Even when it is not there, it is very difficult to elude the subject of Tadej Pogacar. Let us immediately evacuate it afterwards. His absence at the start of a Giro which he crushed last year delighted almost everyone, of his opponents to the followers tired of a domination almost without any other in the history of cycling. The pogi cat is absent, it is the promise of suspense and spectacle, even if on this side subjectivity comes into play. Promises only that Primoz Roglic, Juan Ayuso and the others must hold.
The start of the season left the world of cycling in a funny state, often wrapped by a duel which kept it in suspense from Milan-Sanremo in Paris-Roubaix, sometimes embarrassed in front of the event turn. There was a time when the Tour de France crushed everything and everyone, so that we analyzed everything that was happening before it. The Giro, which starts this Friday from Albania, a first for this small Baltic country, will this year be a sacred puff of fresh air.
Roglic, the unique favorite?
Holding from the title on the last big tour to date (La Vuelta), winner of the Giro two years ago, Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) is advancing in favor of “quasi-fantastic” position. His five victories on three -week races place him in the historic top 10 and still in front, for a time, his friend Slovenian.
His failure on the Tour de France 2020 then the following cannot make people forget what metronome he is on the big towers. However, his age (35), the margin with which he won some (14 ” on the Giro 2023, 24 ” on the Vuelta 2020 and only time more than 3 minutes) and the pedigree of his opponents suggest that he will not crush this Giro, and that’s good. Faced with him, he will first be a long -headed runner and assertive ambitions, including his family.
Juan Ayuso (UAE Emirates-XRG) is more than an outsider for his first round in Italy, he is co-favori. Already on the podium of the Vuelta at only 19 years old (he had blown his 20 candles a few days later), Catalan goes quickly and wants everything, right away. His character has sometimes created update in a UAE team which presents itself not only with its Spanish leader but also Adam Yates, always looking for his first success in the big tour. The second should work for the first … except that he did not show an overflowing enthusiasm on Tirreno-Adriatico or the Tour de Catalonia. Does he have an idea behind the head?
Before we have answers, we are delighted not to know
Add an Isaac del Toro and you get an explosive cocktail at the Emiratis accustomed to organizing in tight row behind a single leader, except when this one is not called Tadej Pogacar. The old Spanish guard of the Mikel Landa (Sudal Quick-Step), 5th of the tour last year while he supported Remco Evenepoel, or Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) will also have his say while a little further in the hierarchy, Simon Yates (Visma | Lease A Bike) hopes to the bottom of him that his arrival with him At the coronation. Finally Thymen Arensman (ineos grenadiers), 3rd in Paris-Nice and 2nd of the Alpes Tour this season, is still the age (25) to confirm the promises.
On paper, the next three weeks should be summed up in a duel between Roglic and Ayuso but predict with certainty the outcome of the duel seems as perilous as excluding a third or a fourth man. There are a lot of questions in the air this Friday in Albania and before you can’t wait to know the answers, we are already delighted not to know.
