Cycling is made ​​of stories and one of the most remarkable of the 2015 season is the one that concerns Daniele Colli who was forced to abandon at the Giro after a bad crash that was caused by a collision with a camera but came back to win already three months later.

Colli went into the Giro as the main sprinter of Nippo-Vini Fantini but left the race in an ambulance.

"It was a shame,” he told LO Sport 24 in an interview. “I was fine and in Genoa I had already realized that there could be some good opportunities for me. There were suitable stages and in recent days there had not been many sprinters. But I was knocked out in this way and from there a recovery process started that led me to win in a short time, despite several moments of agony and still having pain in the arm.

"The fact that I had already had to recover from bad injuries in the past helped me to recover faster but it is never easy. I remember in the Vuelta a Burgos when I had a little more fear on the descents for example. It required some work with the head to again take risks.”

After his comeback in Burgos, Colli took his first win on a stage in the Tour de Hokkaido.

"It was definitely a moment of joy,” he said. “I focused on doing well for me and for my team because this was an important race for the sponsors. At the finish line I made a liberating scream because I thought about what work I had done to get back in condition. I did not even think about winning but when I approached the stage, the thought about how much I had suffered in the previous months gave me more strength. It is not easy to race again, let alone get back to winning!”

Later Colli won a stage and the overall at the Tour of China I.

“The victory at the Tour of Hokkaido unlocked me,” he said. “For me the win in China was the first overall victory in a stage race. It was certainly different: there is more tension, more control. I aimed to do well but I did not expect this success even if after the stage win I realized that I was strong and I could do it. 
 

”After taking the jersey, there were still three days left. All the riders were close in the standings and in the queen stage I only had Stacchiotti left 70km from the finish, but I managed to stay with the group. I realized how difficult it is for a leader to keep the jersey because there was the awards ceremony, the press conference, the doping control, massage and another stage. Then think about what happens in the Tour de France.”

Colli is one of the European riders to have had much success in Asia.

"There was so much interest because it is still new to the public,” he said. “In Japan there were enough people, but China was impressive. The last stage seemed like Liege, so to speak.  In China they are beginning to practice cycling even if it is more difficult, as the roads are not like they are in Europe because there is a lot of traffic. A big challenge was to go out for training when we didn’t race: motorists are not very disciplined.”

In recent days, there has been much talk about a Giro start in Japan.

"Japan is beautiful, I know the Mount Fuji and it would definitely be spectacular but for the riders it would be quite exhausting,” Colli said. “It is not easy at a physical level, perhaps it would be more advisable to go there to finish the Giro . I am not among those who say that it must necessarily start in Italy. Two years ago I was there at the start in Ireland and I have seen how much love there is for the Giro.”

Colli was not the only Nippo-Vini Fantini sprinter to do well in Asia. His young teammate Nicolas Marini won three stages in the Tour of China II.

"Of course! I did the lead-out three times!” Colli laughed. “In an easy stage he is very strong. He still needs to improve his climbing but I saw in China II that he has made progress. He must improve but he is still young. Stacchiotti and I made a small train and we helped him to get three wins. He trusted me and I was happy to help him because in the first Tour of China he helped me. He is a serious guy and the potential is there.”

Colli was not selected for the Italian Worlds team but has had time to reflect on the poor outcome for his home country.

"The course was strange, it was not too hard and so Nibali could not make a difference despite being in the condition he showed later in Lombardy,” he said. “On the other hand, it was too hard for Nizzolo and Viviani. At the moment, we don’t have a rider like Sagan, a Bettini or a Paolini. Perhaps Ulissi was disappointing and perhaps Trentin didn’t have the best day. However, there was little to do because it was decided on the last climb. Next year with an easier course, we will not be missing sprinters with Nizzolo, Pelucchi, Viviani. But again, this year was strange and Sagan was prepared to perfection.”

Next year Colli will again be one of the Nippo-Vini Fantini leaders.

"I'd like to start off well, even though this season ended late,” he said. “Surely I want to return to the Giro and start from where I crashed but there are so many races that I like to do. It would also be nice to return to Asia. I felt good there and it is also important for the sponsors.”