- Sep 26, 2020
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It's a shame that there aren't any Bulgarian riders in the race. A Danail Petrov or Nikolay Mihaylov could have lit up the event.
Ivailo Gabrovski was well on his way to winning a hilly World Championships in 2012 before the corrupt UCI framed him for EPO use.
- Sep 26, 2020
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- 31,341
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The question Vingegaard asks every night when deciding which of his houses to sleep in.
- Apr 30, 2011
- 50,639
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Broadcast seems to have ended with a whimper, a sign of things to come?
- Feb 20, 2012
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- Aug 29, 2009
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Here's a bit about the Visma logistics (in Dutch). It took them three days to arrive in Bulgaria (Friday to Monday), so yeah, no chance to make it back on time. They work with a limited fleet in Bulgaria, and another one in Italy.
The earlier reported conflict between teams and RCS has apparently been settled, though. Each team got a 100-150k compensation for travel costs.
Giro-start in Bulgarije levert wielerploegen logistieke nachtmerrie op. ‘Het is een enorme opgave’
De Ronde van Italië begint komende vrijdag aan de Bulgaarse kust. Van de wielerploegen vraagt dat financieel en logistiek gezien veel.’
- May 10, 2015
- 15,051
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You think he's been casually eating cow *** at home? I know De Lie does some things he probably shouldn't be doing as a professional athlete, but I don't think eating poo is one of them.
Serious question:
Will the Giro organization do health checkups on De Lie before allowing him in close contact with the Peloton on Stage 1 or they will believe Lotto's checkups and their word on it?
If there is a cow **** outbreak because of De Lie will Lotto be sanctioned or not?
Will the Giro organization do health checkups on De Lie before allowing him in close contact with the Peloton on Stage 1 or they will believe Lotto's checkups and their word on it?
If there is a cow **** outbreak because of De Lie will Lotto be sanctioned or not?
Armchair Cyclist
Moderator
- Mar 22, 2010
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- Apr 13, 2021
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- Aug 29, 2009
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it depends on what kind of bacteria he exactly picked up. Campylobacter would likely be okay, while something like shigellosis could easily spread over the whole peloton within a couple of days.
But at least over here in Germany, both are notifiable diseases by the way, so nothing to joke about
that's when you Super Record gets stuck in the big ring after you didn't charge it.
or when Victor gets a virus...
- Feb 14, 2026
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Hi, 24 hours until the race starts!
I leave you here an analysis team-by-team, not too short, not too long:
Groves is the standout name when it comes to chasing victories, although this year he still hasn’t shown truly winning legs, largely because a knee injury kept him sidelined for the last two months. Despite those doubts, he carries the backing of already having won two Giro stages, in 2023 and last year. If things don’t work out in the sprint, he already showed at the last Tour de France that he can also finish the job solo after making it into a huge breakaway. The rest of the team will work mostly in his service, with Busatto as a card to play in breakaways and on hillier days.
An interesting and versatile lineup, led by a GC outsider like Buitrago, who’s also capable of winning stages. Beyond veteran Caruso, Eulalio should enjoy both visibility and a certain amount of freedom in the mountains. Zambanini isn’t much of a winner, but he tends to hover around the front in reduced bunch sprints and medium-mountain stages. The truly distinctive element of this eight-man squad, though, is Segaert, especially after a northern classics campaign full of flashes of real quality: a powerful rouleur, and someone to keep very much in mind in breakaways that aren’t exclusively for climbers.
Probably the most modest team in the race. They’ll be present in most breakaways, even the less meaningful ones, because a stage win is a genuinely difficult objective. But not impossible. They’ll need to persist with riders like Marcellusi — who’s been putting together a pretty solid year — a breakaway workhorse like Tarozzi, or Paletti and the Chilean Rojas on tougher climbing days. Zanoncello and the Uzbek Tsvetkov are their fastest men and will fight for the occasional top 10 on sprint days.
This is the hottest rising structure in the peloton right now, and not just because of the Seixas phenomenon; the team is starting to look genuinely powerful. Here they arrive with two very clear cards: Gall for the GC, where the podium should be a realistic target — with a stage win or two not going amiss either — and Lund Andresen for the sprints, both the pure bunch finishes and those when a slightly filtered bunch reaches the finish line. This year the Dane has shown both consistency and flashes of brilliance, beating top-tier rivals on his inspired days. The rest of the squad is split quite neatly between flat terrain and the mountains, combining experience (Naesen, Mühlberger) and youth.
They’re not exactly bringing a squad worthy of their edgy alien-green jersey. Carapaz was supposed to come, and without him the lineup loses much of its appeal: the often sterile exuberance of “Chalequito” Cepeda, curiosity about how Beloki — the second-youngest rider in the race — continues to develop, and in principle not much else. Even so, I suspect Valgren, despite his age and the serious injuries he’s suffered, may actually be their best card when it comes to chasing a stage win.
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A very weak lineup from a team that’s clearly not in its best moment. Grégoire seems to be the only rider performing, and as expected they’re saving him for the Tour after a demanding first half of the season. At the Giro they bring a low-profile block from which, at the very least, proactivity and persistence should be expected. Penhoët is a decent sprinter, but not at the level required to beat the rivals he’ll face here. Their best shot at standing out, I’d say, is Brieuc Rolland, an emerging rider who already delivered a strong Vuelta in his Grand Tour debut back in 2025.
A complete, balanced eight-man squad with a variety of objectives, just like their roster overall, one of the deepest among the WorldTeams. They’ll aim to dominate the sprints with Milan, though it won’t be easy despite bringing more than half the team in his service. Gee-West is their GC bet with what will likely be a conservative approach, although this year he still hasn’t shown his best level. Ciccone should have a more dynamic role, probably focused on hunting stages and perhaps the maglia azzurra, the mountains classification.
Somewhat surprisingly, they’re bringing what are still their two biggest names to Italy. In principle, though, De Lie is only here for the first half of the race, the section with more opportunities suited to his characteristics. Van Eetvelt has the potential to ride a strong GC and fight for a hard stage win, but that will once again depend on whether he can avoid his usual run of bad luck. Rota and Rutsch should be regulars in breakaways — the former on hillier days, the latter on flatter terrain — as should young Gualdi, who arrives from the GP Frankfurt with good sensations.
The best eight-man squad the team has sent to the Giro in years. The question is what level Mas and Rubio — who plans to ride all three Grand Tours and has barely been visible so far — can actually offer. If Mas isn’t in shape for a proper GC, the team still has plenty of arguments: Romo is inconsistent but comes off an Itzulia where he rode with the very best, Aular can flirt with victory in less-than-full bunch sprints, Milesi brings presence in breakaways… A range of options that invite a certain degree of optimism.
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Another high-quality lineup with a good diversity of resources. Bernal and Arensman may not be the leading podium favourites, but they are two very solid cards, both also with room to chase mountain-stage wins if the GC allows it. Ganna has the clear goal of the time trial, though it remains to be seen whether he can offer anything more over the three weeks. Sheffield, unquestionably talented but still somewhat undefined, has a good opportunity here to stake his claim. On sprint stages with a bit of complexity, keep an eye on Turner too.
Half this team is made up of experienced riders clearly on the decline, but the other four could well play leading roles. The emerging Pinarello is their main mountain option: maybe it’s still too early to think about a significant GC, but he has enough talent to make himself seen and perhaps target a stage win. Vernon will be the card for pure bunch sprints and Strong for more selective finishes, with Stewart acting both as support and possible alternative depending on circumstances.
Without Pidcock, this team isn’t anything extraordinary, but it still has enough resources not to leave the race empty-handed. Moschetti is an inconsistent sprinter, though capable of isolated high-level wins, and in this context that’s almost more valuable than consistently collecting placings without ever sealing the deal. It’ll be difficult, but it wouldn’t be a massive surprise to finally see him open his Giro account. Beyond that, expect Harper to show up in the mountains — few people remember he won the famous Finestre stage last year — and Christen on medium-hard terrain.
They could be one of the strongest teams in the mountains, with the Pellizzari-Hindley duo forming one of the most consistent alternatives to the expected Vingegaard dominance, or at least in the fight for the podium. Beyond those two names, they’ll be well supported by Vlasov, Aleotti and Zwiehoff on the climbs, with the rest contributing on flatter terrain. They’ll need to avoid the tactical meltdowns seen recently in other races, although in this case many of the main culprits won’t be here. In any case, it would be hugely positive for the race if Pellizzari embraced a starring role — the Giro needs Italian riders who can genuinely excite people.
A lineup that makes quite a lot of sense when divided into national blocks: four Belgians working for the French Magnier to try and snatch sprint wins and challenge Milan’s expected dominance, and three Italians (Garofoli, Raccagni and Zana) focused on tougher terrain. Zana is one of many hybrid-profile riders in this Giro: he can aim both for a strong GC and for stages — even the mountains classification — depending on how the race evolves for him.
Another team balancing sprint and GC ambitions. In this case, though, the second route inspires more confidence: Ackermann’s speed hasn’t offered many guarantees in quite some time, whereas O’Connor, if all goes well, should fight for a top 10 while hoping for something slightly better. He’ll have to do it rather isolated, however, because despite his progress Hatherly still doesn’t look capable of hanging with the best in high mountains. On the other hand, if I had to point out a few names in the whole peloton with clear chances of winning from a breakaway, Vendrame would absolutely be one of them.
They’ve been the WorldTeam most detached from the rest of the pack so far this season, and there aren’t many signs suggesting that will change at this Giro. Even so, Van Uden already proved last year that he can win a sprint, and he comes here after taking one in Turkey, though the level here will be much tougher. On hillier stages, Leemreize and Van den Broek — if he catches one of his good days, far too sporadic — look like the most realistic options to at least contest a victory.
Another of the invited local teams, packed with riders who will surely make themselves visible over the three weeks. This squad contains genuine breakaway artists, labourers of cycling who devour kilometres off the front of the peloton: Bais, Maestri, Sevilla, Tonelli… Lonardi is the fast man, but it’ll be extremely hard for him to aim higher than the occasional top five. Pesenti and young Crescioli are the options for higher-quality breakaways, on those days when the real chances of staying away until the finish are greater.
The team of the overwhelming favourite for the final victory. Vingegaard arrives well supported, though the block is far from untouchable. Kuss and Piganzoli, if in good shape, are reliable climbers, but the rest are more versatile profiles: useful for controlling the race over many kilometres, but more limited in high mountains. If the Dane confirms the superiority everyone assumes he has, they shouldn’t run into problems, but three weeks leave room for many different scenarios. A lot will also depend on how ambitious the rivals choose to be.
Storer and Rondel could form an interesting mountain pairing, with the possibility that one targets a strong GC while the other enjoys more freedom to hunt stages. Stork and Barta may also become recurring names in breakaways, while Mozzato will be tasked with collecting results in bunch finishes, though in principle far from victory contention. If the main ambition is to win a stage, the clearest route probably runs through Storer.
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Everyone already knows this team becomes something entirely different when Pogačar isn’t around: hierarchies become much more flexible, if not completely blurred. And with this eight-man squad, even more so. Yates may be the rider who makes the most sense for a GC attempt, but the rest are profiles with total freedom to chase stages on practically any terrain that isn’t a pure sprint. The potential is enormous, and I’d bet they’ll end up collecting at least three victories from at least two different riders.
The team’s debut in a Grand Tour, and they arrive with the clear objective of winning at least one stage. With a reasonably sharp Groenewegen and a well-structured block around him, it’s an achievable goal, potentially from day one with the added lure of the maglia rosa. But that’s not their only path: Kubiš can shine in reduced sprints, Larsen or M. Kopecký in breakaways… and who knows whether Poels still has one last great performance left in his legs.
An all-Norwegian block that feels very much like the team’s B squad within the structure. Kulset and Leknessund could easily have had a place in the main lineup, to be fair, and in fact they’re the team’s best options on hard stages. Even so, the rest will surely make themselves visible too, even if the names aren’t particularly eye-catching. Blikra is an under-the-radar sprinter, but one who may pop up fairly often near the front. Winning, though, is another matter entirely.
A very recognisable Astana-style team: packed with combative riders capable of improvising their way through all sorts of scenarios. Malucelli is a sprinter capable of the occasional surprise, but most of their options revolve around riders who can win from open racing situations: Silva, Bettiol or Ballerini getting over short climbs and unleashing their sprint; Ulissi, an old fox with instinct and a lapel full of badges; Scaroni, an artist of medium mountains; or López, their man for the pure climber’s terrain. It would be a disappointment if they left the Giro empty-handed.
I leave you here an analysis team-by-team, not too short, not too long:
ALPECIN - PREMIER TECH
KADEN GROVES, TOBIAS BAYER, FRANCESCO BUSATTO, JONAS GEENS, EDWARD PLANCKAERT, JENSEN PLOWRIGHT, JOHAN PRICE-PEJTERSEN, LUCA VERGALLITOGroves is the standout name when it comes to chasing victories, although this year he still hasn’t shown truly winning legs, largely because a knee injury kept him sidelined for the last two months. Despite those doubts, he carries the backing of already having won two Giro stages, in 2023 and last year. If things don’t work out in the sprint, he already showed at the last Tour de France that he can also finish the job solo after making it into a huge breakaway. The rest of the team will work mostly in his service, with Busatto as a card to play in breakaways and on hillier days.
BAHRAIN - VICTORIOUS
SANTIAGO BUITRAGO, DAMIANO CARUSO, ROBERT STANNARD, FRAN MIHOLJEVIC, AFONSO EULALIO, MATHIJS PAASSCHENS, ALEC SEGAERT, EDOARDO ZAMBANINIAn interesting and versatile lineup, led by a GC outsider like Buitrago, who’s also capable of winning stages. Beyond veteran Caruso, Eulalio should enjoy both visibility and a certain amount of freedom in the mountains. Zambanini isn’t much of a winner, but he tends to hover around the front in reduced bunch sprints and medium-mountain stages. The truly distinctive element of this eight-man squad, though, is Segaert, especially after a northern classics campaign full of flashes of real quality: a powerful rouleur, and someone to keep very much in mind in breakaways that aren’t exclusively for climbers.
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER
NIKITA TSVETKOV, FILIPPO MAGLI, MARTIN MARCELLUSI, VICENTE ROJAS, LUCA PALETTI, MANUELE TAROZZI, FILIPPO TURCONI, ENRICO ZANONCELLOProbably the most modest team in the race. They’ll be present in most breakaways, even the less meaningful ones, because a stage win is a genuinely difficult objective. But not impossible. They’ll need to persist with riders like Marcellusi — who’s been putting together a pretty solid year — a breakaway workhorse like Tarozzi, or Paletti and the Chilean Rojas on tougher climbing days. Zanoncello and the Uzbek Tsvetkov are their fastest men and will fight for the occasional top 10 on sprint days.
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM
FELIX GALL, TOBIAS LUND ANDRESEN, TORD GUDMESTAD, GREGOR MÜHLBERGER, OLIVER NAESEN, RASMUS SOJBERG PEDERSEN, CALLUM SCOTSON, JOHANNES STAUNE-MITTETThis is the hottest rising structure in the peloton right now, and not just because of the Seixas phenomenon; the team is starting to look genuinely powerful. Here they arrive with two very clear cards: Gall for the GC, where the podium should be a realistic target — with a stage win or two not going amiss either — and Lund Andresen for the sprints, both the pure bunch finishes and those when a slightly filtered bunch reaches the finish line. This year the Dane has shown both consistency and flashes of brilliance, beating top-tier rivals on his inspired days. The rest of the squad is split quite neatly between flat terrain and the mountains, combining experience (Naesen, Mühlberger) and youth.
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST
SAMUELE BATTISTELLA, MARKEL BELOKI, JEFFERSON ALEXANDER CEPEDA, MADIS MIHKELS, DARREN RAFFERTY, JAMES SHAW, MICHAEL VALGREN, JARDI CHRISTIAAN VAN DER LEEThey’re not exactly bringing a squad worthy of their edgy alien-green jersey. Carapaz was supposed to come, and without him the lineup loses much of its appeal: the often sterile exuberance of “Chalequito” Cepeda, curiosity about how Beloki — the second-youngest rider in the race — continues to develop, and in principle not much else. Even so, I suspect Valgren, despite his age and the serious injuries he’s suffered, may actually be their best card when it comes to chasing a stage win.
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GROUPAMA - FDJ UNITED
RÉMI CAVAGNA, CYRIL BARTHE, AXEL HUENS, JOHAN JACOBS, JOSH KENCH, PAUL PENHOËT, RÉMY ROCHAS, BRIEUC ROLLANDA very weak lineup from a team that’s clearly not in its best moment. Grégoire seems to be the only rider performing, and as expected they’re saving him for the Tour after a demanding first half of the season. At the Giro they bring a low-profile block from which, at the very least, proactivity and persistence should be expected. Penhoët is a decent sprinter, but not at the level required to beat the rivals he’ll face here. Their best shot at standing out, I’d say, is Brieuc Rolland, an emerging rider who already delivered a strong Vuelta in his Grand Tour debut back in 2025.
LIDL - TREK
GIULIO CICCONE, SIMONE CONSONNI, DEREK GEE-WEST, AMANUEL GHEBREIGZABHIER, JONATHAN MILAN, MATTEO SOBRERO, TIM TORN TEUTENBERG, MAX WALSCHEIDA complete, balanced eight-man squad with a variety of objectives, just like their roster overall, one of the deepest among the WorldTeams. They’ll aim to dominate the sprints with Milan, though it won’t be easy despite bringing more than half the team in his service. Gee-West is their GC bet with what will likely be a conservative approach, although this year he still hasn’t shown his best level. Ciccone should have a more dynamic role, probably focused on hunting stages and perhaps the maglia azzurra, the mountains classification.
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ
ARNAUD DE LIE, TOON AERTS, JOSHUA GIDDINGS, SIMONE GUALDI, MILAN MENTEN, LORENZO ROTA, JONAS RUTSCH, LENNERT VAN EETVELTSomewhat surprisingly, they’re bringing what are still their two biggest names to Italy. In principle, though, De Lie is only here for the first half of the race, the section with more opportunities suited to his characteristics. Van Eetvelt has the potential to ride a strong GC and fight for a hard stage win, but that will once again depend on whether he can avoid his usual run of bad luck. Rota and Rutsch should be regulars in breakaways — the former on hillier days, the latter on flatter terrain — as should young Gualdi, who arrives from the GP Frankfurt with good sensations.
MOVISTAR TEAM
ENRIC MAS, ORLUIS AULAR, IVÁN GARCÍA CORTINA, JUAN PEDRO LÓPEZ, LORENZO MILESI, NELSON OLIVEIRA, JAVIER ROMO, EINER RUBIOThe best eight-man squad the team has sent to the Giro in years. The question is what level Mas and Rubio — who plans to ride all three Grand Tours and has barely been visible so far — can actually offer. If Mas isn’t in shape for a proper GC, the team still has plenty of arguments: Romo is inconsistent but comes off an Itzulia where he rode with the very best, Aular can flirt with victory in less-than-full bunch sprints, Milesi brings presence in breakaways… A range of options that invite a certain degree of optimism.
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NETCOMPANY INEOS
EGAN BERNAL, THYMEN ARENSMAN, FILIPPO GANNA, JACK HAIG, MAGNUS SHEFFIELD, EMBRET SVESTAD-BÅRDSENG, CONNOR SWIFT, BEN TURNERAnother high-quality lineup with a good diversity of resources. Bernal and Arensman may not be the leading podium favourites, but they are two very solid cards, both also with room to chase mountain-stage wins if the GC allows it. Ganna has the clear goal of the time trial, though it remains to be seen whether he can offer anything more over the three weeks. Sheffield, unquestionably talented but still somewhat undefined, has a good opportunity here to stake his claim. On sprint stages with a bit of complexity, keep an eye on Turner too.
NSN CYCLING TEAM
ALESSANDRO PINARELLO, JAN HIRT, RYAN MULLEN, NICK SCHULTZ, DION SMITH, JAKE STEWART, CORBIN STRONG, ETHAN VERNONHalf this team is made up of experienced riders clearly on the decline, but the other four could well play leading roles. The emerging Pinarello is their main mountain option: maybe it’s still too early to think about a significant GC, but he has enough talent to make himself seen and perhaps target a stage win. Vernon will be the card for pure bunch sprints and Strong for more selective finishes, with Stewart acting both as support and possible alternative depending on circumstances.
PINARELLO Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM
SJOERD BAX, FABIO CHRISTEN, DAVID DE LA CRUZ, MARK DONOVAN, DAVID GONZÁLEZ, CHRIS HARPER, MATTEO MOSCHETTI, NICKOLAS ZUKOWSKYWithout Pidcock, this team isn’t anything extraordinary, but it still has enough resources not to leave the race empty-handed. Moschetti is an inconsistent sprinter, though capable of isolated high-level wins, and in this context that’s almost more valuable than consistently collecting placings without ever sealing the deal. It’ll be difficult, but it wouldn’t be a massive surprise to finally see him open his Giro account. Beyond that, expect Harper to show up in the mountains — few people remember he won the famous Finestre stage last year — and Christen on medium-hard terrain.
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE
JAI HINDLEY, GIOVANNI ALEOTTI, NICO DENZ, GIANNI MOSCON, GIULIO PELLIZZARI, MICK VAN DIJKE, ALEKSANDR VLASOV, BEN ZWIEHOFFThey could be one of the strongest teams in the mountains, with the Pellizzari-Hindley duo forming one of the most consistent alternatives to the expected Vingegaard dominance, or at least in the fight for the podium. Beyond those two names, they’ll be well supported by Vlasov, Aleotti and Zwiehoff on the climbs, with the rest contributing on flatter terrain. They’ll need to avoid the tactical meltdowns seen recently in other races, although in this case many of the main culprits won’t be here. In any case, it would be hugely positive for the race if Pellizzari embraced a starring role — the Giro needs Italian riders who can genuinely excite people.
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP
PAUL MAGNIER, AYCO BASTIAENS, GIANMARCO GAROFOLI, ANDREA RACCAGNI NOVIERO, JASPER STUYVEN, FABIO VAN DEN BOSSCHE, DRIES VAN GESTEL, FILIPPO ZANAA lineup that makes quite a lot of sense when divided into national blocks: four Belgians working for the French Magnier to try and snatch sprint wins and challenge Milan’s expected dominance, and three Italians (Garofoli, Raccagni and Zana) focused on tougher terrain. Zana is one of many hybrid-profile riders in this Giro: he can aim both for a strong GC and for stages — even the mountains classification — depending on how the race evolves for him.
TEAM JAYCO ALULA
BEN O’CONNOR, PASCAL ACKERMANN, KOEN BOUWMAN, ROBERT DONALDSON, FELIX ENGELHARDT, ALAN HATHERLY, CHRISTOPHER JUUL-JENSEN, ANDREA VENDRAMEAnother team balancing sprint and GC ambitions. In this case, though, the second route inspires more confidence: Ackermann’s speed hasn’t offered many guarantees in quite some time, whereas O’Connor, if all goes well, should fight for a top 10 while hoping for something slightly better. He’ll have to do it rather isolated, however, because despite his progress Hatherly still doesn’t look capable of hanging with the best in high mountains. On the other hand, if I had to point out a few names in the whole peloton with clear chances of winning from a breakaway, Vendrame would absolutely be one of them.
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL
WARREN BARGUIL, TIMO DE JONG, SEAN FLYNN, CHRIS HAMILTON, GIJS LEEMREIZE, TIM NABERMAN, FRANK VAN DEN BROEK, CASPER VAN UDENThey’ve been the WorldTeam most detached from the rest of the pack so far this season, and there aren’t many signs suggesting that will change at this Giro. Even so, Van Uden already proved last year that he can win a sprint, and he comes here after taking one in Turkey, though the level here will be much tougher. On hillier stages, Leemreize and Van den Broek — if he catches one of his good days, far too sporadic — look like the most realistic options to at least contest a victory.
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA
MATTIA BAIS, LUDOVICO CRESCIOLI, GIOVANNI LONARDI, MIRCO MAESTRI, ANDREA MIFSUD, THOMAS PESENTI, DIEGO PABLO SEVILLA, ALESSANDRO TONELLIAnother of the invited local teams, packed with riders who will surely make themselves visible over the three weeks. This squad contains genuine breakaway artists, labourers of cycling who devour kilometres off the front of the peloton: Bais, Maestri, Sevilla, Tonelli… Lonardi is the fast man, but it’ll be extremely hard for him to aim higher than the occasional top five. Pesenti and young Crescioli are the options for higher-quality breakaways, on those days when the real chances of staying away until the finish are greater.
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE
JONAS VINGEGAARD, VICTOR CAMPENAERTS, WILCO KELDERMAN, TIMO KIELICH, SEPP KUSS, BART LEMMEN, DAVIDE PIGANZOLI, TIM REXThe team of the overwhelming favourite for the final victory. Vingegaard arrives well supported, though the block is far from untouchable. Kuss and Piganzoli, if in good shape, are reliable climbers, but the rest are more versatile profiles: useful for controlling the race over many kilometres, but more limited in high mountains. If the Dane confirms the superiority everyone assumes he has, they shouldn’t run into problems, but three weeks leave room for many different scenarios. A lot will also depend on how ambitious the rivals choose to be.
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM
MICHAEL STORER, WILL BARTA, ROBIN FROIDEVAUX, FABIAN LIENHARD, LUCA MOZZATO, MATHYS RONDEL, FLORIAN STORK, LARRY WARBASSEStorer and Rondel could form an interesting mountain pairing, with the possibility that one targets a strong GC while the other enjoys more freedom to hunt stages. Stork and Barta may also become recurring names in breakaways, while Mozzato will be tasked with collecting results in bunch finishes, though in principle far from victory contention. If the main ambition is to win a stage, the clearest route probably runs through Storer.
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UAE TEAM EMIRATES - XRG
ADAM YATES, IGOR ARRIETA, MIKKEL BJERG, JAN CHRISTEN, JHONATAN NARVÁEZ, MARC SOLER, ANTÓNIO MORGADO, JAY VINEEveryone already knows this team becomes something entirely different when Pogačar isn’t around: hierarchies become much more flexible, if not completely blurred. And with this eight-man squad, even more so. Yates may be the rider who makes the most sense for a GC attempt, but the rest are profiles with total freedom to chase stages on practically any terrain that isn’t a pure sprint. The potential is enormous, and I’d bet they’ll end up collecting at least three victories from at least two different riders.
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS
DYLAN GROENEWEGEN, HARTTHIJS DE VRIES, MATYÁŠ KOPECKÝ, TOMÁŠ KOPECKÝ, LUKÁŠ KUBIŠ, NIKLAS LARSEN, WOUT POELS, ELMAR REINDERSThe team’s debut in a Grand Tour, and they arrive with the clear objective of winning at least one stage. With a reasonably sharp Groenewegen and a well-structured block around him, it’s an achievable goal, potentially from day one with the added lure of the maglia rosa. But that’s not their only path: Kubiš can shine in reduced sprints, Larsen or M. Kopecký in breakaways… and who knows whether Poels still has one last great performance left in his legs.
UNO-X MOBILITY
MARKUS HOELGAARD, ÅDNE HOLTER, JOHANNES KULSET, FREDRIK DVERSNES LAVIK, ANDREAS LEKNESSUND, ERLEND BLIKRA, SAKARIAS KOLLER LØLAND, MARTIN TJØTTAAn all-Norwegian block that feels very much like the team’s B squad within the structure. Kulset and Leknessund could easily have had a place in the main lineup, to be fair, and in fact they’re the team’s best options on hard stages. Even so, the rest will surely make themselves visible too, even if the names aren’t particularly eye-catching. Blikra is an under-the-radar sprinter, but one who may pop up fairly often near the front. Winning, though, is another matter entirely.
XDS ASTANA TEAM
DAVIDE BALLERINI, ALBERTO BETTIOL, ARJEN LIVYNS, HAROLD MARTÍN LÓPEZ, MATTEO MALUCELLI, CHRISTIAN SCARONI, GUILLERMO THOMAS SILVA, DIEGO ULISSIA very recognisable Astana-style team: packed with combative riders capable of improvising their way through all sorts of scenarios. Malucelli is a sprinter capable of the occasional surprise, but most of their options revolve around riders who can win from open racing situations: Silva, Bettiol or Ballerini getting over short climbs and unleashing their sprint; Ulissi, an old fox with instinct and a lapel full of badges; Scaroni, an artist of medium mountains; or López, their man for the pure climber’s terrain. It would be a disappointment if they left the Giro empty-handed.
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The route is too bad. All mountain stages finish uphill. It's like the Vuelta. Repetitive stages.
Today we saw an example of why the Giro is a race in decline. Vingegaard constantly at the back of the peloton.
There's no tension among the GC contenders.
It's something we'll never see in the Tour. I think he went with more intensity and in front of peloton in Paris-Nice and Catalunya.
There's no tension among the GC contenders.
It's something we'll never see in the Tour. I think he went with more intensity and in front of peloton in Paris-Nice and Catalunya.
- Apr 30, 2011
- 50,639
- 33,192
- 28,180
he did the exact same in stage 2 of pn and stage 4 of catalunya
- Aug 29, 2009
- 8,973
- 8,707
- 23,180
Before leaving for Bulgaria, Andrea Raccagni was invited to the city hall of Chiavari to celebrate his participation in the Giro d'Italia. I think this should be the absolute standard for every rider doing a GT 
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