Quintana always in pink, Julian Arredondo first at the Panarotta Refuge to also legitimize the blue jersey of leader of the climbers. Behind him Fabio Duarte. Rigoberto Uran, ex pink jersey, second in the standings at 1'41", after days in evident decline, reappeared in the final ascent tonic and reactive just on the eve of the Monte Grappa time trial which seems to be the last chance for him to oust Quintana from primacy. Many players, one nation. It is the Tour of Colombia more than of Italy. “¡Oh inmarcesible glory! Oh jubilee immortal! En surcos de dolores el bien germina ya": these are the first four verses of the Colombian anthem, written by the legendary president Rafael Núñez, which great cycling will do well to learn quickly given the exploits of the Colombian riders in this Giro, a flurry of successes and an absolute domination hitherto that had never been seen before.
The music was composed by an Italian musician from Ceccano, Oreste Sindici, who emigrated to Colombia in the mid-nineteenth century. His notes rang out only once at the end of a great stage race: it was in the 1987 Vuelta won by Lucho Herrera, a climber who on good days gave anyone a hard time, but who, thin as a nail, looked like a sort of exotic diversion in a cycling that could not be imagined outside the traditional borders of Europe. Today, with Herrera's grandchildren, Colombia has become a power on the pedals. It is to be imagined that the organizers of the Giro have already procured a CD of the anthem, carefully making sure that it is precisely that of Nunez-Sindici, so as not to repeat sensational gaffes like the one in 2011 when they played the old Spanish anthem from the times of Franco on the occasion of Contador's victory. A useless victory because it was revoked in favor of the runner-up who was Michele Scarponi.
In order for “¡Oh gloria immarcesible” to resound in Trieste in his honour, Quintana will have to overcome two more stages unscathed, today's time trial and tomorrow's Zoncolan. The terrain - a lot of mountains with dizzying slopes - is made on purpose, in particular the Zoncolan, to enhance its grimpeur qualities. As for the Grappa time trial, it is true that Quintana suffers from the races against the clock but today there will be no plains. After all, the only one who could threaten him is Uran. Duel in the family between Colombians, even if physically and temperamentally very different, Nairo with his ageless Andean features that smell of antiquity, Rigoberto, with his Mike Jagger hairdo, more inclined to European welfare.
Yesterday on the ascent of the Panarotta Refuge the pink jersey limited itself to controlling the most dangerous opponents without major problems. The dreaded conspiracies or strange alliances in the group to make him pay for his attack - treasonous according to many - on the descent of the Stelvio were not seen or perceived. He never lost Uran's wheels reaching the finish line together. He let Rolland do his daily stretches and then grabbed him again. Only Fabio Aru, among the men in the standings, managed to gnaw three seconds from him with an imperious sprint in the last 800 metres, an action that confirms the class and strength of this rider who is the authentic new blood of blue cycling for the races in stages. Aru is now ever closer to the podium, with the same gap as Maika just two seconds from third, who is no longer Cadel Evans but the French Pierre Rolland (3'29” behind Quintana).
On the day of Colombian overwhelming power, the curtain fell on the Giro from the Australians who in the first half of the race had hoarded stages and pink jerseys, first with Matthews and then with Evans, the last to give up. A melancholy but inexorable goodbye to dreams of primacy and podium too for the former world champion and winner of the 2011 Tour: on yesterday's final ramps the old Cadel really struggled, great grit but his energies are what they are. He reached the top of the Refuge 4'24” behind Arredondo and slipped to ninth position almost 5 minutes behind Quintana, also overtaken by Pozzovivo, Hesjedal and Kelderman.
In the stage where Evans collapsed there was - and it deserves to be remembered - the resurgence of pride of another great, two-time winner of the Giro: Ivan Basso who slipped into the breakaway of 15 riders that characterized the stage. He suffered on the final climb, he saw Arredondo, Duarte, De Gendt, Zardini and Pellizzotti run away, men who once would have eaten them, but he grit his teeth to avoid being caught up by the small group of Quintana and Uran. He did it arriving seventh at 1'43” from Arredondo, exactly one minute before Aru arrived. Well done Ivan.
