🇮🇹 RACE: @giroditalia @vincenzonibali finishes 17th on the queen stage and conserves his 4th position in the GC ahead of the final time trial in Verona. #AstanaQazaqstanTeam #Giro 📷 @GettySport
Astana Qazaqstan Team came into the Giro d'Italia supporting the goals of Miguel Angel López, but it came out on the other side with Vincenzo Nibali having made a strong comeback to the top as he rode into a fourth place for the overall classification. A pleasant surprise to many, Nibali himself included.
Asked by reporters if his performance had given him ideas of returning to the Giro d'Italia, Nibali affirmed that "after the effort I put in today, certainly not." Nibali is heading towards a very impressive fourth place, after it was expected that Nibali would never return to the level seen in his prime years - which have seen him win all three Grand Tours.
He told in a race interview: “Right now, the main emotion is tiredness. The Marmolada has never been my favourite climb. I’d rather do a Zoncolan than the Marmolada, it’s a climb with such steep slopes, where you can’t breathe properly… I just tried to focus on keeping my tempo steady and trying not to lose too much time to my rivals on the way up," he said. It wasn't an aggressive performance, but through the consistency after Mount Etna, he's been able to be at the door of a seventh podium at his home race.
“The Giro was sort of my home because I was often on the podium, even if I didn’t manage that this year. I provided a lot of emotions, but the race provided me with a lot of emotions too," he added.
He came into the race with the goal of a final stage win. He didn't achieve it, but he has come much closer than in the last few years. “It’s certainly a great result, but maybe the ambition was for something more. I was hoping to try to win a stage, because raising your arms to the air is always a unique emotion. I went close in Turin..." Nibali pointed out.
Nevertheless, it was a performance worthy of one of Italy's most legendary riders. "When I had physical problems in the spring, I wanted to throw everything up in the air and stop"
"But then Martino, who knows me more than anyone, told me: ‘Just get on your bike and do what you like'. That gave me the energy to start again, and now I’m here. I can be satisfied with this Giro," he concluded.
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