The Giro - A Class of Its Own

EDWARD PICKERING - E D I TO R
Procycling UK, ISSUE 255 / MAY 2019

There’s something about the Giro that really appeals to me. It’s the expert cycling fan’s grand tour of choice, a race for the connoisseur, as opposed to the mass market appeal of the Tour de France.

Of course, it doesn’t offer much different to the Tour - three weeks’ worth of racing, great scenery, spectacular mountains and fascinating local culture at every stage. But it also has its own unique aesthetic - Italy in springtime can throw everything, from blue sky and sunshine to bleak snowstorms, at the riders. 

The yellow jersey of the Tour may be the most famous icon of cycling, but the Giro’s maglia rosa has a character all of its own. And every year I look at photographs of the race in the Dolomites and it just makes me want to clap my hands.

But what I like most about it is its unpredictability and irregular rhythms. The Tour is controlled, and marches to a strict beat. The Giro, on the other hand, is anarchy. Whether it’s the fact that there’s a little bit less pressure than at the Tour, or the terrain the peloton races on, or some other secret ingredient, I always get the impression that anything could happen. 

You need look no further back than last year’s race, and Chris Froome’s incredible long-range attack on the Colle delle Finestre, in which he both put race leader Simon Yates out of the running and put himself into the overall lead.

Yates, our cover star this month, is coming back for a second attempt to win the pink jersey. He learned enough from his defeat that he was able to win the Vuelta last year; now I really get the impression the Giro is unfinished business for him. But he won’t find it easy - he’s up against riders like Tom Dumoulin, Vincenzo Nibali, Egan Bernal, Primož Roglič and Miguel Angel Lopez. 

I’m looking forward to finding out who comes out on top. But remember, cycling is about the journey as well as the destination. I’m also just looking forward to sitting back and enjoying one of the best races of the year.