Milan 17-03-2013
There you are, on a very cold and early Sunday morning, at the start of Milan – Sanremo, La Primavera. Not wearing your kit, but a warm, long black coat, your black cap and a “Stampa” card, you got from the organizers of this epic race, hanging round your neck. What started out as a weekend visit to an Italian friend, ends with a dream of every cyclist in the world. You stand not... behind the barrier but in front. The space only occupied by very special people, straight in front of the presentation podium. Your smile is too big for your mouth. Next to you stand Andrea Monti, organizer of the big four in Italy. You speak small talk, about the coming race and the favorites, only to be interrupted for some interviews, he has to do for TV around the world. Their eyes look at you. “Who is he? Is he anybody? Do we need to ask him something?” You just keep on smiling and think: “you luck devil!”
There you are, on a very cold and early Sunday morning, at the start of Milan – Sanremo, La Primavera. Not wearing your kit, but a warm, long black coat, your black cap and a “Stampa” card, you got from the organizers of this epic race, hanging round your neck. What started out as a weekend visit to an Italian friend, ends with a dream of every cyclist in the world. You stand not... behind the barrier but in front. The space only occupied by very special people, straight in front of the presentation podium. Your smile is too big for your mouth. Next to you stand Andrea Monti, organizer of the big four in Italy. You speak small talk, about the coming race and the favorites, only to be interrupted for some interviews, he has to do for TV around the world. Their eyes look at you. “Who is he? Is he anybody? Do we need to ask him something?” You just keep on smiling and think: “you luck devil!”
With your not so fancy camera you take super nice close ups of the cyclists, but not everybody is amused. The pro’s with their state of the art cameras are behind the rope and do not like you. They think you steel the best shot of them. But do you care? Not really. You talk to one of the bunch and hold on to his bike, while he signs off at the podium. You can’t resist and just lift the bike to feel the weight. Now you know those guys wear more clothes in weight than their bike measures. The speakers motor mouths in English and Italian the names of the riders and their heroic victories.
You try to look the riders in their eyes. Who is focused and who is not. Is there fire in their eyes? Do they believe today is their day? The top ten of later that day is ready to bent steel bars with their bare hands, the DNF’s of the day already complain of the weather, the cold, the illness. That’s the way it works, if you look like it, there’s a really good change you make it. Sagan’s eyes are shooting lighting bolds! And the look in Ciolek's eyes says it all, but nobody is notices it during the teams signing of the sheet. Bad mistake! Cavendish looks, with new helmet, means business! He looks around. “Who are my enemies to day? Stannard? Phinney? Maybe Cancellara or even Chavanel! You never know these days.
After ten o’clock the whistles sound, time to get to the start line. And without further ado, they’re off! With them trails a mighty armada of cars and busses. Not knowing that this is going to be hell on earth with extreme conditions on the road and including a bus ride in the middle. They will suffer bad, but not yet…
Before you return to the comfort of the warm apartment, you need to make a stop at the team bus of Sky. They promised, on the internet, a badge of honor of this Sanremo 2013, especially made by Rapha. After all, you’re a fan, don’t you?!
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten