Scattered thoughts collected over three weeks of the Giro. Thoughts set free, in the race that more than any other liberates our childlike passion. Four young champions, four who all live in San Marino and all in the same building in the shadow of the Titan: Isaac Del Toro, Antonio Tiberi, Giulio Pellizzari and Davide Piganzoli. Four guys who ended up at the top of the pink classification, which has become their home, landing and courtyard: they will likely live stably in those parts and at those latitudes for several years. A champions' condominium, measured in watts but also in square meters. Let's stop thinking about creating a World Tour team; perhaps the solution is to build a skyscraper.

DEFEATS TEACH. Great loves don't end, they make immense turns and then return. For Simon Yates, the absolute love was the Giro, which he pursued for years, but from which he was harshly rejected seven years ago. An immense pain that left indelible scars, which helped him grow, to pursue a maturation that led him from a teenage age to an adult one. The brazen audacity lost on the Colle delle Finestre, the unbelieving magic of discovering himself a winner on that same strip of land and dust that this time had the flavor of incense, in a sacred liturgy that leads you to a dimension where you no longer thought you could dwell. He came out of the Finestre, returned to see Rome and the stars through the main door. Simon learned from his mistakes, just as Visma, once Kruijswijk's team and pierced by Beppe Martinelli's clever tactics with his Astana, with Michele Scarponi and Vincenzo Nibali. It's true that defeats hurt, but they teach. As Nelson Mandela said: "I never lose. I either win or learn". Simon learned a lot.

COURSES AND RECURRENCES. History repeats itself and often plays tricks on us. It also played a trick on Richard Carapaz, who was sure of making a quick meal of the Mexican boy. Everyone was convinced: the Champoluc stage would settle everything, they said. Yes, sure. The funny thing is that what he did in 2019 with a cunning move has now fallen back on him. Remember the discussions between Nibali and Roglic? The cunning Ecuadorian put them both in the bag. This time he found himself in that position: squabbling with Del Toro, with the aggravating circumstance that the Mexican is an inexperienced young boy and he a seasoned professional, shrewd and practical, who in the end relied more on his tongue than his legs. Carapaz loses a Giro he thought he had already won, after winning one that perhaps belonged to others.

THIRD FORCE. Del Toro disappointed but happy. Obviously, for the UAE youngster, it would have been nicer to finish on the top step, but perhaps this is better. Sometimes it's good to lose. Better to take a few insults than to be covered in suspicions: how come they're all going fast? Sure, if they take the strongest ones, it can happen that they go fast too, but in this case, someone went even faster, so all is well. Everyone happy. Perhaps the UAE are happier, with some still rough gems to cut. There's also Ayuso who feels like a leader in his mind, but should learn from history. Let him have explained, or shown, the images from the 2012 Tour, when Chris Froome was going twice as fast as Bradley Wiggins and showed it to the whole world. He put himself at service, repeatedly proving he was far superior to his captain, giving way, but also dropping him, waiting for him, declaring on all networks that he was the strongest and for team obligations was serving, slowing down, to help the baronet win. Ayuso, if he's so strong, should do the same. Cycling's laws are much more elementary and simple than one might imagine. Just go fast to take the road. But from this Giro, the Spaniard comes out at least halved. He moves like a leader, claiming a thought not declared but manifested by his posture: I'm second to no one. True, from this point on, he's the third.

Editorial from tuttoBICI June issue