Mick van Dijke on how bad the sickness at Red Bull actually was and dreaming of a post-Giro chip shop visit

Before the Giro d’Italia, there was really only one team that looked like it could challenge Jonas Vingegaard for overall victory. Giulio Pellizzari and Jai Hindley had big ambitions, but then the Giro virus in the peloton hit the team hard. Bram from IDL Pro Cycling sat down with super-domestique Mick van Dijke to talk a little more about how and why on the final day in Rome.

“Yeah, actually it was fantastic, up to and including the day I went in the attack.”

“That, combined with a pretty serious cold that I had. I still kept pushing every day, so I definitely felt that in the final days.”

“If you are really ill, you go home, that is clear. But a lot of guys were still able to push through, me included. You do not want to know what all was being coughed up in our team, and Giulio even had to throw up in the toilet after certain stages. That does show what kind of mental resilience those guys have.”

“I am also very proud of Jai, how he fought his way back and how he really lost very little time on the days when he was sick. I can say I can take it easy for a day, but those guys have to be there every single day. Giulio is a bit younger, has a little less experience and a bit less body, so I think that is why he really had one bad day and then a better one again.”

“And if you still keep going like that for a few days, you go so deep into the red that you pay for it in a Grand Tour.”

“You try to motivate those guys in a normal way. They already feel bad and are tired, so you do not want someone constantly hyping everything up. I supported them where I could. I am happy with how my Giro went too. Sometimes I looked around and there were still 20 or 30 riders around me on a climb. I am glad I was able to support them for so long.”

“You have to be smart about it too. From day one I took Jai along a little, because we have a similar style in racing and positioning. That was really nice. I tried to do my work in the most economical way possible and as well as I could. That meant I also had three or four really bad days, but then I just let it go.”

“I barely saw him in the second week, because the team really did its best to make sure the riders infected each other as little as possible. We ate in the room and went to the start by car, so I barely saw any of the guys then anyway.

“In the race, I could see that he rode defensively and focused fully on that final weekend so he could really recover. That worked. We fought for everything we had and had our ups and downs. That is why I am super proud that we finished third with Jai.”

“I had hoped to really get into a breakaway for a podium place at least once, and for one day it almost worked. It was just too hard in the finale, and if you are out there with guys like Damiano Caruso and Einer Rubio, then you can hardly blame yourself if you are in the final ten. It leaves you wanting more.”

“Order fries, I am really looking forward to that. Other than that, I am going out for a few nice dinners with my girlfriend.”

“Hmm. I live in Kapellen now, and there I go to ‘Frituur ’t Fritbakje’!”

Bram van der Ploeg ( X: @BvdPloegg | email [email protected])