Caruso (6th) suddenly finds himself ahead of leader Tiberi (7th), who has crashed, and voices his concern: "You have to be brave"
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Follow us on GoogleAttentive cycling fans may have already spotted him, but we would almost forget that Antonio Tiberi is participating in this Giro d'Italia. The 23-year-old Italian rider finished fifth in his home country last year and hopes to finish on the podium this year with Bahrain Victorious. He was quietly in third place for a long time, but after a crash on day 14, he dropped to seventh. That's one place behind Damiano Caruso, who is showing his best form yet at 37. In conversation with IDLProCycling.com, he tries to motivate his lead rider before it's too late...
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No one had really taken Caruso into account for the Giro. The number two in the 2021 Giro had a difficult 2024 due to crashes and injuries after finishing fourth in the Giro the year before. After a winter without problems, he suddenly showed a glimpse of his best form again in April in the Tour of the Alps, finishing sixth after Tiberi had to abandon the race due to illness. It was clear that Caruso was in good shape going into the Giro.
However, sixth place in the GC on the last rest day will be more than the Italian hoped for. Tiberi moved up one place because the team leader crashed on Saturday and lost several minutes. Caruso avoided the crash and was allowed to stay with the first group by Bahrain Victorious, as the team now has two cards to play with in sixth and seventh place. That is necessary because, with the consequences of his crash, can Tiberi still compete for the podium? On Sunday, in stage 15, everything seemed to be fine.
Read below the photo for an interview with Caruso.
Damiano Caruso
Caruso hopes Tiberi starts attacking
Tiberi looks very strong in this Giro d'Italia; how do you assess his progress?
"Antonio came into this Giro with big ambitions but had some health problems in the run-up. I told him: don't be afraid, the last week will be the hardest. Your condition will only get better. He has proven that. Antonio already had the legs to follow Richard Carapaz last Wednesday, but he lacked some focus. He has to switch gears, seize opportunities, and enjoy himself more. Don't overthink, just feel it."
There is sometimes criticism in Italy that Tiberi is too much of a follower and doesn't dare to attack enough. You have always been an offensive rider (Caruso won a stage in the Giro and the Vuelta in 2021, ed.); can you teach him something in that regard?
"After Wednesday, I told him that if you have the legs, you must be brave and try it even if it doesn't work out. You don't want to stand in Rome with a feeling of regret; you have to be sure that you gave it your all in the hope of achieving your goal. That mentality is important, and I always aim for the best. And I think and hope that the best is yet to come for Antonio; we're seeing signs of that.“
Read more below the photo.
Damiano Caruso
Caruso calls Tiberi 'a good person' despite turbulent past
We all know his past (Tiberi was fired from Lidl-Trek when he shot a cat with an air rifle, ed.), but you've raced with him a lot over the past two years. How is he within the team?
"Antonio is a normal guy who is very friendly and likes to joke around with everyone. He's a good person, and that's important to me. I like to help people with a good heart, and I believe that with his mentality, he can go far."
Let's talk about you for a moment: earlier this year, I heard you say that you still need to consider whether you will continue as a professional after 2025. But when I see you riding in this Giro, it seems impossible that you could decide to stop.
"Yes, good point. Last year was a bad year for me, with a lot of crashes and injuries. I lost some of the fun in racing, but last winter, I started again with the same grit as always, and all that work is paying off now. Maybe you're right, and it's not time to stop yet, but I should keep going for another year."
Read more below the photo.
Antonio Tiberi
Tiberi very happy with experienced Caruso at his side
On Monday, the third and last rest day, Tiberi was confronted with Caruso's words. And he couldn't help but agree. "Damiano does push me to be brave, to push myself to the limit. The crash on Saturday didn't help, of course; that was my hardest day of the Giro. But in the end, it was a good day, with no time lost. There are still a lot of tough stages to come in the third week, where Damiano and I can try something."
Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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