Patience, vision and optimism. This could be the summary of Ivan Basso's interview collected by Cosimo Cito, Repubblica's correspondent, and published today in newsstands. A very interesting and encouraging exchange for us Italians. For those who see the glass as desperately half empty, there is an Ivan Basso who sees it as half full.

Damiano Caruso has climbed to 9th place behind Davide Piganzoli. An old hand (38 years old) and an almost youngster (23), plus stage wins from Ballerini, Ganna and Bettiol: this is all of Italy pedaling in the pink jersey. "This is our best Giro, even though the victory hasn't arrived yet. We are putting forward beautiful cycling, courageous, competitive. My colleagues and many riders have complimented us," says the manager of Polti VisitMalta.

Then he looks beyond his own team, though his eyes are on a young rider, Davide Piganzoli, who spent six years in the team of the two-time Giro winner. "That Davide is performing well is no surprise to me, he has always had special talent. The most beautiful thing, the best reward for me was the embrace from his parents in Milan. I felt all the strength of what you might call work done well. There is a chain that has brought Piganzoli to these levels, it starts at junior level and reaches us. It's a combination of good advice, right choices, and perspectives that have continually expanded. But also patience: if we had evaluated Piganzoli at 17 years old, he wouldn't be here today".

Then a look at Giulio Pellizzari. "I know only one thing: that the future of Italian cycling in stage races is on solid ground with Piganzoli and Pellizzari. With Giulio, expectations have been excessive..." "Pellizzari has great qualities and Red Bull is ideal for him to grow. Just as Piganzoli is in Visma. Let's give them time to do so. Superlatives are always wrong".