This year he realized the dream he had since childhood, wearing a leader's jersey at the Giro d'Italia. For now it's the white jersey, which proudly hangs in a frame both in his apartment in San Marino and in his parents' large country house in Gavignano, on the border between Ciociaria and the lower Roman province, where he is spending the holidays. On December 20th, Antonio Tiberi returned from Altea, Spain, where he will go back on Epiphany to continue preparation with Bahrain Victorious ahead of the new season, which will revolve around the pink race, of which in 2024 he was the best young rider, confirming himself as the brightest Italian hope we have for stage races.

Christmas with...?

"Yours, strictly. For me, holidays are to be spent with loved ones, so I'm in Rome with my parents with Chiara (my girlfriend, ed.) and her family. This is the most beautiful time of the year for me because it's an opportunity to be together with my entire family, uncles and cousins included, whom I never get to see due to various work commitments and the fact that I've moved to San Marino. We have fun with classic board games, I'm not very good while Chiara is unbeatable at Monopoly".

The dish you can't give up?

"Well, mom Nadia's sausage with lentils and grandma Maria's meat cannelloni. Before leaving for the training camp in early December, I stopped by to see her and she was already packaging some trays. The preparations had already begun. The tradition in central-southern Italy is to eat a lot for many consecutive days. It starts on the 24th evening with the Christmas Eve dinner and at midnight we exchange gifts. On the 25th, lunch is long and in the evening you have to finish the leftovers".

What was the gift you most desired as a child?

"The bike. When I was 5, I received a small MTB with blue and red training wheels, the colors of Spiderman. At 8, I started racing among the youngest at Anagni Cicli Nereggi. I believed in Santa Claus until I was 11-12 years old, when on the evening he was supposed to bring us gifts, I recognized my uncle's hand with his wedding ring. I started to have doubts and began asking questions".

A wish for you and cycling fans for 2025?

"I wish everyone to spend good holidays and then enjoy a season full of satisfaction. As for me, I would like to repeat a Giro d'Italia at the level of this year, or even better, with an additional stage victory".