Four years ago, the "Shark of Messina's" Olympic dream was shattered on the descent of Vista Chinesa, just 11 km from the finish line. Vincenzo, captain of the national team that had handled the entire race well, was breaking away with two other riders and was preparing to go for gold when he fell from his bike. The race was over: he was left with a broken collarbone and a great sense of regret for the medal that had slipped out of his grasp. It is clear that the event in Tokyo will have a special importance for the thirty-six year old Sicilian. The Sixth rider ever to have won the Giro d'Italia (2013 and 2016), the Tour de France and La Vuelta has proved to be a well-rounded rider who has also won classics such as il Lombardia (2015 and 2017) and Milano-Sanremo (2018). He doesn’t like contact sports and for this reason he has never liked football. Instead, he is passionate about radio-controlled model cars and photography, a hobby he inherited from his father who also passed on his love for cycling. Very attached to his homeland, which he left when he was young to follow his dream of becoming a professional cyclist, he has turned simplicity into his strong point.