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‘In?’

‘Varano Borghi.’

‘On…’

‘Lago Comabbio.’

‘Never heard of it.’

‘Never existed, it’s the tears of dottore Locatelli, mixed with the sweat of Fausto Coppi.’

‘And the love juices of Giulia Occhini.’

She started roaring with laughter. ‘Bart! The child is here!’

The latter was a quote from her mother. I immediately saw the tent before me, on the Italian campsite, the rickety table with the breakfast on it and Anna’s conspiratorial smile.

‘Passion or betrayal?’

‘Passion. If she hadn’t gone with Fausto it would have been betrayal.’

‘Very good.’

‘Bart! You’re making the child completely amoral! Of course it was betrayal.’

It was one of our set dialogues. We had about ten of them, and both of us knew our lines perfectly. This one was extra special. On a holiday trip when she was 10 we rode to Varano Borghi, not so far from Lago Maggiore, to see where Giulia came from. I had just seen a play called Fausto and Giulia and wanted to know whether there was anything to be found in the village that evoked the most famous love story in sport.