Giro d'Italia stage 21 reactions: Markel Irizar, Miguel Angel Lopez, Pascal Ackermann, Bauke Mollema, Giulio Ciccone
Jun 03 2019 05:21 am CET
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The time trial of Verona closed the 2019 edition of the Giro d'Italia, in which Richard Carapaz took the final victory and Primoz Roglic climbed to a podium position at the last moment. Markel Irizar, Miguel Angel Lopez, Pascal Ackermann, Bauke Mollema and Giulio Ciccone shared their thoughts after the last stage of the race.
Markel Irizar (Trek-Segafredo)
"I was not so sure I wanted to come to the Giro this year because I wanted my last Grand Tour to be a good memory, but I need to say that 2019 was even better than 2018. I have super, super good memories of this Giro, the teammates, staff…it was something really, really special that was better than the results. I want to thank everybody behind this – from our biggest partners to the technical sponsors, management, and staff – because it’s thanks to them that we can have this success and this opportunity to enjoy our dreams."
Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana)
"It was a very difficult race for me and I had a lot of bad luck during these three weeks. Indeed, in the most important moments of the race, I’ve missed a bit of luck and it impacted a lot my performance here. Anyway, I can be happy with my form, built for the Giro, I was on a very good level and I am sure I could get more in this race. I am happy with the white jersey I won, it is a nice moment for me to wear it for the second year in a row. Now, I am looking forward to some rest at home next to my family before setting up the new goals with the team."
Pascal Ackermann (Bora-hansgrohe)
"Initially I felt like the underdog but now we can see what I can achieve. I am just happy to be part of this team. I have a lot of friends here and they all did an amazing job on all the stages, be it on the flat or in the mountains. They always motivated me out on the road, and also outside of competition. Everybody worked very hard to get these results and I have to really thank them for all their support. I really wanted to participate in the Giro and when I was selected, the confidence that the team placed in me gave me additional motivation to try even harder to achieve more. In the end, we did an amazing job and my thanks go to everyone in this team."
Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo)
"It was only the second time that I was in the top 5 in a Grand Tour since the Vuelta in 2011, so I am really happy. It was a great Giro for the team, winning a stage, winning the mountains jersey, and then top 5 in the GC, so yeah, it couldn’t be better. I am happy with my level. We had a great atmosphere in the team from day one until the end, and that really helped. I think when the atmosphere is good in the team, you see that everyone is even more motivated to work together and that leads to great results."
Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo)
"Today was very emotional. When I was inside the arena, it was incredible, it was big emotions for me. I am very happy with this Giro, it was very, very important for me to finally make this big jump in my progress. I am also very happy for the team, we were a strong group, and I think we made a super Giro. Bauke finished top 5, which was the top goal for the team. I want to thank everyone: staff, managers, teammates, everybody… Thanks!"
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