Exactly one year ago Enrico Battaglin crashed out of the Giro d'Italia just days after having taken the biggest win of his career. Today he made the 24th of May even more special for him when he continued Bardiani's fantactis Giro by winning the first big stage in the Alps.

One year Enrico Battaglin became a household name in cycling when he won a Giro d'Italia stage to Serra San Bruno. Having emerged as the strongest in an uphill sprint, he made use of his exceptional puncheur qualities to win a race that was tailor-made for him.

Today he proved his great versatility when he made a fantastic comeback to win the fourteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia. Held in very mountainous terrain, the stage was significanly harder than the one he won 12 months ago but he still managed to beat much more renowned climbers in the finale.

Exactly one year ago he crashed out of the Giro just days after his big victory and so the 24th of May has a special significance for the talented Italian. Today's win made the date even more significant and it continued a fantastic run of success for Bardiani that already won yesterday's stage.

”I really wanted this win," he said. "I have not been in many breaks but today I was really focused and I was the first to attack after the official start. On the final climb I always climbed at my own tempo and this was a right decision.

"When the climb became less steep in the last km, I raised the pace, bridged to Cataldo and Pantano and there I understood that I had not lost yet.

"Excatly one year ago on this day I crashed and quit the Giro, today I won. Yesterday my good friend and roommate Canola won and today me, super! Thanks to the sponsor and my squad that played a big role in this amazing victory”.

“After yesterday’s win, our moral is sky high. I didn’t attack in jest: I believed in the breakaway and it was always my intention to go all the way. I wasn’t out team’s designated rider in the breakaway: There are better climbers in the team than me, like Zardini. But the situation looked good and I felt sure that the breakaway would make it.

“I suffered on the climb, and on the hardest section, I couldn’t keep up. I had to go full gas in the last 500m and, when I got across to Cataldo and Pantano, I had to breathe for a second because I’d had to ride at 100% to catch them. Thankfully, they lost speed and I did a great sprint and managed to get past them in the final 30m. I looked around to make sure I had really won, and to see if anyone else was coming from behind.
 

“This day last year, I crashed out of the Giro d’Italia, days after taking my stage win. So this is a nice way to get my revenge. And, in the Veneto region, 24 May is the day we commemorate those lost int he First World War. In general, young people tend to forget history, but we are very aware of it, and it’s nice to be able to commemorate in this way.”
 

"This is not the first time we see Enrico's talent and this is another proof of he fact that he is strong in every kind of race when he is on form, sports director Roberto Reverberi said. "After Canola’s win we could be satisfied but today we made it again. To win in Oropa on this climb is an incredible satisficaction for the entire team and a new historic day for the whole Green Team."