday, on the day of Angliru. 108 kilometers on Saturday, heading towards La Farrapona. Finally, 162 kilometers on the stage to Monforte de Lemos. Since the goal of the man from Marche is to try to win one, it's a safe bet that he will try again. and the opportunities will come soon. Today's stage at Mos. Castro de Herville could be the right one.
Stopped by Covid
We spoke to him at the end of his rest period in Pontevedra. The Vuelta is his second Grand Tour of the season, something he's never done before. The Giro d'Italia saw him as the protagonist with Asiago's seventh place and the much more consistent fourth of SestriereGarofoli had higher expectations for the Vuelta, but Covid got in the way. And even though it's 2025 and some might turn up their noses, the days when Gianmarco had to sit out they brought him to Spain with the condition of being late, which however is coming back.
«I didn't have any major symptoms – he explains – the only symptom was that I was riding my bike slowlyI did San Sebastian and Burgos and I was slow compared to my standards and what I expected. I had done a good preparation, I was seeing certain numbers, while in the race things weren't going well. When I got home I took the swab test because I had heard that many people had Covid and it turned out that I was positive.. Given my history with Covid (in 2022 Garofoli was one of the first to be operated for myocarditis, ed.), I took complete rest for five days And I started again from the day I was sure I was negative. It's always better to take an extra day, because when you start too quickly, you risk a relapse. So I preferred to heal well and leave for the Vuelta a little less ready, aiming to find my form along the way. This pissed me off; it wasn't needed. Especially because I had invested so much time in finding my form."
Do you feel it coming?
I think so. If you look at how it's going, you can see that they are growing, even if the last 4 stages were very hardI spent a lot and, even if I didn't earn much, I had fun. This week, the possible stages for me are tomorrow (today, ed.), Wednesday, and Saturday. For the rest, there's a time trial, a sprint, and Sunday in Madrid, which is flat.
Some say that we might skip the race on Sunday to avoid trouble with pro-Palestinian protesters.
There was no discussion about this in the group, but the issue of these protests is very sensitive, because it is affecting the entire Vuelta. It's not a bad thing, obviously they demonstrate for a just cause, but they also affect our safety.They're invading the streets. On Sunday we were on the run and there was an invasion by someone who was hiding in a bush, there's also the video on Eurosport. The guy crossed the road and to avoid him Romo and my companion Planckaert fell., it's not exactly great. The Palestinian issue is a very sensitive one in Spain. People participate a lot in these initiatives, especially in northern Spain.
In the meantime, is your first year at Soudal Quick Step going great?
I'm doing very well. They relaunched me after all the bad luck I've had and a few years of being off-balanceThey are back at a high level in the matches that count. The transfer campaign shows that the Soudal Quick Step He wants to be very strong again in the classics, while he will focus a little less on the stage races. At the end of the year Remco will leave and maybe this isn't even that bad on a personal level, because maybe there will be more space, even if I have never run with him until now.
After these performances, you could go to the World Cup or the European Championships. Is your schedule already decided?
The blue jersey would be a great achievement, I'd love it. If we really want to build a young national team because the next three World Cups will be tough, I could be part of it tooThen I should finish with the Italian calendar. Usually, after the three weeks of competition, I emerge on a high note. After Tour of Italy I was doing great, but I had to have an eye operation and couldn't run.Plus, since I had the Vuelta on my agenda, the team held me back. Let's hope we get out of here strong too. If I win one of the races I'll be doing between now and the end of the season, I think it could change my life., because they are not of little importance.
How long has it been since you won?
From 2022, when I came back after heart surgery and Amadori took me to Puglia with the U23 national teamI'm missing a victory, it's been a long time since I won. I'd like to raise my arms to the sky.
PS: Cycling is a sometimes cruel sport. The night brought neither counsel nor health. This morning Garofoli will not start again. The Soudal Quick Step announcement doesn't reveal anything more than this. Through a quick exchange of messages, The man from the Marche region told us he had a fever and had spent the night struggling with intestinal problems. Unfortunately, his Vuelta ends here.
