Rivi and Albanese: EOLO-KOMETA is beautiful in beauty
Giro d’Italia 2021
Stage10: L´Aquila – Foligno (139 km)
How beautiful Italy can be. How beautiful its villages and towns can be, capable of taking you on a journey back in time to listen to stories from the past. How beautiful the Italy of the Giro can be, with its people and its stories. At the start in L’Aquila, an elderly couple look at the Eolo-Kometa bus from afar and say to each other, ‘That’s Basso and Contador’s team. And it’s nice to look around in the centre of what was a city wounded by the devastating earthquake of 2009, a city that has proudly returned to its former glory thanks to cycling and also thanks to the Giro d’Italia. And it’s nice to set off, following the group and passing from Abruzzo to Umbria, to Foligno (beautiful, beautiful and waiting to be discovered) and then arrive at the hotel at the foot of Assisi and its magnificence.
This would be enough. It would be enough to be filled with beauty. But we are fortunate enough to be able to tell you something more, something of our own, something unique. The Eolo-Kometa also ran today and ran great: exactly as it has done since the beginning of this Giro d’Italia until today. A nice breakaway with Samuele Rivi, also braked by a closed level crossing that made him and his companions lose precious seconds. And then, the final sprint. Yes, OK: Sagan won. But Albanese, ridden by an extraordinary Gavazzi, took a wonderful eighth place, which is his best placing at the Giro d’Italia (for now…).
Yes, definitely a wonderful day. Even looking ahead to tomorrow: which is the long-awaited rest day. We needed it: the riders first, but also everyone else.
Samuele Rivi: “My grandparents are from Terni, I know these areas very well because I come here often and train on these roads. I wanted to make a good impression in front of my relatives and I’m happy with my day even if, obviously, we struggled because there was a headwind for almost the entire stage. Let’s get on with it, another day has gone by and it’s always great to be at a race like the Giro d’Italia”.
[ PhotoGomezSport]
