HAPPY FIELD. Too bad that Mrs. Lucia, the hairdresser of Rocca di Cambio, the highest town in the Apennines of 300 souls who still bears the wounds of the 2009 earthquake, from her enviable balcony on the Altopiano delle Rocche, could not enjoy the Colombian chamois company.
Bernal’s impressive acceleration 400 meters from the finish
Because it was an acceleration, a scratch, a skid, you name it, that will mark this Giro. When, after the long tunnel that pierces the mountain between the plateau and Campo Felice, the road became a dirt road and the tadpoles were called to finish the last kilometer on the “scorpion” ski slope, Egan Bernal made a number.
The 24-year-old from Team Ineos, king of the 2019 Tour, was superb. An angry acceleration 400 meters from the end, then amplified with the long gear engaged in an unthinkable stretch for 99.9 riders out of 100. Behind? Giulio Ciccone (Trek): he ran at home and gave up only 7 ”. “I tried, but Egan … Now I live for the day,” he said. And then the Russian Alexander Vlasov (Astana). It was he who lit the fuse when the group started the last ramp, rolled up a few minutes earlier by the vehicles, at twice the speed of the two survivors of the 17-man escape. At 400 meters from the end, Geoffrey Buchard (Ag2r) and Koen Bouwman, 27, Dutch, saw the Bernal train pass by. Agile and powerful in the same way, as only real champions can do. Gianni Moscon and his companions from Inéos had prepared the ground for the start of the final climb towards Campo Felice, immediately weakening the resistance of the Hungarian Attila Valter (Groupama).
Bernal, the new pink jersey of the Giro, his first in his career
In pink now there is the Colombian champion, who crossed the finish line kissed his girlfriend Maria Fernanda. “There are so many emotions – he said after his first win at the Giro debut with a lot of pink – it’s my first stage win in the Giro, I made a lot of sacrifices to get here after last year’s Tour, but it’s a great joy for me ». Then he reveals: «My team had more confidence than me, the guys convinced me to try and took me by the hand and this victory is dedicated to them. It’s true, I won the Grande Boucle, but I’ve already cried twice for this jersey ».
First because he remembered his landing in Italy, not even twenty years old, dreaming of great cycling at the court of a master like Gianni Savio (“I love Canavese and Italy”), then because he recalled last year thrown away for trouble physical. They had discovered one leg longer than the other, a misfortune for someone who has to spend hours and hours on a bicycle. He struggled, fought, worked hard to get back in condition and yesterday’s acceleration in Abruzzo dispelled the doubts about his physical condition on the eve “even if I do therapies every day and the alert is always high,” he said.
Egan, who was born on January 13 just like Marco Pantani (“but don’t compare me to him, he’s a champion”, he says splendidly), is strong, he has the strongest team, because, for example, someone like Filippo Ganna works for three, but he has certainly not already won the Giro.
Because behind there are Giulio Ciccone (seventh Italian second on 8 stages, a record), Vlasov and also that Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck), who yesterday crossed the finish line 20 “behind the winner and is now the first to follow him in the general 15 “. Simon Yates (Exchange) and Romain Bardet (DSM) are also in the running, as they are always there, commendable, two blues, the “mustachioed” Damiano Caruso (Bahrain) and Davide Formolo (UAE). He fought like a lion Vincenzo Nibali (Trek), he lost only 35 ”to the leader, he runs in precarious conditions and only a big applause should be given to him: not only for his career, but for what he still manages to do.
Monday from L’Aquila to Foligno, escape from afar or volatona. Bernal, the new gentleman, and what a gentleman, of the Giro will let him do it. Too bad that Mrs. Lucia has only seen it on TV.
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