GIRO’24 Rider Preview: Can Anyone Take Down Tadej?

Giro d’Italia Preview: The yellow jersey is synonymous with the Tour de France, nonetheless many races use the ‘Maillot Jaune’ for his or her whole chief. The Giro d’Italia’s ‘Maglia Rosa’ is unique and sums up the Italian flare for style. This yr, it’s exhausting to see anyone nonetheless Tadej Pogačar carrying the pink jersey in Rome on the end of Might, nonetheless that doesn’t indicate the contenders obtained’t try. Proper right here’s the PEZ itemizing of favourites for the 2024 Giro d’Italia.

*** See the Giro d’Italia ’24 Preview Chat With Chris Horner HERE. ***
*** You probably can see the PEZ ‘Giro Route Preview’ HERE. ***

No.1 ‘Prime Favourite’ – Tadej Pogačar

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates)
Tadej Pogačar is the very best favourite for the Giro’24 winner, very like he has been in most races he begins. None of his main opponents; Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglič, gained’t be initially of the Giro on Saturday. Nonetheless it’s a protracted freeway to Rome and a variety of points can happen; crashes, hurt and even covid. After his two Tour de France wins, the Slovenian (and his workforce) has decided, with some encouragement from the race organisers, to start the Giro d’Italia for the first time in 2024.

The UAE Group Emirates chief, as everyone knows, is a stunningly gifted rider and has all of the issues wished to win a three-week stage race and most completely different races. He’s almost definitely the most effective climber throughout the race, there will not be any completely different GC males who can compete with Pogačar throughout the time trials and his all-round functionality is unquestionable. His UAE Group Emirates hasn’t launched their most interesting squad to Italy, nonetheless Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Großschartner, Domen Novak, Rui Oliveira, Vegard Stake Laengen, Juan Sebastián Molano and Rafal Majka has no weak hyperlinks. Novak, Großschartner will assist Pogačar throughout the mountains, with Majka being his last right-hand man on the large needed climbs. Bjerg, Stake Laengen and Oliveira could be there for the other ranges and help as lots as they’ll, nonetheless does the Slovenian champion need a superb sturdy workforce?

Can Geraint Thomas battle Pogačar?

Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers)
On paper, Geraint Thomas is likely to be Tadej Pogačar’s largest challenger. The 37-year-old British rider has been fairly invisible to this point this season, nonetheless he’s conscious of the best way to place collectively himself for his set aims. The 2018 Tour winner can ship himself to well being by way of his racing, with out displaying throughout the outcomes. This yr the INEOS Grenadiers rider has adopted the an identical pattern, driving his early races to realize endurance after which fly throughout the Giro d’Italia. Remaining yr his outcomes sooner than the Giro weren’t notable, nonetheless he acquired right here very close to the final word victory. The Welshman will as soon as extra be stopping for the overall win, as he did in 2023, nonetheless a podium place is further smart.

It has been a superb season to this point for Decathlon AG2R – Can Ben O’Connor proceed?

Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R)
The 28-year-old Australian climber has had a superb spring: 2nd throughout the UAE Tour, fifth in Tirreno-Adriatico and 2nd throughout the Tour of the Alps. A main place throughout the Giro d’Italia have to be inside his grasp. Extra further, wanting on the start-list, a podium place may probably be higher than doable. The chief of the Decathlon AG2R workforce shouldn’t be a pure climber, nonetheless can keep his private when the freeway goes up. In direction of the clock he has confirmed that he obtained’t lose an extreme period of time on the specialists. He accomplished fourth throughout the Tour de France in 2021 and eighth throughout the Vuelta a España 2022. O’Connor has had harmful luck with crashes an illness thus far, however when all goes successfully we’ll anticipate a superb Giro from the particular person from Subiaco. “The Giro is 100% the first goal of the yr. The Tour of the Alps was my last preparation race, which I moreover wished to win. It was the proper final check out sooner than the Giro, the place I already wished to indicate that I was ready. Afterwards you proceed to ought to protect enhancing, in actual fact, nonetheless there’s nothing larger than coming close to profitable merely sooner than your main goal. That gives confidence, it reveals that you just’re ready,” he talked about in an interview with WielerFlits this week..

Bardet says he’s in prime sort

Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Romain Bardet has found his most interesting legs merely in time for the Italian Grand Tour. He started 2024 with a 3rd place throughout the Conventional Var in February after which had top-20 places throughout the smaller French races and Strade Bianche, nonetheless pulled out of Tirreno-Adriatico. Then in April he took fifth on the final word whole of the Tour of the Alps and was on no account out of the top-10 on any of the 5 ranges. Merely to indicate a level he was second in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Frenchman’s sort is clearly getting into the becoming course and he ought to hope for good ends in Italy. “The Giro can be the massive goal for the first part of the season. So far we’ve executed what we would have liked to do. We perception that we’re doing the becoming preparation. We’re going to try to take some ranges, we’ve a superb group to make that happen. Nonetheless a superb final score might even be needed,” he talked about after the Tour of the Alps.

Dutch hope – Thymen Arensman

Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers)
Might Thymen Arensman emulate his Dutch countryman, Tom Dumoulin? The first Dutchman to win the Giro d’Italia in 2017. The 24-year-old had some good outcomes last yr in stage races; along with sixth throughout the Giro. This yr Arensman took fifth throughout the Volta ao Algarve and sixth in Tirreno-Adriatico, nonetheless his massive goal of the season is the Giro. He can benefit from all people his workforce chief, Geraint Thomas, which is ready to take among the many stress off. He must have some amount of freedom, nonetheless may ought to work for the Welshman, if he’s inside the primary place.

Daniel Felipe Martínez is on the pinnacle of a strong BORA-hansgrohe Giro workforce

Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe)
BORA-hansgrohe want’s to win the Tour de France with Primoz Roglič this yr, nonetheless the German workforce moreover has a strong squad for the Italian tour. Daniel Felipe Martínez can be the chief throughout the Giro d’Italia, sooner than he rides the Tour to help Roglič. Martínez beat Remco Evenepoel twice uphill throughout the Volta ao Algarve, nonetheless then had abandon Tirreno-Adriatico with a knee draw back. You’ll say the 27-year-old climber is inconsistent. Martínez has started 9 Grand Excursions and solely accomplished throughout the top-10 as quickly as, when he accomplished fifth throughout the 2021 Giro behind his teammate Egan Bernal, who he’d been working for.

Might Antonio Tiberi be a Giro shock

Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious)
This might probably be Antonio Tiberi’s various to level out what he can do in a three-week stage race. The 22-year-old Italian of Bahrain Victorious has had a beautiful season. His eighth place throughout the highly effective Tour of Catalonia and third throughout the Tour of the Alps, merely sooner than the Giro, so the form is there. The 2019 junior TT World champion can be a first-rate freeway man and his climbing abilities have improved in newest seasons. He has ridden the Vuelta a España twice, nonetheless that’s his first Giro d’Italia. He talked about “I’m aiming for the very best 5,” nonetheless can he cope with three weeks in a GC place?

Is the youthful Belgian Cian Uijtdebroeks on the Giro to check, or there with ambitions

Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike)
With Wout van Aert missing from the Giro, the Belgians could be following the youthful hope, Cian Uijtdebroeks. What can we anticipate from the 21-year-old Belgian in his first Giro? Visma | Lease a Bike doesn’t have to put an extreme quantity of stress on the youthful rider and don’t discuss his GC ambitions. Nonetheless determining how meticulous Uijtdebroeks is, he’ll wanting on the entire. Remaining yr throughout the Vuelta a España he accomplished eighth in his first Grand Tour, so he has confirmed that he can perform over three weeks. Uijtdebroeks’ time trialing would possibly let him down.This yr’s Giro doesn’t have a strong self-discipline as compared with earlier editions, this might probably be glorious for the ‘Youthful Weapons’, like Uijtdebroeks, to set off an upset or two.

Damiano Caruso – Second throughout the 2021 Giro, can he be up there as soon as extra?

Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious)
Damiano Caruso is now 36-year-old Italian and has a beautiful palmarès. He accomplished 2nd throughout the 2021 Giro d’Italia behind Egan Bernal and was 4th last yr. Caruso, along with Tiberi, would possibly save the season for his or her Bahrain Victorious workforce. Every would possibly take top-10 places and even a podium place for Caruso, as he’s highly effective, can climbing and has the pliability fight for the victory, even when he isn’t one among many first names that come to ideas.

Juan Pedro López obtained the Tour of the Alps last week

Juan Pedro López (Lidl-Trek)
López obtained the Tour of the Alps last week, so we’ve to consider the Lidl-Trek rider for the Giro. López himself talked about he had “a shit yr” in 2023, nonetheless as we observed throughout the Alps, he’s on sort as soon as extra. He defended his chief’s jersey from the efforts of Ben O’Connor, Antonio Tiberi and Romain Bardet, all of who could be throughout the Giro. López had his breakthrough throughout the Giro two years previously, when he wore the pink jersey for over per week and accomplished tenth whole. “I’m in fantastic situation, nonetheless at first I have to go for stage wins. If a superb classification comes along with it, the upper, then I’m happy to take that,” he knowledgeable WielerFlits on the Tour of the Alps.

Eddie Dunbar – With good luck

The Outsiders
These are the ‘Prime Contenders’, nonetheless there are pretty a variety of others who couldn’t win the final word whole, nonetheless they will be hoping to make their mark in Italy. Eddie Dunbar confirmed successfully in last yr’s Giro d’Italia with a final seventh place. The Jayco AlUla climber has had a variety of crashes and broken collarbones, nonetheless with a bit of little bit of Irish luck he might need a superb Giro.

Paret-Peintre brothers might also current the Decathlon AG2R jersey

Decathlon AG2R have had a superb early season and with Ben O’Connor this would possibly proceed in Italy, nonetheless the French workforce moreover has the Paret-Peintre brothers, Aurélien and Valentin, who’s experience has blossomed this season. Hugh Carthy leads EF Coaching-EasyPost, nonetheless it has been a really very long time since his ninth place throughout the 2022 Giro. The tall British climber has been concentrating on the Vuelta a España, nonetheless he’ll should be seen on the mountainous days.

Stage win for Nairo Quintana?

Nairo Quintana is the one earlier winner of the Giro d’Italia who could be on the start line on Saturday. The Colombian Movistar rider has talked about he could be going for stage wins, not the GC and to be honest, his most interesting years are behind him. His preparation for the Italian GT has been sporadic with first covid after which accidents. There maybe flashes of his earlier self, nonetheless his teammate, Einer Rubio, is likely to be a higher wager for the Spanish cellphone workforce.

Florian Lipowitz would possibly shock as he did in romandie

Moreover worth some extent out is Florian Lipowitz (BORA-hansgrohe), who was stunning throughout the Tour de Romandie last week. Luke Plapp and Filippo Zana are moreover there for Jayco AlUla, Michael Storer (Tudor) and Lorenzo Fortunato (Astana Qazaqstan). This may be 41-year-old Domenico Pozzovivo (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) last Giro, he could be out to say farewell to his home followers.

Arrivederci Domenico Pozzovivo

The Giro Favourites:
Prime: Tadej Pogačar
Doable: Geraint Thomas, Ben O’Connor
Maybe: Romain Bardet, Thymen Arensman, Daniel Felipe Martínez
Exterior: Antonio Tiberi, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Damiano Caruso, Juan Pedro López.
* The start-list would possibly change sooner than Saturday’s stage 1. *

Prime favourite must be Tadej Pogačar

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On account of ProCyclingStats and WielerFlits for the data, figures and rider quotes.