• News
• Races
• Photos
• Interviews
• Inside Scoop
• Gear & Gadgets

93rd Tour de France - presented by

15 July

Simoni and Saunier Duval-Prodir Updates
Simoni Speaks English

Simoni and Saunier Duval-Prodir Updates
Stage List, Stage Profile

Simoni, photo: Bicirace.com

We did not know it before, always using Italian, but Gilberto Simoni can hold a conversation in English. Sunday morning before the start of stage 14 to Gap, Simoni came up to talk with us at the sign-in.

"Ah, here I can speak English," said Gibo in fairly descent English. "I actually took an English course in the past but I don't know if it helped."

It did help. We were able to have a small conversation with Gibo in the second official language of the Tour de France.

"I think Phonak made a mistake yesterday," said Gibo when his friend and Yellow Jersey holder, Oscar Pereiro, rode by and said hello. Do you think he will win the Tour? "Nothing is possible," said Gibo.

You mean "anything?" "Yes, anything is possible. Pereiro can at least ride to a podium position in Paris."

The conversation went on like this. It was amazing to hear the two-time Giro d'Italia champion give his thoughts on everything in the Tour. Once we got him to start talking in English he did not want to stop; only being forced to stop when the riders were called to the start line.