Racing into Rome

For three weeks, we raced toward the Eternal City. This evening, Alberto Bettiol, Alexander Cepeda, Ben Healy, and Magnus Cort rode into the Italian capital. After six fast laps around the packed streets of Rome, past the Pantheon and Villa Borghese, they crossed the final finish line of this year’s Giro d’Italia and celebrated their achievement by the old walls of the Colosseum.

Our riders are proud of the way that they raced this Tour of Italy. Their two stage wins will forever be noted in the race’s history books and the memories of anyone who watched them. Ben’s 50-kilometer solo to win stage eight astounded the cycling world, while Magnus proved—once again—that he is one of the best finishers in the sport when he dusted his rivals from the break to win stage ten.

And yet, those results don’t sum up the scale of our team’s efforts.

This Giro was brutal. Over the past three weeks, Alberto, Alexander, Ben, and Magnus raced 3,489 kilometers, climbing 51,400 meters over the Appennines, Dolomites, and Alps, often in atrocious weather. We lost our GC leaders Rigoberto Urán and Hugh Carthy to sickness. Stefan de Bod and Jonathan Caicedo had to leave the race due to illness too. Unfazed by these setbacks or the incessant rain, our riders raced on, determined to make the most of every chance they got.

Day in and day out, they banded together and raced with ingenuity and grit.

Alberto Bettiol nearly got another stage win in his home Tour. He came up just short in the sprint on stage 14. Ben nearly doubled his tally with a stupendous ride to finish second on stage 15. Alexander Cepeda left everything on the road for his teammates.

“It has been a good Giro for us,” says sports director Matti Breschel. “There were a lot of ups and downs, and it is a shame that we lost a few riders, but the Giro is what it is. It has been a tough one for everyone. The weather really affected the riders’ health, and then the last week was brutal as always, but we had some beautiful moments. Of course, my favorites are the two wins we had.”

Ben Healy was overwhelmed after finishing his debut grand tour in Rome. This Giro was a race into the unknown for the Irish racer. He met his highest goals with his stage win and learned from his teammates how to manage his efforts in a three-week race. Ben’s spirit will take him far in the next grand tours he races.

“You have to just try and take every day as it comes and really look for the opportunities every day,” says Ben. “There is always something to go for in a grand tour and you have to keep believing. We had our leaders leave and a few trials and tribulations, but we always looked forward and saw what we could succeed in and I think that kept us positive and motivated. I came here with a goal of trying to win a stage. I always felt that was being a bit optimistic, because a lot of things have to go your way for that, and on top of that you have to have the legs, so to be able to do that in my first grand tour is something I am really proud of.”

It is. And now it’s time for the whole team to celebrate. After three hard weeks of racing around the Italian countryside, Rome looks especially beautiful this evening.