Guillermo Thomas Silva has written a page of history for the Giro d'Italia and for his Uruguay: no rider from his country had ever won a stage of the pink race nor worn the jersey symbolizing first place.

"We knew we were in good condition at XdS Astana but at the same time we always know that it's very difficult to win in a Grand Tour. The truth is that winning now, in the first days, gives a lot of peace of mind. Today's finish? It was a very hard climb, the one we tackled at a very strong pace, but I had the whole team beside me and especially a great Scaroni, he was very active and helped me a lot in the final. On my part, I had to learn to stay calm, wait 200 meters from the finish line and launch the sprint to achieve the most important victory of my career".

And further: "We knew that the three riders ahead were very close, but it was important to wait for the right moment. Scaroni set a relentless pace, made up ground and then managed to launch me. This victory belongs to the whole team and I believe it's the maximum I could aspire to for my country. Everyone was already very happy that I was the first Uruguayan to participate in the Giro and I'm happy to have been able to give them a victory. I believe this is the greatest result I could achieve".

Today is a day destined to enter the books that tell the history of Uruguayan cycling and beyond, because at the end of a very long second stage of the Giro d'Italia, starting from Burgas, after 221 kilometers, Guillermo Thomas Silva conquered the most important victory of his career, also wearing the pink jersey in front of the emotional eyes of his family.

The Uruguayan rider, visibly moved at the press conference, recounted what this success means to him: "My whole family is here and has supported me since I was a child in my choice to become an athlete. Being here at the Giro and giving a victory is special for me, I'm very happy and I imagine it will be the same for them".

An achievement that takes on an even deeper meaning when thinking about how much this race has accompanied his childhood.

"As a child I watched the Giro d'Italia in Uruguay. Actually, this is the first Giro d'Italia I'm not watching from TV, so for me it's wonderful to be here now. I followed it every morning because in Uruguay with the time difference the Giro was broadcast in the morning. This time I'm not watching it on television because I'm living it in person and it's fantastic".

Words that tell the authentic bond between the twenty-four-year-old from the XDS Astana team and the pink race, lived for years as a spectator and today conquered as an absolute protagonist.

"It's a race that offers so many options and tells so many stories. Today it tells my story, the day I wore the pink jersey".

The victory came at the end of a very difficult stage, interpreted with great tactical intelligence by his team. Silva wanted to dedicate ample space to the teammates who supported him in the decisive final: "My teammates were close to me these days and today both Bettiol and Ulissi brought us into the best possible position in the finale. I helped Scaroni at the beginning of the climb and then he decided to sacrifice himself and help me".

A perfect strategy, as explained by the Uruguayan himself: "It was a tactic that worked and everything was truly perfect".

In the final stretch towards Veliko Tarnovo, Silva managed to resist attacks and find the decisive move, crowning an unforgettable day. Now on his shoulders is the pink jersey, symbol of first place at the Giro d'Italia.

"The pink jersey is fantastic and we'll see for how many days I'll be able to keep it, we'll see day by day how it goes. But I know I'll try to keep it as long as possible".

However it goes in the next stages, the name of Guillermo Thomas Silva has already entered the history of Uruguayan sport. And perhaps this is what makes this success something special: not just a sporting victory, but the dream of a child who watched the Giro on television from the other side of the world and who today, finally, has become one of its most moving protagonists.