Fabio Aru 's second life began just over two months ago. The 31-year-old Sardinian left the group at the end of the Vuelta on 5 September, after winning the Spanish race in 2015, a stage in the Tour de France , three stages in the Giro d'Italia with two final podiums and the title of Italian champion. A thoughtful decision that put an end to a brilliant first part of his career and a second part with some more regrets for not having achieved great results.

But the “Cavaliere dei Quattro Mori”, after eight years as pro and eleven great laps, said enough with absolute serenity. We notice it during our interview in which he tells us about his present and his future projects.

Fabio, two months after your retirement don't you miss your bicycle? I started a new path in my life without completely abandoning the bike. I keep pedaling and exercising as soon as possible, obviously not at the pace of a professional. In a group I heard from some colleague that in case of retirement they would not even want to see the bicycle anymore, luckily this is not my case.

One of the reasons for your retirement is to be closer to your family, are you making up for lost time? I was missing this aspect and I really appreciate it. Staying home at night for dinner and sleeping in your bed, compared to the 250-300 days I spent between retreats and races, is priceless. However, I am not exactly stopped, I am planning my future extra competitions which will start in 2022.

So don't you miss the effort? I have not stopped for this reason, I have taken into account for all these years to work hard and spend a lot of time away from home. Cycling has given me a lot and taught me to stay focused for many hours a day during competitions. The habit of fatigue was stronger than any weight.

So what are you going to do next year? I'm defining what my technical "equipment" will be. In the sense that there is the interest of some two-wheel companies that are interested in agreements with me for the promotion of their products and sponsorships. Then I will participate in various cycling events. On other fronts I have not yet decided, it is certain that I will not be part of the team even if proposals have arrived.

Don't you find current cycling spectacular but, at the same time, too exasperated? Surely the show is not lacking because the races are more unpredictable. Exasperated I would not say, I say that there is much more professionalism and an obsessive attention to detail without forgetting the attention to food, materials and position on the bike. Non-secondary aspects that, however, were not seen as important until a few years ago. When I was 20 there wasn't all this attention, now I see that young people like this new approach and it is normal for good results to come soon.

Let's talk about Giro e Tour 2022, what do you think about the routes? I'm actually not very knowledgeable. However, it seems to me that the Giro is very hard with a lot of altitude difference and less time. It will certainly be suitable for climbers.

On Sunday 14 November, Vincenzo Nibali turned 37. He was your teammate and in battles, what do you think of his extraordinary career? I wished him well and he proves that sport has no age. Furthermore, if he has decided to return to Astana it means that he has found the right incentives to resume this adventure. I want to wish him the best. And if you feel like doing the Roubaix, why not?

Your greeting at the Vuelta di Spagna was goosebumps with your team's party on arrival. But there is concern for the future of Qhubeka, will it be able to continue the business? I don't know anything but out of respect even if I did I couldn't say anything. I hope they can continue because in 2021 I met special people and a very skilled and prepared staff. Only if you enter the Qhubeka world can you understand their spirit, even in terms of solidarity initiatives. I hope that a solution will be found for their good.

Gimondi, Moser, Nibali and Aru: only you four, among the Italians, wore the three leader jerseys of the general classification at the Giro, Tour and Vuelta. What effect does it have on you? I am very pleased. But I have one regret: I miss the podium of the Tour in the year I finished fifth. I admit that I've always wanted more from myself as a runner, this has led me to make some mistakes but that's more what I've had than the mistakes I've made.

Finally, Italian cycling with the changes in the national team and a great Colbrelli. But who will be the new Nibali and Aru? In the meantime, I would like to say that Davide Cassani did an excellent job as technical commissioner. I know Daniele Bennati well, the new coach, whom I respect very much and I think he deserves this opportunity. 2021 was magical for our home cycling with Sonny, a great confirmation and revelation. For stage races I do not forget Vincenzo who is a guarantee. And then I would say to look carefully at Lorenzo Fortunato and Giulio Ciccone: the former won a good stage in the Giro and can aim high. The second has had many physical misfortunes but I think he is ready to make a ranking that counts.

Lorenzo Lucon - Fantacycling Team

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