It's the international day of clarity. We needed it, amid so much chatter, predictions, suppositions, and insinuations.
For the benefit of those who don't live and breathe cycling, I would clarify this strange name of the mythological mountain that kept everyone in suspense for a week: Blockhaus is called that, in the German way (House of Rock), because up there at the summit there's a military fortification built in 1863 to counter the action of brigands – shepherds and peasants – who rebelled against unification, the German term was a military legacy of the ancient Austro-Hungarian domination.
Having cleared up this Rai Educational-style curiosity, the clarity of the Giro. The most evident is that Vinge wins with Austro-Hungarian punctuality, confirming he is the only phenomenon in the race, but perhaps even more so demonstrating that he's not here to win a few stages and then disappear, as some flat-earthers in need of treatment had insinuated. The Dane is clearly aiming to win his third Grand Tour to complete his personal collection, on Blockhaus he cashes in the first installment. Tuesday, in the time trial in Versilia, the second is expected. Then, leadership all the way to Rome without wasting anything with an eye on the Tour. All rather predictable, we already knew it months ago. If anything, only the usual "Garzelli Variable" remains standing, which he uses night and day, "the Giro is long, anything can happen". For those who adore equilibrium and a solution in the last kilometer of the last stage, there's nothing left but this. With my dispassionate warning: if Pogacar was boring, prepare yourself for Vingegaard boredom.
Another clarity: Pellizzari. Blockhaus clearly expresses the less pleasant truth, but not even so atrocious: our young colt is not currently at the level of Vingegaard and those like him. So much was expected from this first mountain stage to understand the sense of Pellizzari's ambitions and dimensions as captain, aspiring champion: the first-degree verdict is evident. Other levels of judgment remain, before the final appeal. At the moment, no condemnation for even just thinking – even just trying – to be a Vingegaard. To know the truth there was only one way: try to follow him and stay with him. Clear answer: at the moment, it's too much. More a desire than an actual possibility. With an undeniable merit: as soon as he realizes it, in the grip of going over the top, with crossed eyes, he immediately takes note and settles down more calmly, realism mode, and waiting for Hindley he softens the blow, indeed coming out of it with dignity. Excellent idea to attempt the exam, excellent idea to try for top marks, even better idea to accept a good pass and take it home.
Finally, clarity in the Lidl house: Ciccone climbs well, anyway better than Gee, the classification man to whom he was sacrificed in the way we know, according to decisions made in winter. In the end he comes ahead of him, a result that counts more as a demonstrative act than as a real result. Demonstrative of what? Of a new, very simple reality: Ciccone is separated in house and there's nothing that has yet managed to recover him. Low insinuations? Butcher shop gossip? You really can't say that. Let someone else explain this banal fact, namely Ciccone who when Gee goes into difficulty (at the first flare-up of the best riders) doesn't even think for a moment of stopping to help him, as provided for in all the manuals of good tactics. Since the team hasn't raced for him even one day, to save his jersey up to here, Cicco doesn't race for the team. It's obvious. Is the marriage in crisis? Rather, quite a bit. Monday, on the rest day, team boss Luca Guercilena will descend on the retreat. Since at the moment the team doesn't seem able to attack, neither in the sprint nor in the mountains, he will try to attack at least the pieces. But he'll find more slope than on Blockhaus.