You cannot leave the seas of the South, the beloved Naples, the warm-up stages of the Giro, without raising two superlatives: one to Ballerini for how he exploits the opportunity of Piazza Plebiscito (and I add for the entire Astana, so far with the UAE pink jersey for team combativeness), the second to the young prodigy Magnier, who leaves his mark in the fatal crash on the treacherous porphyry stones, yet cold and lightning-quick in getting back on the bike, immediately finding the pedal and finally launching a frightening and spectacular comeback. You say: but he lost. I'm not counting, I'm talking about the gesture, which this time is worth a victory. See it to believe it.

This time I would add an honorable mention also to the Giro's designer. It's true that just two drops (punctually arriving in those final five minutes, Fantozzi's Coppa Cobram award) are enough to transform stones into an ice skating rink, it's true that the good Milan launches his anathema ("I don't understand why they seek certain finishes, it's completely absurd"), but despite everything I say and confirm that a finish different from the usual Caracciolo makes sense, creativity and originality are needed too, see Torriani, even though fantasy inflicts on the group more difficult tests of balance and acrobatics. Among the orthodox, we're always at the usual indignation: what's the point of still racing the Roubaix, today I add the Strade Bianche, come on, it's anachronistic, it's mad, "it's completely absurd". Yet, boredom is also beaten this way, as this Naples stage demonstrates: they race it soft as figs, still supposedly stiffened by the cold of the day before, 8 kilometers from the finish (verified data) they're at 40 km/h, cruising speed to say nothing worse. Then that finale. Sure, it's riskier, it's harder, but it's not dangerous, because it climbs: and this becomes decisive. If there's no danger of getting hurt (see the first stage), a finish like this becomes damnably interesting. By chance, a specialist in stones and Northern classics takes it home, a sign that skill always counts for something. And there's nothing else to add. Closed.

Rather, let's open the Giro. The Giro of the standings, the most anticipated and truest Giro, in the collective hope that it finally truly opens. They've been going on about the Blockhaus, no point moving until the Blockhaus, everything starts on the Blockhaus, you'll see what a beating on the Blockhaus: well, precisely, let's see this Blockhaus. From the reports I've gathered over these days, the race is already written (not by me, by them). I'll report the program briefly, it seems like Maurizio Mosca's pendulum, or the Magic 8-Ball, but it's all planned down to the smallest detail (and I don't want trouble if it doesn't go that way, it's not my stuff). To make it short. First: Vingegaard attacks and takes the jersey, which he'll then strengthen in the Tuscan time trial, because with the Tour in sight he wants to close it quickly and waste as little as possible. Second: Pellizzari will be there with him, very close to him, because he's finally mature at just the right point and because if God willing he can race as a captain, he certainly won't waste this opportunity, a real leap in quality in the beautiful world of stars. Third: always God willing, finally this Gee will enter the scene whom Lidl has designated as their GC man, sacrificing our Ciccone in the most indecorous way. Fourth: Ineos will clearly unleash Arensman, kept on a leash so far, but talked about as very strong. Fifth: the surprises, which as Garzelli says are always possible, just as anything can always happen (then maybe they'll explain to us why we need commentators to say what they say in kindergarten). Fifth: Ciccone, him, the true victim of this Giro, sunk without a trace at Potenza without even a formal attempt at help, at least until the Blockhaus, where he would have wanted (been able) to arrive dressed as a confetto among his Abruzzo people. Giulio, with what spirit do you go now to the Blockhaus, I ask him on the cobblestones of Piazza Plebiscito, thus better called plebiscitini here. Synthetic answer, sparse, essential, deeper than a thousand speeches: "The spirit ended yesterday". No interpreter needed. He has every reason. Vote Cicco.