Affini cherishes own success of recent period, but especially moments with Van Aert and Gesink

Only three days after finishing the Vuelta a España in Madrid, Affini unexpectedly won gold at the European Time Trial Championships and then went on to win the Mixed Relay with his fellow Italians. Last Sunday, he grabbed bronze on the long, hilly World Championship time trial course in Zurich, a medal he also won the following Wednesday in the global Mixed Relay.

That mixed relay was competed in next weekend's road race, which—as we all know—contains the necessary altimeters. It is not exactly ideal for such a time trial with three riders, two of whom must reach the finish line together. Affini, a team time trial specialist at Visma | Lease a Bike, doesn't understand it.

"I'm exhausted," laughed the Italian when he met us in the mixed zone. "When you see that this is the course of the road race, you know enough, no? I think this is not a course for a time trial, but we won't manage this with the organization. We made the most of it as guys, but it was tough. Mattia Cattaneo and I did the climb, but Filippo Ganna and I were completely pushing the limit there. We could do something in the descent and the last part, but it was really tough."

Anyway, Affini will be glad he made it to the finish. RTV Drenthe visited him before the World Championship, and there, the Italian, who lives in Donderen, Drenthe, told us that since he started living with his girlfriend - at the end of May, after the Giro - he has only been home for three weeks. "It's been a long period, with altitude training, Burgos, Vuelta, European Championship, and now the World Championship."

"It was also a nice period, but I'm looking forward to returning home," the Italian said. "So my season is almost over. I still do the BetCity Elfstedenrace, maybe Sparkassen Münsterland Giro, Paris-Tours and Gran Piemonte. And then it's over," he points out with a whistling motion that makes the legs on the couch go up nicely.

What is he most proud of now, looking at all that has happened in recent months? "There have been a lot of great moments. Take the Vuelta a España with Wout van Aert or the retirement party of Robert Gesink, where we all celebrated the end of his career together in Madrid. But the European Championship and this World Championship were, for me, part of the best period of my career. I'm going to enjoy that thoroughly."