Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič are the outstanding favourites for the 2023 Giro d’Italia. But can they be beaten?
Their closest rivals think so, especially in an unpredictable Grand Tour like the Giro d’Italia, where a strong team, fortune and mental fortitude are as important as fitness and the tag of favourite.
Ineos Grenadiers, EF Education-EasyPost, UAE Team Emirates and Bahrain Victorious have all selected multiple leaders for their eight-rider Giro teams, convinced they can challenge for the maglia rosa, perhaps toppling Evenepoel and Roglič or at least finishing on the final podium in Rome on May 28.
Ineos Grenadiers appear to be targeting overall victory at the Giro d’Italia more than at the Tour de France, where Tom Pidcock, Egan Bernal and Dani Martínez will form an experimental leadership trio. Geraint Thomas, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Pavel Sivakov and Thymen Arensman will form a strong GC quartet in Italy in May, with the British team’s Grand Tour pedigree an extra asset.
UAE Team Emirates have the ever-reliable João Almeida and another strong GC squad with Brandon McNulty, Jay Vine and Davide Formolo. It will be fascinating to see what the American time trialist and Australian climber can do individually and as part of the team.
EF Education-EasyPost have veteran Rigoberto Urán, Hugh Carthy and Jefferson Cepeda in their squad, while a back on form Jack Haig, Santiago Buitrago and Damiano Caruso lead Bahrain Victorious and another strong GC team.
There are also free electrons like Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) in his last Giro of his career, Eddie Dunbar on his debut as Jayco-Alula team leader and Aleksandr Vlasov and Lennard Kämna of the 2022 Giro winning team Bora-Hansgrohe.
With neither Soudal-QuickStep nor Jumbo-Visma likely or willing to control the race, this year’s Giro d’Italia could be a continuous game of Grand Tour snakes and ladders. The leadership of the 2023 Giro d’Italia could change multiple times between the start in Fossacesia Marina on Saturday and the final crowning stage around Rome on Sunday, May 28 and any of these riders could emerge to challenge for overall victory.
Defending a time trial advantage might not be enough
Evenepoel will start the Giro d’Italia determined to gain as much as he can on his overall rivals in the time trials.
He is keen to win the 19.6km stage 1 time trial along the Adriatic coast on Saturday and then also gain time in the flat and fast 35 km time trial to Cesena on stage 9. Roglič will surely…
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