Like any big cycling nation, Italy puts a lot of expectation on its stars, especially when the Giro d'Italia comes around. Each rider fits into a different role, an ambition they're meant to fulfill for their country, and everyone has an opinion, even stronger ones when Italy hasn't won the race for nine years.
Those who do succeed, however, become stars forever, immortalized by the passion of the tifosi and the admiration of the press. Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Vincenzo Nibali, all Italian legends forever, and a list that the world of cycling in Italy is always trying to add to.
