Cannondale's Allesandro De Marchi dedicated his victory on stage seven of the Vuelta A Espana to former Italian Cycling Coach Alfredo Martini who passed away this week.
"Maybe there was always something missing for me to win but it was my destiny to get my first victory in a Grand Tour at my first participation to the Vuelta. I’m happy, everything worked at perfection today," De Marchi said to La Vuelta.com.
Speaking about Ryder Hesjedal's crash which allowed him the chance to ride away and take the win, De Marchi said: "I was a bit scared that the peloton would catch us. They were pretty close. With 12km to go, there was a climb and I knew it was my chance to go for the win. I feel sorry that Hesjedal crashed. We were the two riders who kept this breakaway alive. We’ve worked more than the two boys. We even agreed that we’d played the victory between the two of us. When he crashed, I waited for a little while but I couldn’t wait for more. I couldn’t miss the occasion to win.
"My salute when I crossed the line was a sign to Alfredo Martini [the former rider and coach of the Italian national team who died on Monday at the age of 93]. He was an important piece of Italian cycling. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know him briefly but I heard a lot about him. I would have loved to know him more. In the last few kilometers, I thought the first Italian victory at the Vuelta had to be dedicated to him.
De Marchi will ride for BMC next season and said that having his future settled helped him. He said: "Yes it has helped me to race with serenity. I came to the Vuelta without any big pressure, only with the aim of getting back in good shape day after day for the world championship. It’s not that I wasn’t serene before. Many things in cycling are unpredictable. It was my destiny to try a lot before I made it but it doesn’t change my future. I’m the kind of rider who has to work for captains, for a team, whether it’s for Cannondale or another one. It’s no secret where I’m going but I don’t make names because for now I’m a Cannondale rider. I’m already satisfied with what I’ve achieved so far for myself."