Gold Milan with king Colbrelli The beauty of a photo at the start of the Roubaix

Falls, mud, fatigue, joy: the debut on the cobblestones of the Friulian from Bahrain And from today the buiese with Viviani is the blue star at the European Championships on the track

the focus

See if this photo is not beautiful. Compiegne, Sunday morning, two rookies at Paris Roubaix at the signature sheet: they are Sonny Colnbrelli, 31, fresh European Champion that he thought was the culmination of a screaming season and Jonathan Milan, 21, also at his debut but with Olympic gold in the quartet already on the showcase. One thing in common: rookies. Other: the team. They are racing for Bahrain Victorious, the revelation team of the season. Third thing: they will sail in the mud.

Look, one looks ahead concentrated, the other down almost intimidated. Result: they will be partying in the evening, Sonny, confessed yesterday, “after consuming 7,000 calories by eating a couple of hamburgers and drinking three beers”. Colbrelli, in an epic race in the rain and mud, dribbled the falls and won. Johnny? Summary of his Roubaix: full start, hard work at 50 per hour to keep teammates ahead and covered, Haussler, Mohoric and Colbrelli, fall triggered by other riders before the first section of pavé, comeback, two more slips on the stones and retreat after a 160 km run, just before the legendary Arenberg Forest. all in the race he dreams of winning as a child. “Rain, mud, cobblestones, falls and a big party in the hotel for the victory of a team mate, the Roubaix debut will never forget”, assures Franco Pellizotti, one of the Bahrain sports team.

But that’s not all. For Milan the best is yet to come. Bruised (it seems nothing serious but I am always beaten), yesterday he reached Grenchen in Switzerland where today the European Championships on track will begin. Without Filippo Ganna, who will focus on the World Cup at the end of October right in Roubaix, Milan will be the blue star together with Elia Viviani: for the Bujese Johnny, recover some strength, tomorrow kilometer from standstill, Thursday individual pursuit and then maybe also quartet. A year ago, when he was not yet “Milan gold” he returned from the European Championships with three medals. But how beautiful is that photo? –