I am leaving the “Strade del Giro”, but I have the last story to tell you about Stage 17 – Top Hill Finish on Passo Brocon, east Italian Alps.
I had a VIP pass for this stage, and I confirm that I didn’t like. I prefer to watch the Giro on “my way”. In fact my “real story” happened before I entered the VIP area. It started raining hard, we found a shelter under a Giro tent. An older sir arrived and asked if there was room for him. He had walked uphill for 6 km, he was asking me details on the arrival so he could plan where to stand to get the best shots to send to his kids, one in Singapore and one in Columbia. I learned he had fibrosis, but he had his medicine and all his gears against rain and cold in his bag pack. He had left his oxygen bag in the car: “it’s only 1600 meters here” – he said – ‘it is not like in 2017 when the Giro arrived at the top of the Stelvio at over 2000 mt.”. While he was telling me all his stories following the Giro, suddenly I saw him falling back, his eyes rolling, and he passed out. I asked for help, I called 118 (Italian 911) – I panicked, he could not die, just in front of me. He was the iconic example of the people who love cycling. Despite his physical and weather conditions, he would dare everything to watch the racers on the best spot, coming by slow on the steepest switchback, to get those “magic” shots to send to his family so far away but sharing the same love for this sport.

The Giro doctors and first responders arrived. He started to revive and be conscious again. I felt relieved, I gathered his things and gave to the first responders. They asked us to leave. I walked away looking back, hoping and he would be ok. He didn’t get those magic shots, but he left on that mountain his spirit that feeds and represents this sport, shared by all the thousand fans who were there. This is why I LOVE the Giro LIVE “on my way”.