"The leader is still Ayuso" - Antonio Tiberi does not want to fall for any bluff from UAE during final Giro week

Antonio Tiberi would have been having a near perfect Giro d'Italia if it weren't for his crash on stage 14 which saw him drop out of the podium and lose considerable amount of time. However, entering the final week of the race, the Bahrain - Victorious is still looking to improve on his seventh place in the overall classification.

“The crash is now behind me, I’m happy with how Sunday’s stage went, I think I’ve left one of the hardest days behind me, because I was still in a bit of pain. Today I feel better, I haven’t fully recovered from the blows yet, but I think I’m on the right track," Tiberi said in a press conference held this morning.

He and Damiano Caruso continue to put in a very consistent race and in position of causing serious damage in the overall classification: “We’re both in the Top 10 and he’s going very strong, even on Sunday he responded immediately to the attacks on the last climb. We are both racing as captains and we support each other. He pushes me to be brave and told me to arrive in Rome without regrets”.

Tiberi carries the hopes of Italy finishing on the top positions in this Corsa Rosa, but he does not want to be compared to the past's greats, including the last home winner Vincenzo Nibali: “I have a different nature than Vincenzo, I am more of a regularist (a consistent stage-racer, ed.) and I try to interpret situations. But if there is an opportunity, maybe seeing some of the rivals in difficulty, I do not rule out trying” The pressure on me? I don’t read anything of what is said, but I perceive many people cheering me on along the way. They give me strength and morale".

He was asked about UAE Team Emirates - XRG, their behaviour and tactics, and has an interesting response. “It may seem difficult to interpret, but you have to understand that they have two very strong riders. Ayuso I think is the captain, you could see it on Sunday when the whole team worked for him on Monte Grappa. Del Toro has the Pink Jersey, but the leader is still Ayuso”.

However he does not think that he will be the one to snap the race most likely, as a few riders in the Top10 have clear attack intentions: “I think Egan Bernal and Richard Carapaz will want to try to do something starting tomorrow. Yesterday it almost seemed like they had agreed to attack. They are very brilliant and I really think that in the next few days they will come up with something else”.