GIRO D’ITALIA 2017 PREVIEW
https://willlukerblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/giro-ditalia-2017-preview/
It’s a cycling race that’s built up to be one of excitement and anticipation, the first Grand Tour of the year, the Giro D’Italia, a three-week Tour of Italy. For 2017 the Giro is marking its 100th edition since its first ever race back in 1909. With the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana to come, the Giro D’Italia will offer the best of Italy’s roads, taking in all the sights along the way. Organisers RCS Sport and race director Mauro Vegni have created a special route for the 100th edition, with flat stages for sprinters, two individual time trials and a final week in the Italian Alps. To get a basic understanding, the winner of the general classification wins the Pink Jersey (locally known as the Maglia Rosa). The rider with the lowest aggregate time over the 21 stages wins the famous Giro Trophy. Other jerseys on offer include the Points Classification Red Jersey for the sprinters, the Mountains Blue Jersey and finally the Young Rider White Jersey. Vincenzo Nibali is the defending champion from the 99th edition! From the stages to the riders, the Giro D’Italia kicks off the Grand Tour year in style! A time of celebration, tinged with some sadness after the Italian rider Michele Scarponi sadly died in a vehicle collision recently. Out of respect, his Astana team will ride with 8 members instead of 9, remembering a former Giro champion back in 2011. It’ll be a poignant edition, full of twists and turns. From Sardinia to Milan, this is the Giro D’Italia 2017.
THE ROUTE
As you can see below, the 100th edition of this year’s Giro is entirely within the borders of Italy, after recent foreign starts in the Netherlands and Northern Ireland. Beginning this Friday, the Giro starts on the island of Sardinia out in the Mediterranean home to expert climber Fabio Aru, recent winner of the Vuelta back in 2015. The Giro then ends in Milan on the 28th May, but what is sandwiched in between?
WEEK 1:
Stage 1 will lead the riders on a 206km route starting from Alghero in the north-west of Sardinia. With three categorised climbs, a sprinter will arguably win the first pink jersey of this year’s Giro, at the finish in Olbia. The second day will travel through the heart of Sardinia, with some climbs along the way. Stage 2 will play host to the Genna Silana, a climb with 50km’s to go, before the finish in Tortoli. Sunday will see the final stage on Sardinia. Stage 3, at 149km will take in some beautiful coastal roads, leading to a potential bunch sprint on the island’s capital, Cagliari.
A rest day on Monday, allows the riders some time to breathe after three fast days, but there’s no time to stop as the Giro heads to the country’s other big island, Sicily. Stage 4 leaves the town of Cefalu to finish on the slopes of Monte Elba, the first summit finish of this year’s editon. As Sicily is the home of defending champion Vincenzo Nibali it would be perfect for a win on atop the dormant volcano of Mount Etna, but arguably Stage 5 will be one for him to enjoy. Nicknamed ‘The Shark of Messina’, Stage 5 finishes in his birthplace Messina, with a flat finish.
After an island hop across the Straight of Messina, the Giro hits the mainland, with Stage 6 heading across from Calabria to a finish in Terme Luigiane. Stage 7 will take the riders along ‘The boot of Italy’, with a sprint in Alberobello, before Stage 8 offers a tricky finish in Peschici, with an average gradient of 12% within the town. The end of week one leads the riders into the Abruzzo mountains for the second summit finish upon the Passo Laciano. Also known as the Blockhaus, Stage 9 will be a gruelling day, before the rest day heading into week two.
WEEK TWO:
Foligno, host of the rest day, will also be the host of Stage 10, an individual time trial of 40km, set among gentle roads. Stage 11 will take in four climbs before a fast descent to the finish in Bagno Di Romagna. Stage 12 will be a perfect stage for the sprinters with a 234km route from Forli to Reggio Emilia, the longest stage of this year’s Giro. Heading into the penultimate weekend, Stage 13 will be the flattest route to Tortona with a sprint an inevitable prospect. Saturday 20th May will see Stage 14 take in a summit finish near the Santuario Di Oropa, probably one of the most prestigious climbs, with some of the steepest average gradients at 13%. Stage 15 on the Sunday will be a hilly 199km route to Bergamo. The finale kilometres of the stage is an exact replica to the 2016 edition of Il Lombardia, with a short climb into the old town of Bergamo, before a downhill ride to the finish. A rest day soon follows.
WEEK 3:
The rest day will be a blessing, as the final week kicks off with Stage 16, the mother of all stages! Leaving from Rovetta, the Italian Alps start begin to tower over the riders, with the first climb being the Mortirolo. But the fun doesn’t end there with a double ascent of the infamous Passo dello Stelvio. First the summit of 2,757 metres is tackled from the Bormio side of the mountain, before a tricky descent down the famous 48 hairpins of the Trafoi-side. The second climb leaves Italy for a small journey into Switzerland and the Umbrailpass, before one final downhill rollercoaster to the finish in Bormio itself. In total, Stage 16 is 222km long, but a cracking day awaits, so save it to your diary, Tuesday 23rd May.
The pain of climbing doesn’t end there, as the riders have to endure another four days in the mountains. Stage 17 travels over the Aprica and the Passo del Tonale, before a finish in Canazei. Stage 18 embarks on the mountain passes of the Pordoi, the Valparolo, the Gardena and the Passo di Pinei, before an uphill ascent to Ortisei. Stage 19 hosts a summit finish upon the ski resort of Piancavallo, before the penultimate stage on the Saturday. Stage 20 will lead the riders to Asiago, before tackiling the Muro Di Ca’del Poggio, the Monte Grappa and the final climb of this year’s Giro at Foza. You’d expect the final stage of the 100th edition to finish in Italy’s capital Rome, but like every year, Milan is the final stage. Plus you’d expect it to be procession with a final sprint, but for this year’s race, Stage 21 will be a flat 28km individual time trial from the famous Monza Formula One circuit to the centre of Milan itself. Taking in 3,572.2km in total, the 100th Edition of the Giro D’Italia has everything!
For more on each individual stage, follow the link:
THE CONTENDERS:
The world’s best riders from the world’s best teams will be on show at this year’s Giro D’Italia. The 100th edition seems to have persuaded some of the biggest general classification contenders, who usually focus more on the Tour de France, to ride the Giro. No rider has ever won the three Grand Tours in one year. Among this year’s contenders, we have recent winners, sprinters and time trial specialists. Who stands the chance of glory at the first Grand Tour?
DOMENICO POZZOVIVO
An Italian rider, often overlooked in the contention for the overall general classification. For Dominic Pozzovivo, its been a stressful few years. After an eventful 2016, the end of the cycling season was a holiday for his team AG2R-La Mondiale, but not for Pozzovivo himself. After gaining a degree in business economy, October and November came as an opportunity to start a sports science degree near his local town Lugano. His decision to start a degree is a sensible one, with Pozzovivo hoping to become a cycling coach, thinking ahead after eventual retirement. Now back to training mode, Dominico Pozzovivo can now focus on getting back to his best. It is understandable that the incentive of a French cycling team such as AG2R to try and get a French winner of the Tour de France for the first time since 1985, shouldn’t involve Pozzovivo as the number one rider. It makes sense that the Italian rider is the team’s leader at the Giro, with AG2R’s French superstar Romain Bardet, the top contender at the Tour. At the age of 34, Dominico Pozzovivo has the ability to be very competitive at any of the Grand Tours. With Bardet the leader at the Tour, its clear that the Italian will be the leader at the Giro and possibly the Vuelta. 2016 was a disappointment, after a 20th place in the GC. Previous crashes at the 2014 and 2015 Giro seemed to affect the Italian, but now we have a motivated rider. Known for his attacks on the tough mountain stages of the Grand Tours, Pozzovivo has something to fight for at this year’s Giro, hoping to prove he’s a good climber, ready for a higher placing on GC, plus a strong supporter for Bardet at this year’s Tour.
TEEJAY VAN GARDEREN
Given the leadership of team BMC has to be a big motivation for American Tejay Van Garderen. Alongside Aussie Rohan Dennis, the entire BMC team is very strong, but in particular, Van Garderen pins the hopes of the team at this year’s Giro. The American has predominantly raced the Tour de France, finishing fifth in 2012 and 2014. In recent years, the Tour de France has proved difficult for Van Garderen, struggling on major climbs, unable to keep his place alongside the likes of Chris Froome. With Richie Porte now on board in his second year at BMC, it is clear to see that Tejay Van Garderen has the chance to ride a good Giro D’Italia as leader, before riding in support of Porte’s campaign at the Tour. At the Giro, Van Garderen faces a difficult task against fellow world climbers such as Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali. It’s a race, which Van Garderen has never been involved in, so the risks and unpredictable performance is one thing to keep a close eye on. The Tour of Alps was perfect preparation for Van Garderen. Backed by a team of youth and experience, the chances of Van Garderen finishing high on GC are possible. He has a good pedigree for success, second at the 2015 Criterium du Dauphine, an overall victory at the Tour of California, plus two stage victories on some of the hardest week-long races in professional cycling, such as the Tour of Catalunya and Tour of Switzerland. A good rider for BMC’s chances at this year’s Giro.
BOB JUNGELS
For the team of Bob Jungel’s, Quick-Step Floors have chosen a team of youth and experience. Born in Luxembourg, Bob Jungels will provide that experience as the main contender for the team’s GC target. Jungels finished sixth on the general classification at last year’s Giro, plus victory in the best Young Rider’s jersey. At the same time Bob Jungels will help team-mate Fernando Gaviria to sprint victories, but in the mountains expect Bob Jungels to be up there in attacks. On his way to an eventual sixth place, Jungels even held the maglia rosa for three days, an achievement in itself. So far in 2017, Bob Jungels finished 14th at the Tirreno-Adriatico and 8th at the Tour of Romandy. At the age of 24, Jungels could still win the Young Rider Classification for a second year in a row at the Giro. There is no doubt that in the future, Jungels will be the main man to lead Quick-Step Floors at the Grand Tours. He may not have the wealth of experience like others around him in the main field to win this year’s Giro, but in the future, Bob Jungels is a name to keep in mind.
STEVEN KRUIJSWIJK:
If you read my last cycling post on the Tour de Yorkshire, then you’ll know all about Steven Kruijswijk! In preparation for the Giro, a ride at the Tour de Yorkshire was ideal, but after Stage 2 into Harrogate, the Dutchman pulled out due to a crash at the end of Stage 1. With no lasting injuries, the focus now turns to the Giro. Kruijswijk has raced in every Tour de Yorkshire since its beginnings in 2015, in preparation for the Giro, but by missing out on the tough climbs of Stage 3, could that be an opportunity lost to test himself for the mountains to come? If you haven’t done so already a search for ‘Steven Kruijswijk crash’ on YouTube will show you the pain and despair for the Lotto NL-Jumbo rider at last year’s Giro. In the final week, Steven Kruijswijk was guaranteed the pink jersey in the final week. But a crash on the snow-covered Colle dell’Agnello two days away from the finish, cost the Dutchman dearly, falling to 4th in GC. 1980 was the last year since a Dutch winner at the Giro, so for Steven Kruijswijk to come so close last year was a tough one to take! Redemption of a podium place will be the aim for Lotto NL Jumbo at the Giro, but for Steven Kruijswijk the field of contenders will be stronger for this year. Snow-capped mountains will be on view, but that shouldn’t be an obstacle this time around, so expect a strong performance in the final week.
RUI COSTA:
Probably Portugal’s most famous rider. For Rui Costa it will be a special occasion for his newly-formed team UAE Team Emirates. As a three-time stage winner at the Tour de France, it’s surprising that this will be Rui Costa’s first Giro. So far in 2017 Costa has won the Abu Dhabi Tour, and in the past a rainbow jersey at the UCI Road World Championships. It’s fair to say that Rui Costa hasn’t been on the same footing as other main contenders in the GC, but at the Giro, he has a chance of winning the maglia rosa. The Giro will be his main priority for this year, with the Tour de France a usual appearance, which he should take part in this summer. As a former Portuguese Time Trial champion, Rui Costa could be a dark horse in the two time trials at this year’s edition. So far, Costa has riden the Tirreno-Adriatico and the Ardennes Classics, coming close but never a winner. A point to prove for the Portuguese cycling master.
ADAM YATES:
A British rider, who had a fabulous Tour de France last year, finishing 4th overall, plus a Young Rider white jersey to go along with a superb performance. A good start in the first few weeks, eventually led to a tough finish losing out on the top three. Riding for his team Orica-Scott, Adam Yates will be targeting a strong placing on the GC, with team-mate Caleb Ewan aiming to take many sprint stages in the first two weeks. It was expected that Adam’s twin brother Simon Yates would also ride the Giro, but now a change in strategy, will see Simon Yates focus on the Tour de France, alongside Colombian Esteban Chaves. All the experience of last year’s Tour will be key to a good Giro, especially in the high mountains. A chance to win the Best Young Rider’s classification at the Giro will be a good incentive for Yates to do well, but with the Giro wide open, who knows if Adam Yates could find himself among the top placings on GC. Like other contenders this will be Adam Yates’s first ever Giro D’Italia, having raced at the Vuelta and two editions of the Tour. A young British rider with huge talent for two of the three Grand Tours, so expect Adam Yates to provide a strong showing in the Italian Alps.
ILNUR ZAKARIN:
The Katusha-Alpecin rider has a good chance at this year’s Giro, especially after his performance at the Abu Dhabi Tour back in January. Although he was eventually overtaken by eventual overall winner Rui Costa, Ilnur Zakarin pretty much swepped up the favourites at this year’s Giro. The Russian distanced Nairo Quintana, Vincenzo Nibali, Bauke Mollema, Tom Dumoulin and Steven Kruijswijk on Stage 3 in Dubai, proving how good he can be on major climbs. Last year’s Giro was hell for Ilnur Zakarin. Two crashes on a time trial to Chianti dented his chances in the GC. Furthermore a crash on the descent of the Colle dell’Agnello cost him a top five place. Zakarin’s capabilities of riding well on mountain stages were evident at last year’s Tour de France, with a Stage 17 victory atop Finhaut-Emosson in the Swiss Alps. A podium place at the Giro is a priority for his Russian team Katusha-Alpecin.
TOM DUMOULIN:
It’s such a shame that we won’t see any more Alpecin Coffein Shampoo adverts, featuring a Dutch rider with a friendly characteristic. The caffeine shampoo brand was before called Giant Alpecin, but now the bike manufacturing company Giant is in partnership with European tour editors Sunweb Take a look on YouTube for the advert with Tom Dumoulin, a rider who now rides for the newly formed team name. The Dutchman isn’t usually considered to be a top contender for the overall general classification, but a superb ride in the red leaders jersey at the Vuelta in 2015 saw Tom Dumoulin in a strong position. Despite the disappointment of missing out to eventual winner Fabio Aru, Dumoulin has since improved massively from 2015 onwards. He held the pink jersey for a few of the opening days at last year’s Giro, so for this year’s edition could he wear it for longer? Grand Tour ambitions are the aim for Tom Dumoulin and plans for a win on a summit finish such as Mount Etna or the Blockhaus will be some key stages for the Sunweb rider to target. At the Tour de France, last year saw a superb summit win at Andorra Arcalis in hailstone conditions showing what Dumoulin is capable of. Other stages which could help him in his aim for the GC are the time trials. As a time trial specialist, Tom Dumoulin will be a strong favourite alongside BMC’s Rohan Dennish and Team Sky’s Vasil Kiryienka, for the two time trials on this year’s route. If the best possible results were to be achieved in the final week among the Alpine stages, then final victory in the Milan time trial could see Tom Dumoulin as overall winner.
MIKEL LANDA AND GERAINT THOMAS:
You may be wondering why mention two riders at the same time? Team Sky’s campaign at this year’s Giro is to hold a joint leadership between Spainiard Mikel Landa and Welshman Geraint Thomas. Support for each other at the Giro in the mountains and the earlier stages, will be the plan for Team Sky. First Mikel Landa, who joined Sky from Astana last year. Just like Dominico Pozzovivo, Landa is often overlooked as a top GC contender for overall victory, but in 2015, Mikel Landa finished third in the Giro overall. There is an interpretation that Geraint Thomas is the main man ahead of Mikel Landa, with results on paper, stronger than the Spaniard. Thomas has appeared at the Tour de France, year after year in support of Chris Froome, offering great domestique ability to help the three-times winner over the line. In recent year’s Geraint Thomas has built up some great results. A recent overall win at the Tour of the Alps, plus an overall victory at the 2016 Paris-Nice, has given Thomas a new identity, a climber of the highest quality in the general classification. Now its time to prove if Geraint Thomas has the legs to compete for the higher placings at a Grand Tour. It seems that Geraint Thomas in my opinion is the firm leader, for the first time in his professional career. With the partnership alongside Mikel Landa, it is very hard to see how Team Sky can balance the priorities of two world-class riders, but we’ll only have to wait and find out!
THIBAUT PINOT:
If France are to gain a French winner of the Tour for the first time since Bernard Hinault in 1985, then it won’t be Thibaut Pinot! A decision to skip the Tour de France could be seen as a sensible one, after a painful Tour last year, with signs of struggle and sickness in the second week. The Frenchman will take on his first ever Giro, also planning to ride the Vuelta later in the year. It seems that the Tour de France is both a good and bad omen to Thibaut Pinot. Riding for French team FDJ, he finished third overall in the 2014 edition and produced an incredible stage victory on Alpe D’Huez back in 2015. At the age of 26, Thibaut Pinot alongside fellow French riders such as Romain Bardet and Julian Alaphillipe could hold the answer to a future French winner at the Tour. Riding five Tours so far in his career will be the biggest asset to Pinot’s chances at the Giro. He’s the star rider for FDJ, so a debut at the first Grand Tour of the season could fuel future success at the Tour. Thibaut Pinot should do well at his first Giro, but if it doesn’t go to plan, then expect a crack at the Vuelta in late August into early September, to be the Frenchman’s next priority!
BAUKE MOLLEMA:
Similar to Adam Yates, Dutchman Bauke Mollema had a fantastic Tour de France in the mountains, up until the final week in the Alps, falling at the final hurdle. The summit finish to St Gervais-les-Bains cost Mollema vital minutes, with Romain Bardet winning the stage overall to knock Bauke Mollema down from second to tenth in GC. For the Giro, Mollema is the main man for his team Trek-Segafredo, with Alberto Contador the main contender for the Tour de France. In six of his appearances at the Grand Tours, Bauke Mollema has finished within the top 12 of the general classification, a consistent rider, with fourth place at the Vuelta in 2012 his highest ever placing. What puts him above some of his rivals at this year’s Giro is his experience of riding the Giro before. So far in 2017, Mollema has gone from strength to strength. An overall win at the Vuelta de San Juan in Argentina, a fourth place at the Abu Dhabi Tour and ninth place in Tirreno Adriatico, just some of his highlights in a glittering career. What are his chances at the Giro over the three weeks? You could argue that if a similar scenario at last year’s Tour were to happen, then Mollema shouldn’t even be considered for the overall victory. But in truth his will to keep on the wheels of other riders such as Quintana and Nibali will be his strength. A rider with a great CV when it comes to the Grand Tours, so watch out for Bauke Mollema over the three weeks!
NAIRO QUINTANA:
This is only the second time I’ve written a small part on this inspirational rider, a rider with one amazing story to tell. Rivals with Chris Froome at the Tour de France, the little Colombian for Team Movistar, will be no stranger to the roads of Italy, as a previous winner of the maglia rosa in 2014. To give some background for some of youwho don’t know a lot about cycling, Nairo Quintana is a cyclist like no other! Born to afarming family from a very humble background, his family could only just save up some money to buy Quintana a second-hand bike. With the school bus at an expensive cost, a trip to school uphill and downhill on the bike each day was probably a sight of beauty for any cycling fan to paint a picture in the head. What makes his truthful story so powerful is that not all professional riders like Quintana were born into a culture of European cycling. Similar to Chris Froome who grew up among the climbs of Kenya, it’s no wonder why Nairo Quintana is such as an expert climber at high altitudes. Born among the mountainous landscape of the Andes, it’s clear that road cycling among the highest of summits is just a natural task dealt with ease. So far in his career, Quintana has done so much. Winner of the Giro back in 2014, the Colombian has gone on to win the Tirreno-Adriatico earlier in March, plus his second Grand Tour win at the Vuelta last year, beating Chris Froome to the red jersey. The stages in the Italian Alps will be tough, but for Quintana himself at the100th edition it seems a destined possibility for a second Giro title. Although team-mate and fellow astute rider Alejandro Valverde won’t be around for support, this is arguably a Giro for Quintana to win! The Tour de France remains a personal goal to win in the next few years, but for now a second Giro title is there for the taking! What an inspiration to the world of cycling!
VINCENZO NIBALI:
The defending champion! Last year Vincenzo Nibali’s second Giro D’Italia title was one of beauty, reducing an almost five second deficit to overtake three riders in GC over the last two stages in the Alps. Nibali, known as the ‘Shark of Messina’, is a masterclass at descents, with his downhill approach in many professional races scary to watch (Yes, another YouTube video to watch: ‘Nibali Il Lombardia descent 2016′ is worth the time to take a look at). After the crash of Steven Kruijswijk on Stage 19 of last year’s Giro, a fabulous downhill rollercoaster from the Colle dell’Agnello led to a storming uphill finish in Risoul. Nibali came within touching distance of the maglia rosa, before the penultimate stage was Nibali’s to gain, dropping the overall leader Esteban Chaves, to win his second title. Vincenzo Nibali has done everything in his professional career. Alongside Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault and Alberto Contador, the Italian has won all three Grand Tours in his lifetime as a legend of cycling. A recent win at the Tour of Croatia will increase confidence, but in all honesty, it is the switch in team that could prove to be a difficult one for Nibali to surmount a title defence. Moving from Astana at the end of last year to new team Bahrain-Merida, the difference between the two teams is massive. It is perhaps understandale with Astana now focusing more on the prospects of Fabio Aru as their main GC leader at the Tour de France, that Nibali felt a need to move on. Will ‘The Shark of Messina’ defend his title? Other riders mentioned beforehand will have a say, but for Vincenzo Nibali it’s a case to ride up the climbs and descent to a fastest possible speed. The Giro will also be an emotional one for Nibali, after the death of his former team-mate Michele Scarponi. A fascinating race awaits between Vincenzo Nibali and all the other GC contenders in the next three weeks. It’s wide open! Anybody can win overall.
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