Departing Damiano Caruso on finishing strong at his farewell Giro d'Italia: 'I feel like I won today'

Damiano Caruso is riding his very last Giro d'Italia as a professional. The Italian from Bahrain Victorious announced his retirement earlier this year and will move into a directeur sportif role at the team after this season. But first, a third week still awaits him. After spending a long spell defending the pink jersey of Afonso Eulálio, the 38-year-old Italian is hoping to go for his own result in his final Giro week, he told bici.PRO earlier in the week.

"This Giro has already been fantastic. If it ended today, I would go home happy. Now that Afonso is no longer in the jersey, I also get the chance to ride for my own prize. Any top result would be a lovely bonus," he said.

And on Stage 17, a lumpy breakaway day, he certainly took his chance!

While Valgren won the stage and many of the plaudits, Caruso rode an attacking race and fully deserves the stage podium and 9th place over all. After the stage, the retiring Italian was understandably pleased with his day. “It was really hard today. From the beginning, everyone knew it could be a breakaway stage, so I think almost 170 riders tried to join the move. It was a big fight, especially in the first part, because it was completely flat, Caruso said on the team's website.

"Then, on the first KOM, I tried to make it across and finally joined the breakaway. After that, it was a long day with many riders in front, and in the final it became really hard. When we were down to 10 or 12 riders, everyone started attacking each other, and I have to say I was on the limit."

"But I was also smart to play my cards until the end. To finish on the podium means a lot for me. I am almost 39 years old, this is my last Giro d’Italia, and my dream is to leave this race with a great memory. Of course, I missed the victory, but honestly, I feel like I won today, because once again I showed myself that I have character."

"I want to say thank you for all the support, especially from the staff and the team, because they believed in me, and that means a lot. And of course, thank you to all the fans cheering for me during the whole day and during these three weeks. I’m happy, and that is the most important thing,” he concluded.

Sports Director Franco Pellizotti added: “We are really happy and proud of Damiano today. It was a good opportunity for him to go for the stage, especially in his last Giro d’Italia, and he fought until the end. It was not easy in such a big group with many strong riders, but he managed the race well and reached the podium. We are happy and proud of his effort.”

Caruso sees himself as an important link between the riders and management in this Giro, supporting his younger team-mates — and with results to show for it. "Segaert showed his class with a masterful move. He really did that entirely on his own: the timing, the method".

Beyond Segaert's success, there has also been the revelation of the Giro in Eulálio, whom Caruso has taken under his wing. "We said straight away: the leader's jersey has to be defended." And defended it was — for nine days — until Vingegaard took the jersey at Pila. That does not mean Bahrain Victorious' classification ambitions are finished, however.

"There is no point in dropping out of the classification now. It is time to fight for the white jersey and a top-five or top-ten finish." Whether his Portuguese team-mate's Giro is ultimately judged a success depends on more than just a result, Caruso believes. "It has already given him an enormous amount of experience. That is something he can only benefit from as a rider".

Caruso is also full of admiration for the standard of this Giro. "People thought that with only Vingegaard at the start as the absolute standout, the level would be lower. But the average level has risen so much that it is just as hard as the Tour. It is no easier to finish high at the Giro d'Italia," the experienced Italian concludes.

Whether Caruso will also line up at the Tour de France after the Giro remains an open question. "We will calmly consider that after Rome," he signs off.