Verbania, Muller nursing home, interior day. It's Saturday afternoon, Narvaez is on the attack with Leknessund and Bjerg: I'm following the live commentary from our good Luca, the TV in the common room is dominated by Mrs. Bice (the names are fictional, as in all stories) who only watches Channel 5, she's getting on everyone else's nerves, but she won't let go of the remote.

In a few days the Giro d'Italia arrives here too, the residents know it and it's one of those pieces of news that creates excitement because it breaks the daily routine that becomes heavy especially on weekends.

Just a few steps away from me and the person I'm assisting is Mrs. Maria, today she's receiving a visit from her two daughters. «Mom, Friday is going to be a mess, at 12:30 the nursery closes and I have to pick up Luca. But how is it possible to shut down the whole city for these guys? Couldn't they have gone somewhere else?» says one of the two with a bitter tone.

«Come on, the Giro is beautiful! They come from Cambiasca, pass through Trobaso, then the Plüsc bridge, the new bridge, Villa Taranto and arrive in the square in Pallanza. You know that my mom always used to tell me about that time the Giro came and the riders stayed at the Leone d'Oro, it's not called that anymore and I don't even know if it still exists. There were Bartali and Coppi, back then everyone was divided, my mom was for Bartali but that day she touched Coppi. She touched him».

«Yeah well, mom, but...».

«My mom touched Coppi. It's always a celebration when the Giro arrives, we'll watch it here on television, as long as that shrew lets us watch it...».

Meanwhile Narvaez has gone off on his own, while the daughters say goodbye to mom Maria and leave with their load of “little love” toward the Giro.

Maria turns her wheelchair, looks out the window and sighs: «Yes, but my mom touched Coppi».

Narvaez meanwhile has won. And Maria has won too.