"I'm moved." A serial collector of jerseys, Jonathan Milan wears the tricolor with the pride of someone who knows that when you pursue a result and achieve it in this manner, the signal that reaches the cycling world is powerful—exactly what Italian cycling needs. The 25-year-old from Buja, buoyed by his strong performance at the Giro in Rome, had set his sights on this Italian championship.

"Racing as a favorite is never easy, our team was perfect and I willingly took on the role of fetching water bottles for my teammates—it was something I owed them given the commendable work that was done, right from neutralizing the breakaway. It could have become a threat, but we averted it."

In the snapshot of the leading positions, the silhouettes that stand out most prominently are those of Giulio Ciccone and Andrea Bagioli, while Filippo Zana is replaced when 15 kilometers remain to the finish by Mark Lorenzo Finn, who is certainly not exhausted from having been part of the breakaway that developed in the stretch between Langa and Alta Langa.

Then came the final five kilometers: "So much effort, believe me, I managed the exit from the curve after the square (Galimberti, ed.) at two hundred meters exactly as planned, and here I am as the new Italian road champion—I who, as an under-23, surprisingly even to myself, won the national time trial title. The entire Lidl Trek, I repeat, was absolutely wonderful, and first and foremost I dedicate this success to them, and I will defend the jersey for the first time at the Tour of Poland."

The Vuelta? "Too demanding, it would have been nice to be in Spain wearing the Italian colors, but there will be other prestigious opportunities!"

Behind the podium at the awards ceremony, with a composure different from the liveliness he showed in today's closing phases, Tommaso Dati has clear ideas: "Have I improved further compared to my previous experience on the Cuneo roads, at the Coppi e Bartali? I'd say my confidence is the same, and the rest in terms of answers about my potential is being given to me by all the races. Ah, I'll stay with Ukyo until the end of the season." Returning to Milan, the Cuneo roar is propelling new ambitions: "you know, I'd really like to make a name for myself in the classics too."