In Rome, where the Giro d’Italia closed its pink novel, the name that lingers most between applause and regrets is that of Felix Gall. The Austrian from Decathlon-CMA CGM, 28 years old, is today a mature and complete rider. He traversed three weeks like a taut wire between ambition and reality, building an incredible collection of second-place finishes, always behind Jonas Vingegaard, which tell far more than a statistic: Blockhaus, Corno alle Scale, Pila, Carì, Piancavallo. Five times within reach of victory, five times with his gaze fixed on the finish line and the stopwatch saying no. And in the end, second in the general classification as well.

The first verdict, on the Blockhaus, was symbolic and cruel: at the first real test of the Giro, Gall crossed legs with Vingegaard and surrendered only on the final stretch, when the Dane transformed the gradient into an author's signature. From there on, that finale repeated itself like a script already written with minimal variations: on Corno alle Scale the Austrian's consistency dropped everyone, but not the winner; at Pila he lacked a change of pace at the decisive moment; at Carì the tactical clarity was there, but the spark didn't arrive; at Piancavallo, finally, with sheer willpower he fought and defended second place. Always ahead, never ahead of everyone.

«I'm proud of how I raced. Being second so many times hurts, but it means that every day I was where I needed to be. Victory didn't slip away from me: it just hid a bit better than usual».

The general classification, in the end, is a clear snapshot: Gall finishes second 5'22” behind Vingegaard, with Jai Hindley (Red Bull Bora) third 1'03” behind the Austrian. A podium of substance that consecrates Felix as a grand tour rider, capable of endurance, management, high pace for weeks, but which at the same time opens the most uncomfortable file: how to transform consistency into victories.

«Vingegaard was the absolute reference in climbing. In some finales I lacked half a change of pace: that's what I want to work on, because the pace is there and the condition holds for three weeks».

The Austrian is not a passing outsider. Entering in 2022 what was then AG2R Citroën, Gall has experienced evident technical evolution: improving in time trials, more economical in climbing action, more orderly in tactics. Today he wears the colors of Decathlon CMA CGM but his contract expires at the end of the season: it's inevitable that the market puts him in the crosshairs, with Lidl Trek seeming to be his next destination.
Because a rider like this, who can hold his own against the best for three weeks and who has already shown glimpses of a stage hunter, is the piece that can change the internal geography of a World Tour team.

«The future? Right now I respect my current team: we had a great Giro together. It's true that the contract expires and the market is moving, but I'll make my choice thinking about where I can grow as a general classification rider».

His "missed" stages don't tell of weakness, but of a subtle asymmetry: Gall was almost always the most consistent in keeping pace, rarely the most explosive in changing it. When the climb demanded a sharp blow, a 90-second whip, Vingegaard had an extra gear, unstoppable. When it took sewing and bringing himself back with consistency, Gall was iron. That's where a captain's winter is built: working on the interval between 2 and 6 minutes, on the ability to relaunch after the threshold, and—tactically—choosing the moment to spend, not just how much to spend. This was the constant thought of the rider from Nußdorf-Debant, who worked with the awareness that Vingegaard today is too strong but that, working relentlessly, something can still change. During the race, Felix showed leadership and remarkable intelligence in managing every moment of the race: clean supplies, no crises or hysterical attacks, wind protection, careful management. Details that at the end of the Giro weigh as much as an attack.

«This podium gives me hunger, not anxiety. I prefer to finish second five times than to disappear once. Next time, though, I want to raise my arms. Rome is beautiful when you arrive with the podium in your pocket. But I know it can be even more beautiful when you arrive with the winner's jersey».

It's the first time, in seven grand tours contested, that the Austrian finishes in the top three. The meaning of this Giro for Felix Gall lies in a simple and fierce lesson: greatness, sometimes, passes through patience. The Austrian has proven he has the engine to stay with the best and the head not to lose himself. Perhaps something was missing, and in a new environment the eternal second could become the man capable of forcing others to tell their second-place finishes behind him. Rome, meanwhile, bids him farewell as vice-champion. The next finish line (does Granada ring a bell?), however, could tell a different story.

from tuttoBICI of June