On the 9th stage of this year’s Giro, Tuscany goes over the notorious gravel road of the Strade Bianche.
Photo: Imago/IPA Sport
Not a Grand tour without innovations. The 108th Giro d’Italia starts this Friday for the first time in Albania. This is not necessarily a cycling country. Albania only has a handful of active cyclists who run at the club level this season, i.e. the fourth category. The best-known driver is the eleven state champion Ylber Sefa, who is active in a second-class Belgian team that had no chance of participating in the Giro this year.
In the starting country, it is also openly communicated that the Grande Partza is primarily an advertising event for the travel industry. “This is an excellent opportunity to show our beautiful country 800 million viewers on 200 television stations who report on the Giro,” said Prime Minister Edi Rama when presenting the tour. He emphasized Tirana’s airport as the “the fastest growing in Europe”, which now also puts the former Belgrade turnstile in the shade. The former marching area of the Skanderbugtung in the middle of Tirana is also suitable for large festivities. The team presentation also took place there on Wednesday. The three-day Giro tip visit costs seven million euros. Cristiano Ronaldo as an advertising medium would be more expensive, Premier Rama joked, alluding to the commitment of the Portuguese in Saudi Arabia.
The organization still hooked a little before the start. The presentation of the Giro route was repeatedly postponed due to “organizational problems”. A plan B with the start in southern Italy. But in the end, the 23 race stables were able to take their drivers and supervisors to the once planned to the once Maoistically sealed land.
Without Pogačar there are new favorites
The best prospects of wearing the pink jersey at the end of Rome have the former winner Primož Roglič and the Spaniard Juan Ayuso. Both unite the proximity to last year’s winner Tadej Pogačar. Roglič is a compatriot of the Slovenia, was something like the older brother at the beginning of his career, but is now in the shadow of the always smiling superstar. Ayuso, on the other hand, drives Uae Emirates in Pogačar’s racing team. He is said to keep the victory trophy in the house after Pogačar’s victory last season.
The young Spaniard and the Slovenian veteran already fought a gripping duel in the spring of the Catalonia. First they fought for every single bonus group, before Roglič made the overall ranking on the final stage in the Pogačar style with a 20-kilometer solo. “The young generation forces us older to change. In the past, Grand Tours only said: ‘save forces, save strength, save strength.’ But now on the first day and 100 kilometers before the finish line, the 35-year-old Slovene described the development in his sport. He even sounded happy. The former ski jumper is used to changes. And Roglič even seems to draw new motivation.
Top teams with alternative plans
For Ayuso, on the other hand, the tour of Italy is the first great opportunity to step out of the shadow of his team captain. “Each of us has to take the few chances that there is when Tadej does not start on a Grand Tour,” said the Spaniard in winter. And he announced full -bodied to want to be the best cyclist in the world, better also than Pogačar. This is brave. Now at the Giro he has to deliver. He is supported by the experienced British Adam Yates and the Mexican top talent Isaac del Toro. Both could also be considered as replacement captains if Ayuso does not do justice to his role.
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It looks similar with the Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe team. For Plan B and C in the event of a setback at Roglič, former Giro winner Jai Hindley and last year’s second Dani Martinez are available. The British Simon Yates, Spaniard Mikel Landa and the Canadian Derek Gee should play the fight for the third podium. It is difficult to assess the constitution of the former Colombian Giro winner Egan Bernal and Nairo Quintana.
Bergier start, gravel and two time trial
The mountainous start in Albania is likely to bring the first information. The 9th stage in Tuscany with gravel sections is also a greater challenge. The third week will then be decisive for the overall ranking, including with the scrambling over the Mortirolo (17th stage) and the Colle Delle Finestre (20th stage). Two time trials play the former Olympic champion Roglič in the sheet. The a total of 51,000 meters of altitude see the climber Ayuso advantage. Everything is prepared for a nice tour. “The route represents the canvas on which the artists set their accents by bike,” said racing director Mauro Vegni with fine penchant.
Ten German drivers are also equipped with color tubes. At best, however, they should be responsible for background painting. Nico Denz, for example, is supposed to help Roglič. The climbing strong Georg Steinhauser and Marco Brenner are allowed to rely on outlier coups, while the end fast Max Kanter and Niklas Märkl hope for as many sprint decisions as possible.
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