Professional cycling traditionally celebrates the best, the strongest and most talented rider in the peloton, with victory reserved for an elite few. But every once in a while, the hard working domestiques and less-talented riders are paid back for their pain and sacrifice with a moment of glory. Cesare Benedetti's moment came on home roads at the Giro del Trentino, thanks to his Bora-Argon 18 team winning the opening team time trial between Riva del Garda and Arco.
The little Italian sprinted to the finish to make sure he was first across the line and so pulled on the first fuchsia-coloured race leader's jersey. It was only his second victory as a professional and his second in a team time trial after success at the 2012 Coppi e Bartali race. The 27 year-old knows every inch of the roads of the first three stages of the Giro del Trentino and will wear the race leader's jersey during the 168km second stage that starts in the town of his first-ever racing club and passes his home before the final climb.
"One or two days a year you might have a special moment but a great day, and winning in front of your family is pretty special," Benedetti said in the press conference, as his father, a race volunteer, watched on with pride.
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"It's great to win. I'm not usually up there in the results but I try to show myself when I can and it came off on my home roads. That makes it a special double success. We're really happy with the team performance because it's very important for us as a team and for our sponsors. We beat Team Sky, too, and they're specialists and maniacs about this discipline. It'll be tough for me to keep the jersey but we'll see what happens.
"This win is for my family and especially for my wife, Dorota, because she puts up with my highs and lows of being a rider. It's not always easy and your problems often come out at home."
First across the line, fighting on home roads
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