Antonio Tiberi was forced to abandon the race on Tuesday in the second stage of the Tour of the Alps. The 23-year-old Italian from Bahrain Victorious came to the five-day stage race hoping to improve last year's third place. However, his adventure in South Tyrol lasted only two days. This is terrible news, just 2.5 weeks before the start of the Giro d'Italia in Albania.
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There was some confusion about why Tiberi abandoned the race. The number five in last year's Giro d'Italia surprisingly lost 14 seconds on day 1 in a punchy finish. This was followed by a crash in the peloton on day 2 when entering a dark tunnel. Shortly after that crash, news came of the abandonment of Tiberi and Salvatore Puccio of INEOS Grenadiers. Coincidence?
Yes, because Bahrain Victorious announced shortly afterward via its official channels that its leader had abandoned due to a gastrointestinal illness. According to Tutto Bici, Tiberi complained of breathing problems and was coughing a lot on the first day. He has 2.5 weeks to recover and remains in top form for the Tour of Italy.
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Tiberi was extremely ambitious ahead of the Tour of the Alps and Giro d'Italia
"The Tour of the Alps will be a crucial step in my preparation for the Giro d'Italia," Tiberi said ambitiously on Sunday before the start of the race, speaking to IDLProCycling.com, among others. "I want to go to the Giro in top form, and I finished third here last year. I would like to do better this time. That doesn't necessarily mean winning the GC; I'll also be satisfied with a stage win and another podium finish."
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It all sounded very ambitious, also when Tiberi talked about his current mental and physical state. "Last year, I was still discovering who I was and what I could do as a rider. It was the first year the team gave me the responsibility of being a leader. Now I'm more ambitious because I know my potential better." Tiberi won the young rider's jersey in his Giro debut last year and finished fifth overall. He is also the designated leader for Bahrain Victorious in May.
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'.