Tuesday, April 11, 2023. This is a date that will be forever etched into my memory and one I will always look back on with immense happiness and pride. Crossing the line to win Stage 1 of the Giro di Sicilia was something that not only was completely unexpected and not part of the plan heading into the stage (as often is the way in World Tour Racing), but also an achievement that I still can’t quite believe to this day.
It was a really emotional victory for me. Not only was it the first win of my career, but it was my first race victory since my horrific injury 10 months ago where I broke my femur. You always question whether you’ll truly be able to get back to the levels you reached before such a big injury like I had, so to make it back to that level and win a race is something I’m incredibly proud of.
Many people would see injury as a physical setback, but I think a bad injury like that is just as much a mental and emotional blow. This past year has been the hardest of my career so far. I had so much uncertainty and doubt in myself as to whether I could bring myself to race competitively again, so to go out there and secure a result like that was beyond my wildest dreams.
Heading into the stage, the plan certainly wasn’t for me to attack and win the stage. We had Diego Ulissi in our group, who was one of the clear favourites for the stage, so I was super excited to help put him in a position to secure victory.
However, as we approached the final few kilometres, Diego made a decision to allow me to kick-on and secure the win, proving what a brilliant professional and cycling man he is to be able to make such a tactical decision in the heat of battle.
My plan was simply to pull as hard as I could because we wanted to thin out the group before the sprint at the top of the final climb. In the moment that Diego let the wheel go, I remember looking back and immediately knowing what he was thinking. That was my cue to absolutely hammer it to the finish line.
Taking the final right-hander on to the finish straight – it was a feeling that I will never ever forget, beating Vincenzo Albanese by a healthy eight seconds.
Getting back to the hotel after the stage and seeing all of the messages from my friends and family was extremely special. They have all seen me at my lowest this past year, so to be able to celebrate and share the victory with them made all of the tough times worth it.
As the race progressed over Stage 2 and 3, I had the opportunity to ride with the leader’s jersey and maintain my position at the top of the GC. I managed to stay well out of trouble due to brilliant support by my teammates, which was absolutely the name of the game. Wearing that jersey was an amazing feeling and something I hadn’t yet done at this level.
Heading into the final stage, I was nervous but also relaxed. I didn’t set my expectations too high as I didn’t know how I would climb against such a strong field. It had been a great week, so I tried to make sure I didn’t put too much pressure on myself.
To finish eighth on the stage, fourth overall, and in the white jersey represented a week I could only have dreamt of! Of course, there was a little disappointment at not securing overall victory, but it has made me hungrier than ever to keep pushing.
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, I hope to have a strong finish to the season. I have some big races on the horizon and will be looking to carry my good form into the weeks and months ahead. The goal is always to put myself in positions to fight for race wins … so that’s what I’ll be working towards every single day!