13 seconds…
The Dolomites dream is over, but NOMAN can be chuffed to bits with their endeavours.
To lose by 13 seconds to the dZi foundation, an outfit which races most weekend and has been a mainstay of Cosaveli’s Trois Etapes events since its inception in 2012, is a phenomenal achievement. While it’s a wound that may smart given the slender margins involved, it is a testament to how competitive the Trois Etapes Giro was. Every credit to the dZi team, a well drilled outfit who despite trailing going into the final day, put in the performance required to secure the Maglia Rosa on the Marmolada (Passo Fedaia).
Nonetheless the NOMAN team have every right to be chuffed with their endeavours.
These were performances of the highest order, in tough conditions. The sun set a beastly temperature of 30 degrees throughout the course of the weekend, the thin air of the soaring peaks left the NOMEN gasping for each and every breath, and the staggering gradients must have made the road surfaces feel like the proverbial treacle rather than tarmac.
But did the NOMEN complain? Not once, even taking the toughest medicine of the weekend, defeat by mere seconds, gallantly. The camaraderie of the team as they pulled together to tackle the stages was magnificent – amazing to think that just a day earlier they were complete strangers.
Time is of the essence, not just on the slopes of the Passo Fedaia, but in the race to eradicate HPV.
Just as a NOMAN can’t tackle the roads of the Dolomites singlehandedly, so we must unite across genders, populations, and institutions to fight HPV-related cancers. Let’s carry on pushing ourselves to spread the word, engage stakeholders and consign HPV to history.
Forza NOMAN!