By Leone Belotti
Stage 19: Venaria Reale-Bardonecchia, 181 km (Cima Coppi: Colle delle Finestre)
"Something epic today, to tell your grandchildren, guaranteed." Word of Ganassì.
The Giro will be decided between today and tomorrow. Yates must defend the pink jersey from Dumoulin, 28 seconds behind. Third is Pozzovivo at 2 minutes and 43, fourth Froome at 3 and 22.
There is no shortage of opportunities to overturn the standings in the 185 km from Venaria Reale to Bardonecchia, with 4 Gran Premio della Montagna, including the Cima Coppi, the highest point reached by the Giro,
on the Colle delle Finestre, 9km of asphalt + 9km of dirt, all at 9%. With 90 km to go, the climb to the Cima Coppi begins, with a group of AG2Rosti Montaguti and Colombian AndRosti Torres in the lead.
Plot twist #1: Yates immediately goes into crisis, stays at the back of the group, seems to have already run out of gas. Dumoulin is the virtual pink jersey, 85 km to go,
and Yates is over 2 minutes late. The dirt begins. The legionaries of Froome's Sky take the lead.
Plot twist #2: Froome sets off alone. He is followed at a distance by Dumoulin, Carapaz, Lopez, Pinot and Pozzovivo. They are all brave captains, men alone in the dust,
without support gregarious. At the Cima Coppi, at 2,200 meters, between 2 walls of snow, the blender Froome raises his hand to greet the public.
«This is cycling!»
Downhill, Froome gains even more, knee out, and superbike trajectories. At 50Km he has more than 2 minutes on Dumoulin, more than 3 on Pozzovivo, and almost 20 on Yates!
At Sestriere he is only 10 seconds away from taking the pink jersey from Dumoulin. With 33km to go, the pursuers slow down, and Froome takes the virtual pink jersey.
“The feat of the decade!” howls Ganassì.
Berlinguer: «Things that haven't been seen since the days of the pirate».
With 15km to go, on the highway, due to a landslide on the main road, Froome is still in pink, and with 7km to go, when the final climb from Bardonecchia to Jafferau begins, he has 30 seconds. Behind him, Pinot sprints,
and Dumoulin also begins to recover, then Lopez and Carapaz also sprint, but Dumoulin catches them, and in the meantime Froome doesn't give up.
2km, Froome climbs up among the fans who cheer him on. Last km, triumphant arrival. Dumoulin arrives at 3 minutes and 21,
overtaken in the last meters by Pinot and the two "smart guys" Lopez and Carapaz, who have been behind him for 80km without ever giving him a hand.
Froome in pink, with 40 seconds on Dumoulin. Pozzovivo at 8 minutes, Yates at half an hour!
Berlinguer: «A historic feat: 80km of solo breakaway with 3 climbs for the pink jersey.»
Marelli: «I feel like quoting Coppi, Merckx and Pantani»
Ganassì: «And it's all thanks to me!».
Gino: «And he's even uglier than you, on the pedals.»
Mery: «And to think that he had to retire». True. Berlinguer reminds us of the two falls at the beginning of the Giro, with someone advising him to retire to prepare for the Tour.
“Do you understand the moral?” Mery asks me, and I know what she means.
Yes Mery, I understood her: "Never give up!"