Simon Yates was still very emotional on the awards stage in Rome yesterday. He won his Giro d'Italia in the mountains, on the last possible day to achieve the important result. The victory came on the Colle delle Finestre, where in 2018 he was in the pink jersey and lost that Giro that seemed already won. The victory went to Froome, and the British rider always said he would try to win the pink race again. His dream has now come true, and he is the winner of the 108th Giro d'Italia.

Did he dream of winning the Giro d'Italia as a child? And how important was what he did for the general classification during these three weeks?
"Ever since I became a professional, I've always dreamed of winning the most important races and obviously the grand tours, which are the pinnacle of our sport. I fell in love with this race, even though I had my ups and downs in 2018. But it's a race that kept calling me, and in the end, I managed to win it. So I still can't believe it, it's like a dream that has finally come true."

Simon, you've talked a lot about confidence, both in yourself and in the team. Is this something you've had difficulties finding in your career and personal life?
"I think everyone must always have confidence in themselves and have the time to do something. Regarding this Giro, the team's confidence was important. The guys encouraged me to try, and you never know what might happen. In the end, I started to believe in it too, and that's why I tried, and yesterday I succeeded."

You've raced for many years with the same team chasing the Giro victory. How was it to achieve this result with a team you've been riding with for just a year?
"I think I needed a change and wanted to join a team that knew how to win grand tours. I've succeeded with different riders, and it seems that has paid off. Of course, I have no regrets about staying so long with Jayco. I know I have long-time friends and great memories with that team. Practically all my successes, except for the Giro, were with them, so I have no regrets and I'm happy with everything I've done so far."

Yesterday, you met the Pope with the other riders. What was that moment like?
"It was truly incredible. For some reason, I didn't realize we would stop, and I immediately thought we would leave, but that wasn't the case. So yes, it was an unforgettable moment for me. I believe for all the other riders present as well. Being in the Vatican and receiving his blessing was really emotional."

Cycling is a tough sport that gives nothing away. How much have you had to fight in your career? Have you ever thought about retiring?
"I've had many difficult moments, not just in the Giro but in other races, and naturally, I thought maybe it was time to stop and do something else. But I continued and found myself back at the Giro, and this was my year. Yesterday I was very emotional, and I don't think I've been this emotional in my life."

In the end, you proved to be not only the strongest rider but also the smartest. What do you think about that?
"I wanted to be alone to focus on my efforts because I knew I had strong legs and could really concentrate on my performance. I felt that some stages would be more explosive, which would have caused me to lose time, but I knew and felt that I could perform on days that required a longer, sustained effort. So I just needed to break away alone, and I succeeded, and from that moment everything was quite simple."

Yesterday in Rome, we saw you pedaling near your brother, who races with Del Toro's team and is therefore a rival. What did you talk about?
"Adam and I are very close, but actually, we don't talk much about cycling. In yesterday's conversation, we talked about the Vatican City, about normal life in a sense. Regarding Isaac, who races with my brother, I think he's a very young guy but with a truly brilliant future and already racing at a very high level. I think when I was 21, I was just a neo-professional, maybe not even a professional yet, so I'm sure he'll recover from what happened in this Giro and will have much more success in his life than I have."