Nicola Conci: “We wanted to gamble for the win”

August 14 ^th 2022 - 20:16 [GMT + 2]

It has been a beautiful day. As a team, we had the goal of trying everything in our hands to win the overall – and, above all, the stage. We wanted to gamble for the win, in spite of risking our three top10 places in the GC. We have raced really well as a team, yet we have found a very powerful Andreas Leknessund to prevent us from reaching our goals. In any case, it’s been beautiful.

We expected a hard start, and it took indeed more than an hour for the break to go clear. The entrance to the final circuit has been very nervous. We decided to anticipate our move to three laps to go, and we launched a three-man attack with Jason Osborne, Kristian Sbaragli and myself. In the final climb I accelerated again on my own to try and catch Leknessund. I could see him, but I had made a very big effort and I couldn’t close in.

This podium result marks a re-starting point for my career. The last couple of years have been harsh for me, as I had to undergo surgery to solve a problem on my iliac artery – and then there was Covid-19, the issue with my former team. Now I’ve landed on a team where I feel at ease. I love how we race and the environment inside the team. I look forward to the future with optimism.