De Marchi, birthday at the Giro: the “red from Buja” turns 36 years old

The Friulian of Israel, after the 166 km escape on the streets of Scarponi, will try to repeat himself from here to Verona. And in 8 days he will be racing indoors

PARMA. For a cyclist it is the most beautiful thing, for a father and a husband, perhaps, among the ugliest: celebrating their birthday at the Giro d’Italia. Because if you are the first, with the number on your back, you take a day of good wishes as a group, but if you are also the second you have to struggle with the distant family.

This is what will touch on Thursday 19th May Alessandro De Marchi. The “Rosso di Buja” celebrates 36 years at the Giro d’Italia.

It is not the first time, because it is now in season number 13 among the pros, but, looking at the altimetry of the Parma-Genoa, rest assured that the winner of the Tre Valli Varesine 2021, of three stages at the Vuelta and more still in his career, there is a half idea of ​​what to do in the twelfth stage of the Giro.

The terrain suitable for escapes, in fact, is not lacking because there is the Apennine with the Bocco pass to overcome before seeing the sea again.

“I have finally made peace with myself” he told us on Tuesday 17 May in Jesi after the stage in which he had run away for 166 km on the roads that were once Michele Scarponi before being picked up by the group 20 km from the finish. With him even for a long time Mattia Bais (Drome Hopper), the Trentino man who has one great thing in common with the Friulian: the past at the Cycling Team Friuli of Roberto Bressan e Renzo Boscoloa kind of second family for the birthday boy.

The runner of the Israel Start Up Nation comes from a troubled spring: bronchitis, few runs in the legs, which for him, a classic diesel engine that the more he races the better, a condition to pursue and confidence in his heels.

The “running-in” week between Hungary and the south and the visit of his wife Anna and the two children in Naples on Saturday made him smile again.

The hard work on the streets of Scarponi (“how much emotion to pass between two wings of the crowd and under the two giant pictures in Filottrano the town of Michele” he told us) was another brick towards the best signature.

Will it be a birthday of glory? For sure it will be difficult. And then in mind “red” has also another goal for a few days: to give a business and dedicate it to a great friend, a point of reference, who no longer exists, that don Pierluigi Di Piazzathe prerte degli last, who disappeared in Friuli a few days ago to which De Marchi and his wife were very close.

A year ago, for the “Dema”, the Giro was joy, with the pink jersey won in Sestola and worn for two stages, and pains with the bad fall of 22 May on the road to Bagno di Romagna, the 105 edition instead nice can reserve it in the queue: the Marano Lagunare-Castelmonte stage on Friday 27 May, the third to last day of competition, he tried it a lot of times. The race will pass in his Buja, with the villagers already trampling to prepare their favorite and tadpoles for the best atmosphere.

And then the Friulian goes in search of the renewal of the contract. Will he remain at Israel where he is highly regarded and is one of the group’s points of reference? He is a man of toil for others but also of glory for himself and the team, he still has a lot to give to cycling and also to the former blue coach Davide Cassanihis great admirer, one like this could be useful in setting up the new Italian Professional team for 2023, which is talked about so much in the pink caravan, especially in recent days.

And “red” wishes, happy birthday to the Giro. Of fatigue and, who knows, also of glory.

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