Cairo on the Giro d’Italia: “It was spectacular. And about Nibali I say that …”

The best show of the last years of the Giro. Thousands of hearts melt on the bleachers of the Arena, thousands of fans cheering each runner, jumping and dancing, an engaging spot. The arrival of Nibali, then, his final greeting, the catwalk with the Bonacossa Trophy, the emotion: the culmination of a day that leaves everyone with the regret that it is already over. Urbano Cairo, president of RCS Mediagroup, is with the ministers Massimo Garavaglia (Tourism) and Stefano Patuanelli (Agricultural policies), and the Governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia. The parterre is really rich.

President Cairo, Nibali came to greet you after the award ceremony. What did you say to each other?

“To think that at almost 38 years old he made a Giro of this magnitude, finishing fourth, moreover loved in an incredible way by our fans … Nibali is something unique. He came here to me, thanked me and greeted me with affection . He is a great champion, he has done a lot for cycling, for the Giro and for Italy, I am very sorry that he is retiring. But he can become a great ambassador of Italian cycling in the world, and in my opinion he needs to be involved in some way “.

A project for the Shark in the Giro structure?

“Why not … He has always said that the Giro is his home. It would be a good thing, let’s see what his idea is too. He is very attached to the Giro, he has a lot of affection for us, I hope we can invent a suitable role for him . We will talk about it with Paolo Bellino and Mauro Vegni (general manager of Rcs Sport and director of the Giro: ed), I would like to involve Nibali, he is a great ambassador of the Giro and of cycling in general. He has shown that he has a great class, a great strength and to be a great champion. It would be nice and important not to lose this heritage of popularity and affection that he has. Besides, he is a beautiful character “.

“Spectacular, and it leaves me with a passion of incredible people. The arrival here at the Verona Arena is like goosebumps, here a lot of people welcomed our riders, it thrilled me. To think that this place, built at the beginning of the first millennium, a little before the Colosseum, still used in this way today, it gives you the chills. It is two thousand years old … it is something unique, and then everyone here today cheered everyone. Bravo Hindley who succeeded on his second attempt to win the Giro, when he was already very close in 2020. It was a good Giro, on the Marmolada I saw a very exciting stage. Hindley deserved to win it, Carapaz very strong but I think he raced just before of the Giro, and he was not in such good shape. Hindley had something more. And Italy, aside from Nibali, won 5 of the last 11 stages, with Dainese, Oldani, Ciccone, Covi and Sobrero today, all boys “.

This year the Giro has found its audience again.

“I saw many, many people on the roads. This was an incredible feature of the 2022 edition. The public was always tempted to accompany the Giro, even in 2020, in the era of Covid, people did not want to leave the riders alone. . But today it was a real apotheosis, something unique, millions and millions to incite the runners and to applaud on the roads. I followed the time trial of Sobrero and today in Verona there were wings of crowds, but also in other stages that I saw there was a lot of passion and a lot of affection. Here at the Arena he cheered for cycling, for sport “.

Two ministers came to Verona, in addition to Governor Zaia.

“I was pleased that from the point of view of the Government there was attention to the Giro. I was pleased to see them involved and that they appreciated what the Giro can give in terms of tourism development and promotion of Italy to the abroad. Because this is a Giro that is seen, and Italy is seen, in hundreds of millions of homes around the world. It was important that the two ministers came, I appreciated that. This is the legacy that he leaves us this Giro. And also Zaia I saw him very involved, very passionate “.