The first Italian week of the Giro begins on Tuesday May 10 with the ascent of Etna, the Sicilian volcano. The start of the fourth stage will be given in Messina, the birthplace of Vincenzo Nibali, winner of the Tours of Italy 2013 and 2016.
Enthusiastic ‘tifosi’ have always recognized the panache and courage of this ‘old-fashioned’ rider, who makes his instincts speak in a cycling that has become increasingly scientific. Vincenzo Nibali (37), has embarked on what looks very much like a farewell tour to the race he has left his mark on with two overall victories and six podiums since 2010.
The Sicilian knows the Giro like the back of his hand: its weather sometimes going to extremes, its pitfall course and its overflowing public. On Tuesday, he will start the 4th stage in Messina, his hometown, to cross the finish line at the top of Etna. The public will be waiting for it on the flanks of Europe’s most famous active volcano (3,346 m), where the road climbs 22.8 kilometers from Biancavilla, on an average gradient of 5.9% through the black lava fields.
The pink jersey, a childhood dream
Vincenzo Nibali is one of the nice surprises of the 2nd stage of the Tour of Italy. He did an excellent time trial on Saturday May 7 in the streets of Budapest, taking twelfth place 19 seconds behind the winner, Briton Simon Yates. The man is in good shape and could well touch the peaks for a stage victory during this 105th edition. And why not put on the leader’s pink jersey once again? In the general classification, Nibali is currently 30 seconds behind Mathieu Van der Poel.
” For an Italian rider, wearing the pink jersey is like a childhood dream. I had this dream as a little boy when I was following the Giro. When I was a child, my dream was to see the race pass, at home, in Sicily, in Messina. I remember always wanting to catch a glimpse of Marco Pantani. My first victory in the Giro remains the most important in my heart. It was beautiful, there was a lot of emotion. Cycling means everything to me, I took it on as a child “, says Nibali in a video of Eurosport.
Successor of Marco Pantani
In 2013, under the snow, Vincenzo Nibali completed his first triumph in the Giro, winning the 20th and penultimate stage alone in the grandiose setting of the Trois Cimes de Lavaredo. Barely visible through the snowy fog, then ahead of the three Colombians Fabio Duarte, Rigoberto Urán and Carlos Betancur. On the very steep road leading to the Auronzo refuge (12% for the last 4 km), he accelerated four times at the threshold of the last three kilometers and ended up winning all his opponents. Nibali remains until today one of the few riders who have won the three Grand Tours in their career (Tour de France, Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain). “ My absolute goal is to win each of the three Grand Tours », proclaimed the Sicilian during the Tour de France 2014 which he won hands down at the age of 29 to join Anquetil, Gimondi, Merckx, Hinault and Contador in a very closed circle.
Italy finally has a worthy successor to Marco Pantani, the last Italian winner on the Tour de France, in 1998. Her mother gave me one of her yellow jerseys. I promised I’ll give her one of mine, if all goes well “, he confided about his idol of youth. Good climber, excellent descender, the “Shark of Messina” finished 3rd in the Tour de France in 2012.
In 2021, in the season of dead leaves, he won the Tour of Sicily thanks to his solo success in the last stage. Will he have the opportunity to take power at home, on this Mediterranean island that he loves so much? ” The Giro is like doing it for the first time. The last ? I do not know either. Now let’s think about running “, he let go before the start of the Tour of Italy.