A look back at the Italian sprinter's Giro, where he won his first Grand Tour stages
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Sacha Modolo wins stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lampre-Merida's three stage winners, Jan Polanc, Sacha Modolo and Diego Ulissi all together in the team bus(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) takes the stage 17 victory in Lugano(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) gets the win(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sacha Modolo has a big swig from the bottle of prosecco(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sacha Modolo might not have won as many races so far this year as he has done in previous seasons but the nature of his victories mark 2015 out as somewhat of a breakthrough campaign.
The Italian has three wins to his name so far - some way off the eight or nine he has amassed in the previous two seasons - but, crucially, two of them came at the Giro d'Italia in May. They were his first taste of success in a Grand Tour. Victories in such races are hugely important for any rider but Modolo's performances in May were even more significant as an Italian riding in front of his home public.
"The Giro, for an Italian, it means a lot," Modolo tells inCycle in this video interview, before going on to explain his new-found fame in his home town.
The 28-year-old also looks back at the Giro d'Italia from his point of view, where his wins formed part of a highly successful Lampre-Merida performance in general that surpassed all expectations. Youngster Jan Polanc got the ball rolling with a solo victory on the first mountain test, before Diego Ulissi made it two on stage 7. Modolo was meant to sprint on that day and made a mistake, but he atoned on stage 13 in Jesolo before making the most of a Lampre-Merida lead-out train to double up four days later.
The Italian extols the virtues of the teamwork that day but it remains to be seen whether he will stay with Lampre-Merida next season or move away, with his contract set to expire and with other parties interested in his signature.
