Bahrain Victorious will be looking to go one better than last year when the 105th edition of Giro d’Italia starts from Budapest tomorrow.
The Giro d’Italia returns to normal, after two years marked by the pandemic in which the pink race was held but with changes in dates and public restrictions.
Last year, Bahrain Victorious’ Damiano Caruso battled to second in general classification after losing Mikel Landa in an early crash. This year, Landa will be hoping for better fortunes after showing strong form at Tirreno and Tour of Alps.
“I feel really good for this Giro again, and after the crash last year, I’ve got a new opportunity, and I’m feeling super good and confident. I’ve got a super team around me, and my last races have been really positive, and I think everything has gone to plan in the lead up to the race,” said Landa.
Sports director Gorazd Štangelj said: “We come into this year’s Giro looking for victory in the GC as the primary goal. However, we want to be active throughout this Giro and look for opportunities for potential stage wins in the sprints and breakaways.
“We start in Hungary with a potential sprint stage with a limited bunch, then the individual time trial and finally a sprint stage before moving to Sicily. We are hoping to come out of Hungary without losing time in GC and a good result by Phil Bauhaus on the sprint stages and Jan (Tratnik), our TT specialist.
“I would say this year’s route has more than a few difficult stages. From the first to the last week, there is no standout week that I could say is the hardest. Every week will have its challenges.
“Overall, we’ve got a really balanced team for flat, hilly and high mountain stages, which is a requirement for this edition of the race as there are a few tricky flat stages, while you can do a great job in the high mountains if you have the numbers.”
In a race that in recent years has reserved more than a surprise (such as the triumph of Tao Geoghehan Hart in 2020 in front of Jai Jindley and the podium of Damiano Caruso in the last edition) the route is suitable for climbers, with seven stages for sprinters, two time trials (for a total of 26 km) and five high mountain sections, with five uphill finishes.
After the first three interlocutory stages on Hungarian soil, the caravan will move to Sicily, where the men in the ranking will compete with the first uphill finish on Etna, followed by a flat stage, between Catania and Messina, on Vincenzo’s home roads. Nibali.
The first week of racing ends with the Isernia-Blockhaus, another testing ground for those who want to win the Giro. Going up Italy, the Giro will also pay homage to the victims of the collapse of the Morandi bridge crossing the new Ponte San Giorgio during the Parma-Genoainsidious fraction.
The stage from Santena to Turin is also challenging, which includes two times the ascent of Superga and three times the Maddalena and Santa Brigida.
The last week, as often happens, will however be the decisive one, with the great mountains of the Giro. The queen stage is Salò-Aprica, with the climb of Mortirolo from the less hard side.
On Saturday, however, the Dolomite stage between Belluno and Passo Fedaia is scheduled, with the ascent to the San Pellegrino Pass, the Pordoi and the arrival at the foot of the Marmolada. The winner of the pink race will probably come out of here, and if that is still not enough, the final time trial in Verona with arrival inside the Arena will crown the new king of the Giro.
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