the grown-ups hide for the joy of the peons – Corriere.it

«Do the big names not attack? And I enjoy it: it was the most exciting Sunday of my life». The cycling of accountants sends the working class to heaven, never in his life Armirail Bruno from Tarbes, Occitania, at the age of 29 would have thought of spending three days in the squad (today’s rest included): he had come to the Tour as Pinot’s follower, he finds himself the idol of the crowd – moving, yesterday, in the mountain stage in the city of Bergamo -, for grace received. OR interposed lazinessyou do.

The minimum wage is enough for the big names to turn the mark of the second week unscathedlet’s not expect fireworks on Monte Bondone tomorrow, this Sparagnino Giro decimated by Covid and bad weather (131 survived out of the 176 parties) advances at a pace of escapes (most of those matches came to the finish line) to Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Friday) and time trial on Monte Lussari (Saturday), the conservative way of running of the best sparks comparisons with the daredevil racers of the past; the group pouts and acts offended, the favorite Geraint Thomas replies for everyone, who gets serious under the mask of irony: «The riders of the past also did things that we don’t do today. What do you prefer?”.

In the archive, after 15 stages, one shot goes. We were on the Cappuccini, above Fossombrone, when Evenepoel (in the meantime negative) was still the brightest star of the race and Geoghegan Hart had an intact hip, Roglic had created havoc by attacking (uh, what a hostile and obsolete gesture) and Thomas had answered him . Result: the golden child lingered, Primoz and Mr. G at the finish line hand in hand, photo of yesteryear. We remember it as an event, in the flat calm that will follow. “No forcing on the climbs, there’s never been an impossible pace: they spend their time checking each other out and conserving energy for the two decisive stages – is the analysis of
Damiano Caruso, the Italian placed better in the standings (+1’30” from the favourites, separated by two seconds) who in his heart hopes to play the third wheel —. It makes fun of me: I’m there, lurking, hoping to have the right leg to take advantage of it if the opportunity arises. At my age, 36 in October, I have nothing left to lose.”

Who never changesin front of a cycling that in the absence of the four monsters willing to do anything (Pogcacar, Van der Poel, Van Aert, Evenepoel) is satisfied with the wait-and-see attitude of the others, it is the public of the Giro. It was feared that the threat of a strike on the Gran San Bernardo would alienate the affection of the enthusiasts (“I’ve always admired cyclists for what they do and that’s why I call them heroes, but by asking to shorten the stage they made a bad impression: at this rate, feeling betrayed, there will be fewer and fewer fans on the streets» is the open letter from Davide Cassani, former coach of the national team), instead Bergamo, thanks to the first sun after sodden days, responded with the enthusiasm of a two-wheeled pop concert. And so little idols of the day became the American Brandon McNulty, stage hunter from Arizona, who crossed the finish line with his arms raised with his face black with dust, collected on the street; the minute Ben Healy, who had already signaled himself in Fossombrone for the crooked pedal stroke with which he had concluded his solitary escape; and the Venetian Marco Frigo who inflamed the crowd trying to catch a sprint that perhaps was in his heart but not in his legs, while on the Roncola the Jumbo started shooting for the camera: pure academia. “The show will come,” assures Armirail, a bewildered leader, too honest not to believe him.