The primary Grand Tour of 2024 will get underway on Might 4th when the Giro d’Italia begins in Turin. Tadej Pogačar is the principle attraction as he makes his Giro debut as a part of an try to win each the Tour of Italy and Tour de France.
UAE Staff Emirates aren’t the one outfit to look at, with prime contenders coming from Ineos Grenadiers who might be backing final 12 months’s runner-up Geraint Thomas, and Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale behind chief Ben O’Connor.
Visma-Lease a Bike come into the race lacking Wout van Aert and hoping that Cian Uijtdebroeks can problem for the GC, and Movistar’s latest rent, Nairo Quintana, is chasing levels after separating his collarbone in a crash on the Volta a Catalunya and missing the shape to race for the general classification.
Different groups might be totally focussed on stage wins or minor classifications just like the factors, mountains or new Intergiro competitors.
Cyclingnews will present complete protection of the 2024 Giro d’Italia, with reside minute-by-minute protection day by day, full stage reviews, in addition to interviews, breaking information, race evaluation, and the most recent information and tech from our crew world wide and on the bottom in Italy.
Get limitless entry to all of our protection of the Giro d’Italia from each stage of the race because it occurs and extra. Discover out extra.
Alpecin-Deceuninck
- Staff chief: Kaden Groves
- Goal: Stage wins, factors classification
- Riders to look at: Quinten Hermans
- Riders: Kaden Groves, Tobias Bayer, Nicola Conci, Quinten Hermans, Jimmy Janssens, Timo Kielich, Edward Planckaert, Fabio van den Bossche
Kaden Groves leads Alpecin-Deceuninck into the fourth Grand Tour of his profession following successes at each the Vuelta a España and Giro d’Italia over the earlier two seasons.
Final 12 months, the Australian loved one of the best season of his profession with seven wins, together with two levels on the Volta a Catalunya and a victory in Salerno at this race. He’d spherical off his 12 months with three wins and the factors jersey on the Vuelta, confirming his arrival as one of many peloton’s high sprinters.
This Might, he heads again to Italy dealing with a sterner take a look at with a far stronger discipline of sprinters than he confronted in Spain, the place Filippo Gann was typically his closest competitor. He is additionally endured a gradual begin to the season, with no victories thus far and ninth on stage 5 of the UAE Tour his sole top-10 putting.
Nonetheless, he is the principle man for the Belgian crew in Italy, and there is room to develop into the race with stage 5 wanting like the primary of 5 nailed-on dash days (levels 3 and 4 look a tricky ask for all however the hardiest quick males).
With the crew’s greatest stars Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen focussed on July’s Tour de France, Welsford and the remainder of his crew will benefit from the freedom to get out and battle for stage wins throughout the three weeks, even when there are not any actual mountain goats within the squad.
Look out for Quinten Hermans within the hunt for levels. The Belgian hasn’t since hit the heights of a 2022 season which noticed him podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, however he took his first win in two years at Itzulia Basque Nation and he is sturdy within the hills.
Anticipate riders reminiscent of Edward Planckaert, Jimmy Janssens, and Tobias Bayer to determine within the lead-out practice for Groves in addition to heading out into the breakaway to hunt their very own possibilities. (DO)
Arkéa-B&B Resorts
- Staff chief: David Dekker
- Goal: Stage wins
- Riders to look at: Jenthe Biermans, Ewen Costiou
- Riders: Jenthe Biermans, Louis Barre, Ewen Costiou, David Dekker, Donavan Grondin, Michel Ries, Alan Riou, Alessandro Verre
The French squad aren’t one of many strongest squads within the WorldTour and that – plus their comprehensible concentrate on the Tour de France – reveals of their Giro d’Italia choice.
The crew are with out their essential stars in Classics man Luca Mozzato, sprinter Arnaud Démare, and hill climber Kévin Vauquelin. As an alternative, the eight-man squad is a particular ‘B crew’, with Dutchman David Dekker possible their greatest likelihood at success.
Dekker has but to win a race at skilled degree, although he did come shut on the Giro final 12 months, lacking out within the stage 2 dash as Jonathan Milan sped to victory. This 12 months, his greatest outcomes have been podium spots on the GP Monseré and a stage on the Région Pays de la Loire Tour.
Elsewhere, riders reminiscent of Jenthe Biermans and Ewen Costiou have each tasted success this 12 months – at Pays de la Loire and the Route Adélie de Vitré – although neither might be among the many first names anyone reaches for when tipping stage winners.
Look out for the crew in breakaways, which determine to be their greatest likelihood at victory with out a top-tier sprinter or climber on board. (DO)
Astana Qazaqstan
- Staff chief: Lorenzo Fortunato
- Goal: GC high 15, stage wins
- Riders to look at: Max Kanter
- Riders: Simone Velasco, Davide Ballerini, Anthon Charmig, Lorenzo Fortunato, Max Kanter, Henok Mulueberhan, Vadim Pronskiy, Christian Scaroni
Climber Lorenzo Fortunato, he of the breakaway Monte Zoncolan victory three years in the past, leads a struggling Astana Qazaqstan into the primary Grand Tour of the season. The Kazakhstani squad is nicely down within the UCI rankings and might be determined to select up factors with the intention to hold on to their WorldTour standing in future.
The Italian represents their greatest likelihood at success on the GC and within the mountains right here, having twice completed inside the highest 16 throughout his time at Eolo-Kometa. He hasn’t had a lot to shout about this season, barring a high 10 at Tirreno-Adriatico, although he does have GC success on the Vuelta Asturias and Adriatica Ionica Race on his palmarès. One to look at when the highway angles upwards.
Fellow new signings for 2024, Davide Ballerini and Max Kanter, might be hoping for glory on flatter floor. The 2 fastmen will not have Mark Cavendish or Cees Bol to steer out right here, however they’re going to as an alternative hope to duplicate latest success on the Tour of Turkey.
On stage 2, albeit amongst a far weaker dash discipline than the Giro’s, Ballerini led out Kanter for the German’s first win in his new colors and certainly the primary win of his profession. May the boldness increase deliver him one other victory in Italy?
Elsewhere, Italian champion Simone Velasco and fellow former Gazprom-RusVelo man Cristian Scaroni might be main the crew’s cost within the breakaways and on hilly floor, although possible not a lot within the larger mountains. (DO)
Bahrain Victorious
- Staff chief: Damiano Caruso
- Goal: GC high 5
- Riders to look at: Antonio Tiberi, Phil Bauhaus
- Riders: Antonio Tiberi, Rainer Kepplinger, Phil Bauhaus, Damiano Caruso, Andrea Pasqualon, Wout Poels, Jasha Dimitri Sütterlin, Torstein Træen
As one of many extra GC-focussed groups on the race, Bahrain Victorious look to go to Italy with not less than a high 5 putting in Rome of their minds. 36-year-old Damiano Caruso, a veteran of 18 Grand Excursions will lead the cost as soon as once more.
The Sicilian was a career-best second right here three years in the past and was fourth final outing, although over three minutes away from the final step on the rostrum. He figures to be the crew’s greatest wager for achievement this Might, even when he is getting on in years and has proven little or no in the best way of kind this spring, together with on the Tour de Romandie.
As an alternative, loads of eyes might be on Antonio Tiberi, the 22-year-old racer nonetheless identified extra for killing the San Marino Minister of Tourism’s cat two years in the past than something he is but achieved on the bike.
That could possibly be slowly altering, nonetheless, given Tiberi’s more and more promising performances over the past two seasons. He was 18th on the Vuelta a España final 12 months and took a high 10 in Catalunya in March earlier than ending third total on the Tour of the Alps.
Given the swift progress he is been making, a high 15 and even high 10 won’t be out of the query for Tiberi, although Caruso remains to be undoubtedly the person most certainly to deliver residence a significant GC end result. Wout Poels, sixth on the Tour of the Alps, is in good kind, and will additionally present one thing, although possible not in the direction of the highest of the GC.
Be careful for Phil Bauhaus within the sprints. The German gained a tricky uphill dash at Tirreno-Adriatico and has podiums to his title on the Tour Down Below and UAE Tour, too, so he must be within the combine on a number of flatter levels. (DO)
Bora-Hansgrohe
- Staff leaders: Sam Welsford, Dani Martínez
- Goal: Stage wins, GC high 5
- Riders to look at: Florian Lipowitz
- Riders: Daniel Martinez, Giovanni Aleotti, Jonas Koch, Florian Lipowitz, Ryan Mullen, Maximilian Schachmann, Danny van Poppel, Sam Welsford
With Bora-Hansgrohe’s huge focus of the season being the Tour de France with new signing Primož Roglič and GC super-domestiques Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov, it is no shock that the crew’s Giro squad has a distinctly ‘B Staff’ really feel.
Nonetheless, Dani Martínez is a succesful GC rider who can rely a Giro d’Italia top-five end on his palmarès, and the crew can have hopes of an analogous end result right here.
Martínez endured a down 12 months in 2023, even with a Volta ao Algarve total win coming early within the spring. A second place and two stage wins on the identical race this spring has been his most interesting show in 2024, although his kind is a query mark given he hasn’t raced since Tirreno-Adriatico six weeks in the past.
Florian Lipowitz is not a rider many would’ve felt the necessity to be aware of at the same time as lately as every week in the past, however the German climber has made a breakthrough at simply the proper time, racing to fourth after which a really slender second on the summit finishes on the Tour de Romandie. The 23-year-old is more likely to finish his third profession WorldTour stage race with a podium and is now actually one to look at on his Grand Tour debut.
Giovanni Aleotti and Max Schachmann will all be readily available for GC help whereas additionally being able to putting out on their very own after they get the prospect.
Away from the GC battle, Australian sprinter Sam Welsford is the person to look at for Bora-Hansgrohe, with Ryan Mullen readily available as pilot fish. The 28-year-old has been a late bloomer, turning professional simply two seasons in the past, however has racked up 4 WorldTour wins since final summer time.
The previous monitor star made his Grand Tour debut ultimately 12 months’s Tour and the principle goal of his second three-week outing this Might might be including a primary Grand Tour stage win to his palmarès. (DO)
Cofidis
- Staff chief: Stefano Oldani
- Goal: Stage wins
- Riders to look at: Kenny Elissonde, Stanisław Aniołkowski
- Riders: Stefano Oldani, Stanisław Aniołkowski, Nicolas Debeaumarche, Kenny Elissonde, Rubén Fernández, Simon Geschke, Benjamin Thomas, Harrison Wooden
As is the case with Arkéa-B&B Resorts, it is a stretch to say that Cofidis are among the many strongest squads on the Giro. One other French crew, their Grand Tour priorities lie elsewhere, as proven of their squad choice.
There are not any GC names or top-tier sprinters right here. As an alternative, former stage winner and sole Italian within the lineup, Stefano Oldani, heads up the eight-man crew. His solely profession win thus far got here on the Giro two years in the past, triumphing from a big breakaway in Genoa for Alpecin-Fenix.
He is good within the hills and likes to take his possibilities within the sprints – ultimately 12 months’s Giro, he was within the break thrice and scored 5 top-10 placings. So Oldani seems to be Cofidis’ greatest wager for achievement right here.
Exterior of him, the crew might be in search of breakaway possibilities, with a handful of veteran racers more likely to lead the cost. Kenny Elissonde, Simon Geschke, and Rubén Fernández are the boys in query, although not one of the trio have but taken a top-10 end in 2024.
Polish rider Stanisław Aniołkowski, newly signed from the defunct Human Powered Well being crew, is one other title to look at. He is a quick finisher and has taken top-five outcomes on the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico thus far this season. (DO)
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
- Staff chief: Ben O’Connor
- Goal: GC podium
- Riders to look at: Aurélien & Valentin Paret-Peintre
- Riders: Ben O’Connor, Alex Baudin, Aurélien Paret Peintre, Valentin Paret Peintre, Damien Touze, Bastien Tronchon, Andrea Vendrame, Lawrence Warbasse
Ben O’Connor can head into his first Giro d’Italia begin since 2020 in excessive spirits, coming off the again of one of the best spring marketing campaign of his profession and with a primary profession Grand Tour podium spot nicely inside his sights.
The Australian has a fourth place on the Tour de France on his palmarès however might be hoping to go not less than one higher this Might, and he’ll begin the Giro filled with confidence following a collection of spectacular outcomes over the previous two months.
After beginning his season with an enormous solo win on the Vuelta a Murcia, he took second on the UAE Tour with a Jebel Jais stage win as well. Current outings in Italy have seen him end fifth at Tirreno-Adriatico and second on the Tour of the Alps, and he now heads to Piemonte because the bookies’ third favorite.
The 28-year-old will take pleasure in help from the Paret-Peintre brothers, Aurélien and Valentin, on a crew which has already racked up extra wins than they did within the entirety of the 2023 season.
Aurélien is accountable for the most recent of those, profitable the ultimate stage on the Tour of Alps as Valentin completed fourth total. His fifth place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège was one other indicator of his sturdy kind, and, except for O’Connor the brothers might be ones to look at for the French crew this Might.
Andrea Vendrame is the crew’s Italian consultant with the 29-year-old at all times good for one high end result per outing. Three years in the past he scored a breakaway win in Bagno di Romagna and comes into the Giro with two second locations on the Tour de Romandie underneath his belt – one in a hilly dash, and one other from a summit end breakaway. (DO)
DSM-Firmenich PostNL
- Staff leaders: Fabio Jakobsen, Romain Bardet
- Goal: Stage wins, factors classification, GC high 5
- Riders to look at: Chris Hamilton, Tobias Lund Andresen
- Riders: Romain Bardet, Tobias Lund Andresen, Christopher Hamilton, Fabio Jakobsen, David max Poole, Timo Roosen, Julius van den Berg, Kevin Vermaerke
Dutch squad DSM-Firmenich PostNL might be amongst a lot of groups heading to the Giro trying to strike a steadiness between racing for his or her GC man and racking up dash stage victories.
For the latter, they’re going to look to new signing Fabio Jakobsen, the rider they revamped their dash squad for over the winter as he joined from QuickStep. He’ll make his Giro debut with six Grand Tour stage wins plus a Vuelta factors jersey to his title, and he’ll contact down in Piemonte as one of many top-tier dash favourites.
Jakobsen has solely tasted victory as soon as thus far in 2024 as he will get used to his new environment. He and his crew might be hoping for extra in Italy as his rivals there’ll pose a sterner take a look at than the dash discipline on the Tour of Turkey.
On the GC aspect, Romain Bardet can begin his third Giro with renewed confidence after ending his run-in to the race with a fifth place on the Tour of the Alps and having completed better of the remaining behind Pogačar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
The 33-year-old is way from a spent drive at Grand Tour degree, having completed sixth on the Tour de France simply two years in the past. Amongst this GC discipline, a high 10 or perhaps a high 5 must be a sensible purpose.
Elsewhere, look out for Chris Hamilton within the breakaways on hilly and mountainous terrain. The Australian likes to get out in long-range strikes, selecting his days at each Grand Tour he begins and might be aiming for an improve on his second place in Bagno di Romagna three years in the past.
Second-year professional sprinter Tobias Lund Andresen is one other to look out for. The Dane went to the Tour of Turkey as a lead-out man for Jakobsen however as an alternative got here away with three stage wins heading into his Grand Tour debut. (DO)
EF Schooling-EasyPost
- Staff chief: Hugh Carthy
- Goal: Stage wins, GC high 10
- Riders to look at: Simon Carr
- Riders: Hugh Carthy, Alexander Cepeda, Stefan de Bod, Andrey Amador, Simon Carr, Esteban Chaves, Mikkel Honoré, Georg Steinhauser
Hugh Carthy leads the US squad into his seventh Giro as a person trying to recapture the shape which noticed him end on the rostrum on the Vuelta a España 4 years in the past.
The climber had seemed on track for the same end result on the Giro in 2021 earlier than fading through the ultimate week and he has an eighth, a ninth, and a DNF to indicate for his previous three outings in Italy.
It is a mountainous Giro, which fits Carthy, although the 2 time trials will possible see him shed minutes to different contenders. One other high 10 and a stage win – it might be his first victory in three seasons – can be an important final result.
Fellow Briton Simon Carr is the member of the squad who has probably the most to indicate for his season thus far, having opened his season with an extended breakaway win on the Trofeo Calvià and having pulled off an analogous long-range break triumph within the mountains of the Tour of the Alps.
He’ll actually be off up the highway throughout this, his third Giro, and it would not be a shock in any respect to see him add to his breakaway win tally.
South American racers Esteban Chaves and Alexander Cepeda are greater than able to pulling off a end result within the hills and mountains, although neither have proven a lot signal of high kind thus far in 2024. Chaves’ third place on the opening day of the Tour of the Alps is the strongest signal of kind from both. (DO)
Groupama-FDJ
- Staff chief: Laurence Pithie
- Goal: Stage wins
- Riders to look at: Lewis Askey
- Riders: Laurence Pithie, Lewis Askey, Cyril Barthe, Clément Davy, Lorenzo Germani, Olivier le Gac, Fabian Lienhard, Enzo Paleni
Yep, it is one other French crew shorn of their high leaders and a Groupama-FDJ squad lacking David Gaudu, Stefan Küng, Valentin Madouas, and Lenny Martinez.
The crew have opted for a younger squad for the Italian Grand Tour, with 21-year-old second-year professional Laurence Pithie heading the lineup after a really spectacular spring marketing campaign. The New Zealander has scored 13 top-10 placings this season, together with a win on the Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Street Race and a seventh place at his Paris-Roubaix debut.
As such, he is simply Groupama-FDJ’s greatest likelihood at success on the Giro, even when he hasn’t raced since Roubaix. Look out for him in breakaways and in addition within the dash finishes, with the hillier finals barely extra to his style than the pan-flat days.
Elsewhere, Lewis Askey seems the person most certainly to problem for a end result. The 22-year-old has been quiet thus far in 2024, however took a clutch of high 10s on the Vuelta a España final 12 months and in addition completed second at Paris-Excursions.
Different promising children on the crew, together with 21-year-old Enzo Paleni and 22-year-old Lorenzo Germani, will possible be given free rein to study and make breaks the place they’ll. (DO)
Ineos Grenadiers
- Staff chief: Geraint Thomas
- Goal: GC podium
- Riders to look at: Filippo Ganna, Thymen Arensman
- Riders: Geraint Thomas, Thymen Arensman, Tobias Foss, Filippo Ganna, Jhonatan Narvaez, Magnus Sheffield, Ben Swift, Connor Swift
A 12 months on from a devastating late lack of the maglia rosa in that Monte Lussari time trial, Geraint Thomas returns to the Giro d’Italia because the strong second favorite, behind the flying Tadej Pogačar however away from the ‘better of the remaining’ together with Ben O’Connor, Damiano Caruso, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Romain Bardet, and extra.
As soon as once more, Thomas involves the Giro having proven little in the best way of Grand Tour-winning kind, although gradual – nearly nameless – begins to the season have been his modus operandi for a while now. Final 12 months, he rounded out his Giro preparation with a spring-best fifteenth total on the Tour of the Alps earlier than ending second to Primož Roglič. This time round he completed thirteenth.
Thomas is on monitor to problem for the highest placings, then. However how the crew can take the battle to Pogačar stays unclear. The Slovenian’s long-range solos and aggressive attacking fashion aren’t a very good match for Thomas’ steadier driving.
Thymen Arensman, sixth right here final 12 months, is a succesful ‘possibility 1b’, although even in a two vs one battle, Pogačar ought to nonetheless be favorite. The Dutchman has seemed good this spring, taking fifth on the Volta ao Algarve and sixth at Tirreno-Adriatico, and could possibly be on for an additional excessive putting, relying on how a lot he’ll be sacrificing himself for Thomas.
Elsewhere, six-time stage winner Filippo Ganna is inconceivable to disregard in a Giro with two time trials, even when the primary of them concludes with 7km of climbing. Tour of the Alps stage winner Tobias Foss and Classics abilities Magnus Sheffield and Jhonatan Narváez are all able to including stage wins to the crew tally, relying on the liberty they’re allowed. (DO)
Intermarché-Wanty
- Staff chief: Biniam Girmay
- Goal: Stage wins
- Riders to look at: Madis Mihkels
- Riders: Biniam Girmay, Lilian Calmejane, Kevin Colleoni, Madis Mihkels, Simone Petilli, Adrien Petit, Dion Smith, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk
It has been two years since Biniam Girmay made historical past as the primary Black African winner of a stage within the Giro d’Italia, and he is coming into this 12 months’s race as a lot much less of an unknown.
A winner of a stage of the Tour de Suisse final 12 months and the Surf Coast Basic after the Tour Down Below, Girmay missed out on any victories in his Tour de France debut. The Eritrean returns to the Giro d’Italia with excessive hopes and a crew devoted to delivering him to a win.
Ought to Girmay falter, then the crew can look to Madis Mihkels. The Estonian has proven indicators of kind this 12 months with a collection of top-10 finishes from the Surf Coast Basic and Paris-Good to Scheldeprijs and Paris-Roubaix.
Past these two riders, there’s little else amongst Intermarché-Wanty’s Giro squad to recommend an enormous result’s on the best way. The likes of Lilian Calmejane, Kevin Colleoni, and Dion Smith must be seen within the breakaways, although. (LW)
Israel-Premier Tech
- Staff chief: Michael Woods
- Goal: Stage wins, GC high 10
- Riders to look at: Simon Clarke, Nick Schultz
- Riders: Michael Woods, Simon Clarke, Marco Frigo, Hugo Hofstetter, Riley Pickrell, Nadav Raisberg, Nick Schultz, Ethan Vernon
Israel-Premier Tech loved an exhilarating Giro d’Italia final 12 months with Derek Gee lighting up the race by happening the assault in seven totally different levels and ending second on 4 of them. Gee won’t have gained a stage however he was awarded probably the most combative rider award and earned invaluable factors towards the crew’s return to the WorldTour degree in 2026.
Their GC hope might be Michael Woods, who final 12 months staged a coup within the Tour de France to win the stage to Puy de Dôme from the breakaway. The Canadian would do nicely to focus on the second stage to the Santuario di Oropa and a shot at taking the maglia rosa.
The crew will deliver again Simon Clarke, a stage winner at each Tour de France and Vuelta a España who additionally went in a number of breakaways final 12 months, coming closest on stage 6 when he and Alessandro De Marchi had been caught within the ultimate 300 metres. He’ll be hoping as soon as once more to try to full the Grand Tour stage win triple.
Nick Schultz, winner of the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya, holding off Tadej Pogačar with a late burst to the road, is one other rider able to grabbing a stage win. In Ethan Vernon, winner of a stage in final 12 months’s Tour de Romandie, and Hugo Hofstetter, the crew additionally has two males able to difficult within the sprints. (LW)
Jayco-AlUla
- Staff leaders: Caleb Ewan, Luke Plapp
- Goal: Stage wins, factors classification, GC high 10
- Riders to look at: Eddie Dunbar
- Riders: Alessandro de Marchi, Edward Dunbar, Caleb Ewan, Michael Hepburn, Luka Mezgec, Lucas Plapp, Max Walscheid, Filippo Zana
Jayco-AlUla head into the Giro d’Italia with Australian champion Luke Plapp as their total contender. The Australian champion has just one Grand Tour underneath his belt, a Ninety fifth-place end on the 2022 Vuelta a España, so he is comparatively untested.
He is had a robust spring, although, ending sixth at Paris-Good with a second place atop Mont Brouilly as well, and in addition took third on the first summit end on the Tour de Romandie final week. It could be an extended shot for Plapp to problem for the very high GC placings, although his crew additionally take pleasure in a number of choices for stage wins.
With the return of Caleb Ewan, the crew have a formidable dash presence and the crew to again him up with Max Walscheid and Luka Mezgec amongst these offering the motors. Ewan has by no means completed a Giro regardless of 5 begins and 5 stage wins, although perhaps this 12 months might be his first because the crew are sending Dylan Groenewegen and Michael Matthews to the Tour de France.
Anticipate Alessandro De Marchi to be on the assault, as is his fashion, after his profitable solo breakaway within the Tour of the Alps. Eddie Dunbar, who completed seventh total within the Giro final 12 months, is the crew’s second go-to for the GC. Nonetheless, the Irishman’s run-up to the Grand Tour this spring has been considerably disrupted by harm. (LW)
Lidl-Trek
- Staff chief: Jonathan Milan
- Goal: Stage wins, factors classification, GC high 10
- Riders to look at: Juan Pedro López
- Riders: Jonathan Milan, Andrea Bagioli, Simone Consonni, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, Daan Hoole, Juan Pedro Lopez, Jasper Stuyven, Edward Theuns
With the reigning maglia ciclamino added to their squad over the winter and a former maglia rosa holder heading to Piemonte in high kind, Lidl-Trek may be assured as they get the primary Grand Tour of the season underway.
Sprinter Jonathan Milan will paved the way for the US crew this Might having burst onto the scene final 12 months with a stage win and 4 second locations en path to the factors classification win.
However for his relative lack of positioning expertise, the Olympic/world/European monitor champion would have gained much more final Might, although this time round he’ll have extra assist in the finals within the type of Simone Consonni, Jasper Stuyven, and Edward Theuns.
A few wins and factors jerseys throughout the Volta a Valenciana and Tirreno-Adriatico recommend Milan hasn’t misplaced a step since shifting from Bahrain Victorious, and he’ll start the race as a top-tier dash favorite.
Juan Pedro López loved 10 days within the Giro lead two years in the past on the best way to a youth classification win and, if he did not actually kick on from that in 2023, he is heading again to Italy with each his first-ever race win and first-ever stage race win in his pocket.
The Spaniard beat the likes of Ben O’Connor, Antonio Tiberi, and Romain Bardet to comfortably conquer the Tour of the Alps to spherical out his Giro preparation, and he can look to the Giro now with extra wins in his sights, and maybe even a return to the general high 10 in Rome. (DO)
Movistar
- Staff chief: Nairo Quintana
- Goal: Stage wins, GC high 15
- Riders to look at: Fernando Gaviria, Einer Rubio
- Riders: Nairo Quintana, Ruben Guerreiro, William Barta, Davide Cimolai, Fernando Gaviria, Lorenzo Milesi, Einer Rubio, Pelayo Sanchez
Movistar have introduced again Nairo Quintana this season after the Colombian’s disqualification from the Tour de France in 2022 left him teamless final 12 months. They’ve been hoping that the 34-year-old can fill a niche as GC contender.
Nonetheless, after his crash within the Volta a Catalunya, Quintana is in no form to duplicate years passed by – together with his triumphant Might in 2014 – and problem for the best GC placings.
As an alternative, the crew will possible should be content material with focusing on stage wins. Relying on his form, Quintana would possibly trip into kind to be up there through the strenuous ultimate week, whereas Fernando Gaviria will battle on the dash levels. He is one other rider battling to recapture his type of the previous, having not gained a Grand Tour stage in 5 years.
Einer Rubio is the crew’s GC darkish horse. The final of three Colombians on the crew, the climber was the winner of the severely shortened stage 13 to Crans-Montana ultimately 12 months’s Giro on the best way to an Eleventh-place total end. He is been comparatively quiet this spring, although, barring a few summit end high 10s on the UAE Tour.
Elsewhere, Ruben Guerreiro is a frequent attacker and has the 2020 Giro mountains classification on his palmarès, whereas Will Barta, who gained the ultimate stage of the Volta a la Valenciana with an extended solo breakaway, is one other one to look at. (LW)
Polti-Kometa
- Staff chief: Matteo Fabbro
- Goal: Stage wins, minor classifications
- Riders to look at: Mattia Bais, Davide Bais
- Riders: Matteo Fabbro, Davide Bais, Mattia Bais, Giovanni Lonardi, Mirco Maestri, Andrea Pietrobon, Davide Piganzoli, Jhonatan Restrepo
Wildcard squad Polti-Kometa are undoubtedly underdogs within the Giro d’Italia and, like all good ProTeams, they’re going to absolutely be current in each breakaway try to placed on a great present for the tifosi.
The crew scored a uncommon wildcard stage win on their first Giro look three years in the past, with Lorenzo Fortunato delivering the products from the breakaway on Monte Zoncolan. He is moved on to the ailing Astana Qazastan this season, although, so the crew should search success elsewhere.
Matteo Fabbro is his potential alternative, approaching board from Bora-Hansgrohe. The 29-year-old is a strong climber, although maybe much less gifted than Fortunato. Fifth place on the 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico is a profession spotlight, whereas this 12 months his high outcomes are tenth at O Gran Camiño and Eleventh on the Tour of the Alps.
Davide Bais scored one other stage win for the crew ultimately 12 months’s Giro, triumphing from a three-man break on stage 7 at Gran Sasso d’Italia. His older brother Mattia is one other man who loves a breakaway and he confirmed some good kind lately with third place on the Giro della Romagna. Mirco Maestri and Tour Colombia stage winner Jhonatan Restrepo are additional choices for the breaks.
The crew should get fortunate once more to get right into a breakaway that sticks to have an opportunity at one other success like that, and except for a stage win, they’re going to undoubtedly be on the hunt for an additional stint within the mountains jersey like Bais loved final 12 months. (LW)
Soudal-QuickStep
- Staff leaders: Julian Alaphilippe, Tim Merlier
- Goal: Stage wins, factors classification
- Riders to look at: Mauri Vansevenant
- Riders: Julian Alaphilippe, Josef Černý, Jan Hirt, Luke Lamperti, Tim Merlier, Pieter Serry, Bert van Lerberghe, Mauri Vansevenant
With Remco Evenepoel totally focussed on the Tour de France (and recovering from a damaged collarbone from a crash in Itzulia Basque Nation), Soudal-Quickstep begin the Giro d’Italia with their eyes on sprints and stage wins.
Tim Merlier has been an enormous asset to the crew since becoming a member of from Alpecin-Deceuninck final 12 months, racking up 18 wins since then. He offered their solely spring Classics triumphs this 12 months at Nokere Koerse and Scheldeprijs, and, having not raced a Grand Tour final 12 months, will make his bow for the squad this Might.
He is undoubtedly their focus for the sprints and a bid for an additional maglia ciclamino to go together with these gained by Paolo Bettini (twice), Mark Cavendish, Fernando Gaviria, and Elia Viviani. Gifted teen Luke Lamperti might be a key a part of Merlier’s practice.
Julian Alaphilippe has proven glimmers of fine kind in latest weeks and can lead the cost for stage wins on the hilly levels and in mountain-stage breakaways.
Jan Hirt, sixth right here in 2022, is one other prospect for the latter and, together with younger expertise Mauri Vansevenant – who comes off two top-10 finishes on the Ardennes Classics – is the crew’s greatest likelihood at a excessive GC putting in Rome. (LW)
Tudor Professional Biking
- Staff leaders: Alberto Dainese, Michael Storer
- Goal: Stage wins
- Riders to look at: Matteo Trentin, Marius Mayrhofer
- Riders: Matteo Trentin, Alberto Dainese, Robin Froidevaux, Alexander Kamp, Alexander Krieger, Marius Mayrhofer, Michael Storer, Florian Stork
Tudor Professional Biking have earned their entry into the Giro d’Italia with a really aggressive crew in 2024. Veteran competitor Matteo Trentin is probably the most skilled within the crew and, together with Alberto Dainese and Michael Storer, might be main the cost for stage victories.
Dainese is a two-time Giro stage winner and in addition has a Vuelta a España stage on his palmarès. He made the transfer from DSM over the winter to have extra freedom and might be well-supported for the bunch sprints this 12 months. Thus far in 2024, he has one dash win, coming on the Région Pays de la Loire Tour.
One other newcomer is Storer, who gained two levels and the mountains classification on the 2021 Vuelta. The Australian has racked up top-10 finishes on the UAE Tour and Tour of the Alps and completed second on the laborious mountain stage to Borgo Valsugana on the latter race.
Marius Mayrhofer, winner of the Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Street Race final 12 months, has a number of high 10s throughout races together with Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and a number of other levels of Tirreno-Adriatico. He’ll have underlined a couple of of the levels with climbs earlier than a flat end in his highway guide, and naturally, the always-aggressive Trentin will certainly be on the assault on a number of days. (LW)
UAE Staff Emirates
- Staff chief: Tadej Pogačar
- Goal: Total victory
- Riders to look at: Juan Molano
- Riders: Tadej Pogačar, Rui Oliveira, Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Großschartner, Vegard Stake Laengen, Rafał Majka, Juan Sebastian Molano, Domen Novak
If there’s one crew on the Giro d’Italia with a single apparent purpose mendacity forward of them, it is UAE Staff Emirates, and Tadej Pogačar, who head into the race with the maglia rosa in thoughts. Given the season Pogačar has loved thus far, something lower than total victory can be a catastrophe, particularly with no Jonas Vingegaard or Primož Roglič round to problem him.
Regardless of the presence of one other Tour de France winner on the beginning line, and with your complete Giro forward of us, the principle questions hanging over Pogačar’s head appear to be ‘How a lot can he win by?’ and ‘Can he preserve his vitality to finish the Giro-Tour double in July?’
He is raced a restricted schedule of simply 10 race days heading to the Grande Partenza in Piemonte, however he is already gained seven occasions, together with dominant shows at Strade Bianche (an 81km solo), the Volta a Catalunya (by nearly 4 minutes), and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (a 35km solo).
Nothing is about in stone in biking and something can occur over the course of three weeks of racing, however UAE Staff Emirates have put all their eggs within the Pogačar basket this Giro for a purpose. Rafał Majka and Mikkel Bjerg determine to be amongst his high domestiques.
Elsewhere, there isn’t any signal of a Plan B with the crew’s squadron of gifted GC riders absent from the beginning record. Juan Sebastian Molano and Rui Oliveira would be the go-to riders for the sprinter-friendly levels, although neither might be high favourites for victories in what’s a really sturdy dash discipline. (DO)
VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè
- Staff chief: Domenico Pozzovivo
- Goal: Stage wins, GC high 10, minor classifications
- Riders to look at: Giulio Pellizzarri
- Riders: Domenico Pozzovivo, Luca Covili, Filippo Fiorelli, Martin Marcellusi, Alessio Martinelli, Giulio Pellizzari, Alessandro Tonelli, Enrico Zanoncello
On the grand previous age of 41, Domenico Pozzovivo discovered one other lifeline for his profession in VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè, becoming a member of the crew in late February after parting methods with Israel-Premier Tech over the winter.
It has been greater than a decade for the reason that Italian gained a Grand Tour stage (on the 2012 Giro), however he has 24 Grand Excursions in his legs and has been a constant top-10 finisher, together with eighth on the Giro two years in the past.
A top-10 end on the Giro can be an enormous end result for the crew which has raced each Giro however one for the reason that Nineteen Nineties. If Pozzovivo can keep wholesome and keep away from crashes, he is actually able to such a end result, having completed so within the latest Giro d’Abruzzo and Settimana Coppi e Bartali.
Different riders able to profitable embody Alessandro Tonelli, the one different rider over 30 within the younger crew, the winner of a stage within the Volta a la Valenciana this 12 months. Enrico Zanoncello is a fast finisher who gained the opening stage in Abruzzo.
The crew will not be placing strain on Giulio Pellizzari, however the 20-year-old is a expertise on the rise and his eighth place within the Tour of the Alps is a really promising signal for a strong total end. (LW)
Visma-Lease A Bike
- Staff leaders: Olav Kooij, Cian Uijtdebroeks
- Goal: Stage wins, GC high 5
- Riders to look at: Christophe Laporte, Attila Valter
- Riders: Christophe Laporte, Edoardo Affini, Koen Bouwman, Robert Gesink, Olav Kooij, Jan Tratnik, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Attila Valter
Visma-Lease a Bike’s historic Grand Tour triple in 2023 might be exceedingly troublesome to duplicate this time round with no Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard recovering from his Itzulia Basque Nation crash.
Nonetheless, the ‘killer bees’ might be hoping that Cian Uijtdebroeks can reside as much as his promise as a GC hopeful that was so closely touted in Belgium after his Tour de l’Avenir victory in 2022.
The 21-year-old completed eighth total ultimately 12 months’s Vuelta a España, and so is making his Grand Tour debut following his contentious mid-contract switch from Bora-Hansgrohe. He hasn’t but proven himself to be aggressive in opposition to the likes of Tadej Pogačar this spring, his greatest outcomes being fifth at O Gran Camiño and seventh at Tirreno-Adriatico, so he could have a psychological drawback in that regard.
Sprinter Olav Kooij will make his Grand Tour debut after racking up 13 wins final 12 months. He will not have Wout van Aert on lead-out duties however might be among the many high favourites on the flat levels.
Elsewhere, Jan Tratnik and Attila Valter might be first readily available to supply help to Uijtdebroeks within the mountains, whereas European champion Christophe Laporte might be on lead-out duties in addition to looking for stage wins of his personal. (LW)
