Standing just past the finish line of the final stage at the Vuelta a San Juan last month after he had helped pull back the breakaway and set up Trek-Segafredo teammate Giacomo Nizzolo for the win, Greg Daniel was surrounded by a mass of thrilled fans who took selfies and asked for souvenirs from his bike or kit.
The 23-year-old American who won the US championship in 2016 soaked it all in as the Argentinean fans bathed him in the reverence usually reserved for one of the millionaire football stars the country has produced. This must be what people mean when they talk about "living the dream".
It was a far cry from just a few days previously, when Daniel admitted to a reporter that he was on the toilet when answering a text about setting up an interview. Daniel had suffered with diarrhea throughout the week, spending the majority of his time off the bike either in bed or in the bathroom. So much for the glamorous lifestyle of the international cyclist.
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"It was good because this whole week I've been battling stomach issues," Daniel told Cyclingnews about his work on the final stage. "Every day since the time trial I've been getting better, so it's nice to be back and feeling good, maybe still missing a little bit, but it was awesome just to be able to ride the front like that."
Daniel joined Trek-Segafredo last year after four years with Axel Merckx's U23 development team, a tenure he capped off with his solo victory in the US pro road race.
He got a full dose of the WorldTour last year, with starts in the Ardennes Classics and a handful of week-long stage races. It was a rough introduction to cycling's top echelon as he adjusted to the tougher competition and longer races, but he persevered.
Aiming for the Giro d'Italia in May
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/greg-daniel-the-big-goal-this-year-is-the-giro-ditalia
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