By winning the Giro, the Slovenian redeemed the last few disappointing years.
Who knows what will have passed in Primoz Roglic’s head on Saturday when on the most rugged slopes of the unedited uphill time trial on Monte Lussari, in the Julian Alps a few meters from the Slovenian border, an unexpected chain jump forced him to get off the bike and hastily change the vehicle to start again, while a few hundred meters further back and below the pink jersey Geraint Thomas faced his test against the strong time of the 26 seconds of advantage. We passionate men and women, who like storytelling with dramatic hues, of redemption, which always finds fertile ground in the narration of cycling, believe that the dramatic images of theother time trial, with arrival at the Planche des belles filles, decisive for the 2020 Tour. When Primoz, firmly in command of the general classification, was stripped from his paint by a boy of his compatriot, Tadej Pogacar, who destroyed him, metaphorically, starting his terror, always metaphorical. On that occasion Roglic arrived devastated at the finish line, bent over in a suffering position on the handlebars, with his arms outstretched and that time trial helmet all pulled back on the back of his neck which transmitted a sense of pain even to those who were sitting comfortably on the sofa. Pain was also in the incredulous faces of Wout van Aert and Tom Domoulin, who from the finish line followed the evolution of the challenge between the two Slovenians in front of the big screen. That defeat marked the last three years of Primoz, in which he was branded – as always too hastily – as finished.
Who knows if all this went through his head or not. Because while we despaired in front of the umpteenth drama, the umpteenth misfortune of Roglic, he without batting a beat changed bikes, he got back on the saddle pedaling as if nothing had happened, as if he were being pushed by an invisible force, as if the thousands of Slovenian fans massed along the narrow path that climbed towards the sanctuary of Mount Lussari were dragging him up towards the finish line. When he cut him, the time was 42 seconds less than Joao Almeida, who had taken the lead just before.
Thomas meanwhile trudged up the hillshirt completely open on the chest and at the finish he was 40 seconds behind Roglic, thus losing the pink jersey which at the start he held with a 26 second advantage. While Thomas and Roglic climbed, like new Van Aert and Domoulin, another group of Jumbo Visma with Oomen, Kuss and Bouwman eagerly awaited the final outcome of the challenge, before the final joy.
And so the image of Roglic painfully bent over his bike is replaced by another incredible photo: Roglic yes bent over his bike, but statuesque, in the last meters of the climb, while behind an exultant crowd Slovenian flags wave in the sky. Primoz Roglic wins the Giro d’Italia, it’s his fourth Grand Tour after three Vueltas in a row. Backstage smiles. On the streets of Rome on Sunday, in the usual “walkway” from the last stage, pedal lightly. Who knows, maybe he has really lifted a weight from his shoulders, even if before the stage he had said no, that 2020 episode didn’t weigh on him.
I wonder if what he felt was a burden Mark Cavendish, who called a press conference on Monday 22 May to announce his retirement at the end of the season and who was looking for stage success to say goodbye to the Italian roads. He made it to the last breath, on the last stage, triumphing in the sprint that closes Giro 106, fifteen years after the first time. He wins almost by detachment, the opponents are far away, perhaps inexperienced in how to face a sprint on the cobblestones. In the end for Cavendish it’s a long series of hugs, pats on the back and compliments from the other riders.
Thus concludes the third week of the Giro, which began with João Almeida who gives signs of life in Tuesday’s stage by crossing the finish line on Monte Bondone first: he attacked in the final kilometers collaborating with Geraint Thomas to try to distance Roglic in some way in slight difficulty but who manages to contain the gap. However, both on Thursday in the stage from Oderzo to Val di Zoldo and on Friday, the most awaited with the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, he pays off against Roglic and Thomas: Almeida, a tough cyclist, always seems to lack the leap of attack. He closes this Tour though third and with the white jersey of best youngster. In the Val di Zoldo stage, another small drama within a drama took place, with the indomitable Thibaut Pinot who tries and tries again to bring home the victory but is beaten a few meters from the finish line by the beautiful Filippo Zana in his beautiful tricolor jersey of Italian road champion. Even the Frenchman, in the final stages of his career, can console himself with the blue jersey of best climber and with an unexpected seventh place in the general standings.
In the decisive week of the Giro there is still room for the surviving sprinters who have made it over the mountains unscathed. Apart from Nico Denz’s double in the second week, no sprinter has managed to register his name twice this year: even in Wednesday’s stage, the very long descent towards Caorle, a new name prevailed, Alberto Dainese (DSM) who had arrived at the Giro as a follower to launch Mario Mayrhofer’s sprints, but did not arrive. Dainese triumphed by millimeters over Michael Matthews and Jonathan Milan, second once again, once again starting from behind in the sprint and protagonist of a monstrous comeback: perhaps he needs a well-made train. Milan can console themselves with the cyclamen shirt of points standings leader, not bad for a guy in his first big lap of his career.
The most eagerly awaited stage, from Longarone to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, as has often happened for some years, was in the end a long wait for moves from the big names. Waiting in vain. The breakaway of the day arrives in port with the survivors: the surprising Canadian Derek Gee, also in his first Grand Tour, who raced brilliantly from the first to the last day, collecting four second places and six top 5s. Seven times in the breakaway , he was elected for it Super Combative of this edition. However, he was unable to do anything about the return of Santiago Buitrago, who stole the victory at the Tre Cime and pocketed the second Giro stage win of his career.
Thus ends the 106th edition of the pink race, which has given many ideas to reflect on: negative for the first part marred by the rain and for the second part in which the leaders of the general classification drugged the race with a certain immobility; but also positive, for the way in which moments of crisis were managed and for the freshness of some good news such as Jonathan Milan or Derek Gee. Now the countdown to the Tour begins.