The colors inexperienced and white carry a particular that means for Lidl-Trek’s Juanpe López.
Born south of Sevilla, Spain, the 25-year-old grew up a loyal supporter of Actual Betis, los verdiblancos, one of many metropolis’s two largest soccer groups. He collected shirt after shirt, as any little one fan does. On Friday, he picked up one other, this time a biking one, the chief’s jersey of the Tour of the Alps, dyed within the inexperienced and white of his beloved membership.
“My coach advised me, ‘Do it for Betis’,” he smiled afterwards, sitting in his press convention because the race’s general winner. “Soccer is essential to me. I have been enjoying it since I used to be a child, so it has been a ardour all my life.”
On Thursday, after climbing 4,000m by means of the queen stage, López marched into the press room and picked up a soccer, one of many sponsor’s advertising merchandise that was anticipated to take a seat untouched on the desk.
Unprompted, he dropped it onto his proper foot, and with out uttering a phrase, did round 30 kick-ups. He then shouted “Betis” throughout the room of journalists.
The second shocked these in attendance, who questioned if he’d repeat the trick ought to he hold the race lead on the ultimate day. After all, together with his victory sealed in Levico Terme, López could not resist.
This time, he waited for his press convention to complete. The soccer sat on the finish of the desk. As he obtained as much as go away, stage 5’s winner, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, teed up the Spaniard, who gladly obliged to indicate of his abilities. Biking Weekly, sat within the second row, counted 34 kick-ups, all together with his proper foot.
Essentially the most spectacular half is that he López was carrying Lidl trainers that appeared three sizes too large.
“That is my first stage race victory,” he stated proudly, choking up at his achievement. “I am very glad for me, for my household, for my mates.”
Ultimately, although, the win was not for his boyhood Betis. Poignantly, López devoted it as a substitute to his Lidl-Trek staff boss, Luca Guercilena, who has been residing with most cancers for nearly three years.
“Everyone is aware of our supervisor will not be in good well being,” he stated. “It is for Luca. I thought of him all day, and I stated I wanted to do it for him. And I made it.”
