Ecuador's Richard Carapaz is aiming
for his second Giro d'Italia victory this month after winning
the world's second biggest stage race after the Tour de France
in 2019, his new team Ineos Grenadiers said at the presentation
of the May 6-29 round-Italy classic which culminates on the
iconic Marmolada peak before a run in to Verona on Monday.
Superteam Ineos are gunning for their third straight win in the
Giro, which gets under way in Budapest Friday.
In 2020 young Briton Tao Geoghegan Hart won it for them while
last year it was the turn of Colombia's Egan Bernal, who is
unable to defend his title as he is recovering from a training
injury.
Carapaz, who moved from Movistar to Ineos last year, will also
be able to count on the experience he gained in placing third in
the Tour last year and winning the Olympic road race in Tokyo.
He will be "fully backed" on this year's many Giro climbs by
Australia's Richie Porte, 37, third in the Tour two years ago,
Ineos said.
As well as Carapaz, this year's Giro also features two other
riders who have already ended up with the winner's pink jersey:
Vincenzo Nibali (2013 and 2016) and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin
(2017).
But the first of the year's three grand tours (before the Tour
de France and the Vueta a Espagna) will be without the three
Slovenians who have won virtually everything in the last few
years: Primoz Roglic, Tadej Pogacar and Matej Mohoric.
Also missing are young Belgian phenom Remco Evenepoel, recent
victor at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, as well as veteran stars
like Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Nairo Quintana.
Other opt-outs who have preferred to keep their powder dry for
the Tour are Italians Damiano Caruso and Filippo Ganna, the
latter of whom has impressed in time trials and 'in line' stages
in recent Giros.
That leaves Carapaz, Nibali and Dumoulin as the bookies'
favourites.
Meanwhile, Britain's Mark Cavendish will be looking to extend
his 15 sprint wins.
After three initial stages in Hungary, the Giro will return to
Sicily with a gruelling climb up Etna.
Saturday May 14 will be played out on the streets of Naples
while the following day will see another stern mountain test
from Isernia to Blockhaus.
After Abruzzo there will be more climbs in Romagna, followed by
Emilia and Liguria, arriving in Genoa for stage 12 on May 19,
when the race will remember the 43 victims of the August 14 2018
Morandi Bridge Disaster.
The riders will cross the spanking new San Giorgio Viaduct, the
latest jewel in starchitect and Genoa native Renzo Piano's
crown.
Another major stage awaits on Sunday May 22, with the Rivarolo
Canavese-Cogne (177 km), the 'tappone' of the western Alps with
several long climbs but without supersteep inclines.
May 24, on the other hand, will see stage 16 offer up 200km of
pure suffering from Salò to Aprica including the fearsome
Mortirolo.
The following day will see other mountaintop challenges, with
the Ponte di Legno-Lavarone (165 km), staring out from the Passo
del Tonale.
Then, after a couple of relatively easy stages, the grand finale
is set for Saturday May 24 with the Belluno-Marmolada (Passo
Fedaia), running 167 km for the classic Dolomites stage and the
last uphill one.
Straining the riders' legs will be the Passo San Pellegrino
(inclines over 15% after Falcade), followed by the Pordoi (Cima
Coppi 2022) and the Fedaia.
After 14 years, the iconic Marmolada is once more the arrival
point.
The day after, Sunday May 25, there will be a test against the
clock around Verona for anyone left with anything in their legs,
after which the man who has triumphed on the Marmolada will
presumably be crowned.
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