He is italian, maybe he is sad because there aren't great italian riders right now. Only Milan is worldclass in his field.He's racing history. It's his only competition. As @James M would say, it's basic stuff. Easy for all to see. You don't have to like it to see it.
You can hope he crashes or slumps into a debilitating depression. That's kind of a bad situation to be in if you aren't a fan of the rider but spend time looking at the sport.