By Leone Belotti
Stage 13: Ferrara-Nervesa della Battaglia, 180 km
«Who is the Androni in fuga Rosti, today?»
«Vendrame»
With him the Spanish Irizar, the Albanian Zhupa and the Italians Tonelli and Marcato. They do the whole Polesine without ever managing to detach the group more than 2-3 minutes.
At the intermediate sprint 50km from the finish line, the first signs of battle were seen both among the escapees, with Vendrame not appreciating Zhupa's initiative, and in the group, with Viviani risking slicing the spectators to take the points for sixth place.
Meanwhile, the Rosti Bar staff are playing one of their amarcord games, with Berlinguer reading a book of interviews with champions of their generation, and the others having to guess.
"Today's runners? Land registry clerks on loan to two wheels, who do their homework."
“Zoetemelk,” Gino replies, but Berlinguer shakes his head.
“Merckx” says Marelli. Nothing. Finally Berlinguer reveals: “De Vlaeminck, the gypsy”.
Names I’ve never heard of. Then he explains to me that this “gypsy” raced in cyclocross, on the track, and on the road. “With Gis Gelati, then with Gelati Sanson.”
«Zoetemelk instead won the 1985 World Championships here in Nervesa della Battaglia: and he was 40 years old!»
"Do you even know what battle we're talking about?" No. World War I, the Italians pushing back the Austrians, 20,000 dead in 7 days. "My grandfather always talked to me about it," says Mery, "he was a boy born in '99." The boys of the '99 draft, she says, won the great war.
“And they were 17!” he gets excited.
And Gino: "How beautiful you are when you get angry, Mery"
Meanwhile at 30Km the group is 1 minute from the escapees. They start to increase the pace. On the Montello climb, at 20Km, new and slippery asphalt, and Vendrame in red Rosti wins the Mountain Grand Prix. "Bravo!" says Mery. Today she is much more "engaged" than usual.
At 10km the advantage over the group pulled by Katusha at 70Km/h has been reduced to 20 seconds. At 6km they catch them. At 5km the last curve and a very long straight to the finish line. Belletti in the Rosti-Androni jersey is also preparing for the sprint. Among the first there are also two AG2Rosti.
Last km: Marco Coledan from Treviso unexpectedly starts, he seems to be making it, but Modolo, Bennet and Viviani arrive like hawks, who wins, and confirms the cyclamen jersey. And as soon as he arrives, with a gesture that reveals his nerves tense due to the criticism of these days, he throws his bike on the ground, while Modolo punches the handlebars. And let's not talk about lip movements.
"Battle of nerves in Nervese della Battaglia" Gino summarizes. Seventh and eighth on the finish line, exactly like yesterday, the sprinters in the Rosti jersey: Manuel Belletti of Androni and Clement Venturini of AG2R.
"Moral," Mery blurts out, "the Giro d'Italia is that race where an Androni always breaks away, but someone else always wins."
“It sounds like the story of my life,” I say.
“Everyone’s life,” Gino corrects me.