INTERVIEW | "When I found back the Maglia Rosa with Carapaz I said 'what the 'hell' is going on here?" - Damiano Caruso details shock of Colle delle Finestre showdown

The Giro d'Italia 2025 is a race that will live on in the memory of many fans, and riders alike. It was a race of many ups and downs, disappointments and surprises, and a final climbing showdown at the Colle delle Finestre which will live on for years to come. Speaking to CyclingUpToDate, Damiano Caruso recalls the moment he saw Isaac del Toro and Richard Carapaz get caught and leave the pink jersey to be taken by Simon Yates.

In Altea, there was a relaxed environment for the team's media day. Amongst the patio of the hotel, big stars such as Antonio Tiberi, Lenny Martínez and Santiago Buitrago walked around, although they could not seize the traditionally good weather that the Costa Blanca usually has to offer even in the winter.

In a good mood, a calm Damiano Caruso entered the room where he would talk to us, with a cheerful 'Ciao' being launched right before the start of the interview. The veteran is at a stage of his career where he is living out his final moments in the peloton. He was supposed to retire in 2025, but after the request of many in the team and seeing his very high level, he made the decision to prolong it one more year. He is now in a position of having nothing to lose, and feeling achieved over his career. He is honest with his words as well, sharing right from the start exactly why he decided to continue in the peloton.

"Because last year I had quite a good season and fun, and I felt again the pleasure to ride my bike, to do my job, so at the end the team also asked me to do one more year, my teammates also," Caruso answered to our microphones. "In this moment, when all these people asked to do one more year, my motivation was quite high in this moment, I took this decision because I think it was the good one for me in this moment. And now I feel still the correct one at the moment".

12 months ago he thought he was in Altea for the last time as a rider. Now, he is seizing what again should be his final December camp with Bahrain - Victorious. "Yes, and now to be here it's quite emotional, because I know perfectly what I'm doing now, I did it several times in the past, but now this time is special because it's the last time, so it will be special for this reason. And that gives me also extra motivation, because it is true it will be the last season for me, but the dedication, the discipline, my effort will be the same, because I don't want to finish my career with any regret".

In 2025 he had some of the best results in his career, despite being 38. His importance in the team is so high that he was highly requested to stay, mainly by Antonio Tiberi who looks up to him as a guiding figure in the sport. The young Italian also played a big role in convincing Caruso to continue his career.

"I think also, with Antonio, we are also friends outside the bike, he's not just a colleague, he's a friend. So when I told him, Antonio 'we'll do one extra year' he was so happy. I looked at his face, he was happy. And then I felt also a bit proud of this, because I said maybe what I'm doing with him is a good thing and I'm happy".  

That is the mood that Caruso brings to the table, he has been with the team since 2019 but he is, in his own right, a leader in all senses. And for Tiberi he makes a very big difference, which to the team matters a lot too. In 2026 he will race the Giro d'Italia, but should then follow his compatriot in his Tour de France debut as well.

"That could be possible, but you know, it's easy in the December training camp, put in one list all the races you will do in the season, but first of all, we need to see how I'm going, how I feel physically, mentally... So maybe in the plan now, I think it's possible to do both Giro and Tour. But we have to see during the season how it's going".

This spring, he went on to finish fifth at the Corsa Rosa, a result few would've expected this late into his career, in his 21st Grand Tour. "To be honest, I was a bit surprised, because I expected to be competitive, at a high level, but not so high. Of course, it wasn't in my plan to go for GC, but sometimes you need to take the responsibility, because your leader, your captain, for some reason, in this case it was a crash (Tiberi crashed on stage 14, ed.), he lost the race".

Caruso, who had up to that point ridden a strong race, remained in the battle. His consistency led him to a Top5 at the Corsa Rosa. "In this moment, I felt good and I said 'ok, let's go to try, I don't have nothing to lose, let's go for GC'. I felt good, and if this works, it's better for everybody in the team, because it's always hard when the team has a lot of expectations on you, 100% works behind us, and you know, with a dream, in this case it was Antonio being on the podium. I would like to give them back something, because it's just taking the responsibility in a difficult moment".

In 2021 he finished second at the Giro, only behind Egan Bernal. However four years later, the climbing level in the peloton is much higher, and achieving the same result requires better performances. We asked Caruso directly if he thinks he could've won the 2021 Giro with his current level. "It's possible," he replies. 

"I think this year I was even better maybe, but not physically, but for sure mentally, because you don't know, when you don't have nothing to lose, it's funny... Because, ok, I went in the race day by day, and I said 'if tomorrow they drop me it's normal, it can happen, it's ok'. So I was already ready for any fail. No problem at all, but at the end, in three weeks, the Grand Tour is an endurance race, and in this, I'm still good, I'm not explosive, I'm not the strongest guy on the climb, on the descent, on the time trial. but, in the average, I'm still good in each side of this part of our job, so, working well".

And the veteran witnessed first-hand, better than anyone else, what went down on the Colle delle Finestre. The mythical day where Simon Yates raided the GC race, and took the pink jersey whilst Isaac del Toro and Richard Carapaz battled behind. "I was surprised, because I remember we started at the Colle delle Finestre, and I was there, as if the finish was in two kilometers. I said 'guys this is not my my tempo, my pace, I will just focus on my effort'."

"And then, from the radio, we get some information, it's going big casino´ in front." But nothing would've prepared Caruso for what he would see after the climb. "After Colle delle Finestre, when I found back the Maglia Rosa with Carapaz I said 'what the fuck is going on here?' And I was a bit surprised, but, to be honest, today, I still don't know what's going on in that moment from there".

But an exhausted Caruso gave it little thought as he had his own battle, to remain in the strong position he fought so hard for. "I was just focused on my performance, because I knew Colle delle Finestre from 2015, I knew it was a fucking long climb, and still to do also Sestriere... Because, you know, Sestriere is not a super hard climb, but after one hour and ten minutes climbing Finestre, it's hard".

"But at the end, it was a good race for me, and still a good memory in this stage, because, once again, I showed to myself, to the others, I can manage my energy pretty well".