Cunego happy to be a record breaker
“I’ve lots of dreams but I won’t change”
Things look rosy for Damiano Cunego. After winning the Giro
d’Italia he is the new hero of the world of cycling and has a great career ahead
of him. At only 22 years old he has won the Giro d’Italia and taken four stage
wins and sent Italian television viewing figures through the roof with 5,200,000
people watching the decisive stage on Saturday. The celebrations in the centre
of Milan where just as special, showing that the Italian public has fallen in
love with Cunego. For Team Saeco the Giro could not have gone better.
Cunego is clearly living in a dream but his rationality and
sharp thinking mean he is always in control and knows what he wants from life.
He picked three words to describe his Giro win: “Unexpected
-because I never expected to win four stages and the pink jersey. Emotional
because of the support of the tifosi along the road is an incredible sensation.
Moving because this win is a team win by the whole of the Team Saeco staff and
no one is excluded”. The end of the Giro was a day of celebration that also
includes Simoni.
“We’ve cleared things up and I want everybody to give him
the praise he deserves for this win. Perhaps we will never ride another major
stage race together even if it is too early to say,” Cunego said. It is also
time to think of future.
“I’m already thinking about the world championships in
Verona and the Olympic Games in Athens are also a dream. I’m not going to ride
the Tour de France this year and perhaps not even next year,” he said.
Like true champion Damiano is as intelligent as he is
physically strong.
“I don’t think this success will change me as a person. I’m a normal person who
likes to get on with everybody,” he said.
He also has strong family values. “I have to thank above all my parents for
everything they’ve done to help reach where I am today,” he says.
As he has proved day after day at the Giro, Cunego has the
potential to be a huge sporting idol and is already showing it.
Milan, May 30, 2004
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