‘Geraint Thomas is on a par with Tadej Pogačar’ – Magnus Sheffield keen to learn from leader in Giro d’Italia debut

In Acqui Terme on Tuesday morning, Magnus Sheffield was talking to reporters in the mixed zone when he was interrupted by his radio earpiece crackling into life. “Yeah, I can hear you, Yogi,” Sheffield dutifully responded down the line to directeur sportif Ian Stannard, who was performing his routine sound checks ahead of stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia.

In a race where every day is laced with Tadej Pogačar-induced peril, it’s essential to maintain the channels of communication. Ineos, who grappled with the particular intricacies of the Giro in their early years as Team Sky, have had a much firmer grip on bringing order to its chaos in the 2020s, finishing in the top two for the past four years.