Three time trials – totalling 70 kilometres – have changed the complexion of this year’s Giro d’Italia, reshaping the contours that mapped out the previous nine editions of the race as one more weighted to the mountains and the climbers.This volume of time trialling has changed the GC race too, attracting Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglič whose truncated rivalry at last year’s Vuelta a España will continue on Italian roads. Before he was forced to abandon the race due to a crash on stage 16, Roglič had been the only rider capable of challenging Evenepoel for the red jersey, and he defeated the young Belgian by six seconds to take overall victory at last month’s Volta a Catalunya.
But, although it would seem that Evenepoel and Roglič are the two runaway favourites, the Giro is nothing if not unpredictable and almost 3,500 kilometres of road filled with potential attacks by other contenders lie between the Grande Partenza on the Abruzzo coast and the finishing circuit on Rome’s ancient streets three weeks later.
REMCO EVENEPOEL (SOUDAL – QUICK-STEP)
As a 21-year-old, Remco Evenepoel made his Grand Tour debut at the 2021 Giro d’Italia and, just eight months after breaking his pelvis in that horrific crash at Il Lombardia, for once did not live up to the astronomical expectations set for him.
But two years later, the Belgian will begin the race as a Grand Tour winner, world champion and a two-time Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner.
The very nature of Evenepoel’s victory at the 2022 Vuelta highlighted his potential in the Grand Tours as he ultimately dominated the race, with a 16 day stint in the red jersey despite cracking briefly in the mountains, while his array of career achievements displays his abilities across all terrain.
His streak of impressive results has only continued this season with victories at the UAE Tour and Liège-Bastogne-Liège as well that second place at Catalunya. Unlike at Catalunya, however, Evenepoel will have three time trials on which to potentially stamp his authority on the race, as he did at the Vuelta last year.
Primož Roglič (JUMBO-VISMA)
The Giro d’Italia remains one of the few outstanding gaps on Primož Roglič’s palmarès. He came closest to overall victory in 2019 when he dominated for two weeks before letting Richard Carapaz slip away for what became a race-winning move while he was focused on Vincenzo Nibali.
If his record this season is anything to go by, this might be…