"Almost embarrassed to take pink": Giro leader Silva through the eyes of roommate Arjen Livyns

Few experts had expected Uruguayan Guillermo Thomas Silva to be in the pink leader's jersey on the first rest day of the Giro d'Italia. To be fair, neither did his Belgian XDS Astana teammate and roommate Arjen Livyns. On our website, the West Flemish rider shares the story of a wild three days for the Kazakh team and for himself.

We spoke with Livyns just after breakfast on the rest day, while he was lying in his bedroom with the legendary pink jersey in his peripheral vision. "It’s just hanging here on the chair. Not neatly folded or anything, it’s just lying there with Guillermo’s laundry. He’s not hanging the jersey out nicely or putting it in a special visible spot in the room. And he definitely hasn’t slept in it. He’s not that type of person. He stays very down-to-earth."

Does that describe him well?
"Absolutely. It’s quite unusual for him to get this kind of attention, and it’s also the first time he’s experienced something like this. He is a friendly but very calm guy. He doesn’t show exuberant emotions, or he doesn’t show them very well. His South American temperament didn’t really come through. Even in the evening, he was super calm; his speech was composed. He was almost embarrassed to have taken the pink jersey."

That sounds a bit introverted?
"Yet, his nickname is 'the Tank.' But actually, he’s nothing like a tank. Even when you watch him ride, he’s quite a fragile guy. I found that quite funny."

How do you communicate? We already heard his English isn’t great.
"He can speak a little English, but we communicate in a mix of English, Spanish, and Italian. We don’t have the deepest life conversations in the bedroom, but we can joke around and talk about the race. Because he understands everything. He’s not someone who leads conversations; that might be even more true now because he’s overwhelmed by everything going on. It’s unusual, but it does affect him."

Maybe also because it’s quite unexpected for him and the team?
"The Giro d'Italia is what it is, and this was his first time starting here. In previous years he rode for Caja Rural, a level below. This is his first real big victory. We had confidence he would get close in a stage, but of course, you don’t expect this. I would have expected a stage win earlier from Christian Scaroni than from him. But maybe something 'clicked' after his win in Hainan."

You probably didn’t celebrate much?
"After the stage win on the second day, we managed to have a drink. But it was very limited and we stayed very professionally focused. Sunday evening there was the long transfer from Bulgaria to Italy, and you could feel the good atmosphere on the bus to the airport. Only, it was past midnight before we actually settled in and could sleep. Luckily, everyone is motivated."

Suddenly he’s getting messages from Luis Suarez, the national icon. How did you experience that?
"He thinks it’s cool and exciting, but he’s not jumping around or showing it to everyone. I was the one who said, 'Can I see those messages from Suárez?' and then he showed them. He’s not bragging or flaunting it. I think he still doesn’t really realize the impact he’s making or hasn’t fully processed it yet. He’s just letting it all sink in."

How is this situation for you as his roommate to experience?
"I don’t think it will happen much more in my career that my roommate holds the pink jersey in a Grand Tour. Anyway, experiencing something like this within a team is unique, but as a roommate, it’s extra special. It was already great to sign with a team like XDS Astana and start a Grand Tour. This is a nice bonus and a wonderful start to this Giro. Hopefully, it will be three great weeks."

How long do you think you’ll hold pink?
"Up to the Blockhaus (stage 7, ed.) is the maximum achievable. But you also can’t underestimate stages like stage 4. There, you think it will be fine, but suddenly a big group breaks away and it’s over. If the pace stays high in the coming days and the control fades, it will be tough. But if everything goes normally and his form holds, a lot is possible. On the other hand, if he loses it, that’s not a disaster either."