Cyclist: How does it feel to have won the Tour de France?
Vincenzo Nibali: There are no words to describe it, to be honest. Standing on the podium on the Champs Élysées gave me a feeling that I just can’t describe. Winning the Tour is like
a dream come true.
Cyc: There must have been some celebrations last night [after the Champs Élysées stage]. What can you tell us?
VN: Yeah, we finished very late last night. We celebrated the victory with the team – making some celebratory toasts, eating some cake, taking some photos. Waking up this morning and reading the newspapers has been quite emotional.
Cyc: Was there a moment in particular where you think you won the Tour?
VN: From start to finish, this was a difficult Tour. But I think rather than a specific moment, it was more a case of overcoming the possible chances to lose it, and there were lots of those.
Cyc: It seemed you wanted to take time out of your rivals at every opportunity. Do you think attack is the best form of defence?
VN: Absolutely. For me, the best way to defend my lead was to attack and make it bigger – especially when I gained two and a half minutes on the Roubaix stage. It was a difficult stage to read, but proved to be a very important day at the Tour.
Cyc: You have a reputation as a good descender and bike handler. Are you ever worried in situations where those skills are required?
VN: It can be a bit worrying sometimes. I’m tenser, especially with wet roads, but I just pay more attention. Riding a bike well is just a matter of skill, and the biggest dangers are other riders; when they brake, or when they slip. This is all part of the game though. It’s happened to me before, too.
Cyc: Are you disappointed that there was no Froome or Contador to compete with in the end?
VN: No, not at all. Every race has its own story, and this is just the way it has gone this time, but I do hope that in the future there will be the opportunity to race with them at the Tour again.
Cyc: And what about Team Sky? Did their lack of visibility change the race?
VN: Team Sky were definitely not as strong as they have been in the past, but I don’t think the race changed much without them, and we [Astana] had a good race.
Cyc: You’re only the sixth person in history to win all three Grand Tours. Which one are you happiest with?
VN: As an Italian, I would say the Giro d’Italia. But as a cyclist, it has to be the Tour de France.
Cyc: So, your nickname: Why ‘The Shark of Messina’?
VN: [Smiles] It’s just always been my nickname. I like it.
Cyc: As a young man, did you find cycling, or did cycling find you?
VN: I suppose we found each other. Ever since I was a kid I loved cycling. My dad did a bit of racing as an amateur, and he was winning and enjoying himself. I tried a few sports, like football, running, but the one that gave me the most freedom, determination and a sense of competition was cycling.
Cyc: Do you remember your very first race?
VN: Yes, I was 13. I didn’t sleep the night before, but I finished second. There was a corner just before the finish line and I went into it second. I tried to catch up with the guy in front, but…
Cyc: So what would the 13-year-old Vincenzo say about you now?
VN: I don’t know. But during that race a man was speaking to my dad, and discovered it was my first race. He apparently said, ‘This kid will be a success,’ but I was too young to understand. I still have a photo of the two of us together.
Cyc: Who were your heroes when you were growing up?
VN: I really admired Francesco Moser. When I was younger my dad and I watched recordings of the Giro, Paris-Roubaix, Milano-San Remo. We watched Giuseppe Saronni and Eddy Merckx, but my favourite was Moser. Then when I was a little older, the unforgettable Marco Pantani caught my attention.
Cyc: You’re the first Italian winner of the Tour since Pantani, and your victory comes 10 years after his death. But we heard somewhere that you plan to give a yellow jersey to his mother?
VN: Yeah, winning the Tour 16 years after Pantani did in 1998 is a massive honour. I still can’t believe it’s happened, actually. But yes, Pantani’s mother gave me his own yellow jersey before the Tour, and I’ll be delighted when I can give mine to her.
Cyc: Where’s your favourite place to train?
VN: I would have to say, with the mountains and the climate, my hometown in Sicily – even though I don’t go there much these days.
Cyc: And finally, what is your favorite memory from the Tour de France?
VN: I think it has to be the stage I won in Sheffield. It was a great stage, and it was the first time that I pulled on the yellow jersey. That was an incredible feeling, one that only few people can feel, so it has to be my favourite for sure.