Nairo Quintana (Movistar) returns to action this weekend after a long European absence to race the three-day Vuelta a Asturias in northern Spain.
Every Giro d’Italia favorite has taken a different approach to the May 5 start of the centenary edition of the corsa rosa. Each is hoping to peak in late May for a shot at the pink jersey, while at the same time leaving something in the tank for goals later in the season. It’s always a tricky balancing act to prepare for a grand tour, especially one as demanding and unpredictable as the Giro.
With the 100th Giro barely a week away, anticipation is building for the season’s first grand tour, and everyone is anxious to see how the favorites will stack up. The approach to the Giro has changed over the past decade or so, and each of the favorites seems to have taken a different path to Sardinia.
There a few factors making this year’s Giro different. Not only will there be a lot of anticipation for the race’s centenary edition, the favorites list is deeper than perhaps any Giro’s over the past decade. Even with the loss of Fabio Aru (Astana) to injury, the race will have nearly a dozen riders who could win.
And the Giro is much harder than it used to be, especially on the flats and transition stages, so riders need to be hitting the start of the race in top form. Some riders have chosen training over racing, while others have put in nearly 30 race days ahead of the Giro.
Which approach will work best? Here’s a look at how five top favorites are coming into the Giro:
Nairo Quintana (Movistar): Giro-Tour attempt complicates approach
Quintana, 26, has been off the radar since March, choosing to return to his high-altitude Colombian home to prepare for the Giro.
It’s a similar approach he’s taken the past few years, with some early season racing in Europe followed by a return to South America. The Colombian altitude seems to suit him well upon his return to Europe, but is it enough to keep him going all the way through July?
The 2014 Giro d’Italia winner took two early season victories, including a dominant win at Tirreno-Adriatico, and then promptly returned to Colombia. He’s back in Europe to race this weekend in Spain before attempting the Giro-Tour double. The climb-heavy final week at the Giro favors Quintana, who might be under the gun to take back early-race losses. The big question will be: How deep must he go to win the Giro and then still have something left for the Tour. Among all the top favorites, Quintana is the only attempting the Giro-Tour double (others might race the Tour, but in a helper’s role), so the Colombian’s approach to the Giro will be scrutinized.
Race days: 19; two stage wins, two overall GC wins
Best performances: Overall victories at Volta a Valencia and Tirreno-Adriatico, with one stage win in each. His victory atop the Terminillo at Tirreno stands out, but he was quick to say that results in March don’t mean much in May.
Key Giro teammates: Movistar will bring a packed squad to help Quintana, minus Alejandro Valverde, who is taking a break following his spectacular spring and will return for the Tour. Even without Valverde, Movistar will bring a strong lineup. Winner Anacona and Gorka Izagirre will provide help in the mountains, Andrey Amador, a former Giro stage winner and pink jersey holder, is an all-rounder. Alex Dowsett will provide support in the flats.
Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida): All-in for a third
Nibali will start the Giro as the most experienced rider among the favorites, the only one who’s won all three grand tours. With that experience, Nibali is an expert at timing his fitness and honing his approach to the Giro.
Per Nibali’s style, he rode into the season without too much pressure to score big early season results. He floated through the spring confident he would be ready for the Giro. Earlier this month, he took his first win in Croatia against a relatively weak field, but it was enough to show that he’s hitting form ahead of the Giro. Backed by a strong team, he and Quintana should be the ones controlling the race. Nibali will also be racing with something to prove, both for his new team and for his place in the peloton’s hierarchy.
Race days: 26, with overall victory at the Tour of Croatia
Best performances: Nibali used a more traditional approach to the Giro, building form at early season races. Nibali came to life earlier this month, with the overall at the Tour of Croatia. That win indicates Nibali is ready to defend his Giro title, although he’s yet to cross swords with top GC riders this season.
Key teammates: The Giro is very important for the start-up Bahrain-Merida outfit, and it’s bringing its A-team. Valerio Agnoli will be there in all the key moments; experienced riders Franco Pellizotti, Kanstantsin Siutsou, and Giovanni Visconti will shepherd Nibali through the mountains. Ramunas Navardauskas, Javier Moreno, and Manuele Boaro will have his back in the transition stages.
Geraint Thomas (Sky): Taking his chance to lead
This Giro d’Italia is critical to Thomas’s future role at Team Sky. After being a loyal helper to Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, Thomas finally gets his opportunity to lead during a grand tour. And he’s leaving nothing to chance.
Thomas turned away from the northern classics to have a more traditional approach to the Giro, with a solid mix of stage racing across the spring. He looks to be hitting form just in time for the Giro.
An important overall victory at the hard-fought Tour of the Alps not only served as notice to his teammates that he’s up to the task, it gave him additional favorite status inside the pack heading to the Giro. The other teams will be looking to Sky to do its share of the work during the race.
Thomas turns 31 during the final week of the Giro, and he knows the pressure is on for a strong performance in Italy if he ever hopes to have a shot at leadership during July. Thomas is all-in for this Giro, and he appears to be arriving in Sardinia with winning form.
Race days: 25, with two stages wins, and one GC victory
Best performances: Thomas looks to be checking all the boxes. A solid fifth at Tirreno-Adriatico was followed up by the Volta a Catalunya, where he was top-10 until illness zapped him with two stages to go. He won a stage and the overall at the hard-fought Tour of the Alps to confirm his form.
Key teammates: Sky has enough depth to leave the Tour de France-bound riders at home, and still bring one of the best Giro lineups in May. Mikel Landa will start as a co-leader, at least on paper, but it’s Thomas who will be the gravitational center of the team. Kenny Elissonde, David Lopez, Phil Deignan, and Diego Rosa will chaperone him through the climbs. Sebastian Henao and Salvatore Puccio bring help on the flats, with Elia Viviani in for a shot at the sprints.
Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo): The mystery man
Among the top favorites, the Dutch rider has had the most uneven run into the Giro. After a hot start with victory in Argentina, he was hoping for more than ninth at Tirreno-Adriatico. He then abandoned Volta a Catalunya in March. The ever-steady Dutchman hasn’t raced since, and instead spent time training at altitude on the Teide volcano at Tenerife.
Mollema tweaked his racing schedule this year to make room for Alberto Contador to lead at the Tour de France, giving him team leadership for the Giro. Last year, Mollema was close to reaching the Tour podium, second overall before a crash on the penultimate mountain stage in the Alps. His 11th overall result didn’t reflect his true form. A newly confident Mollema will roll into the Giro as a bit of an enigma, at least in terms of form, but ready to embrace the challenge and confirm his GC chops.
Race days: 24, one victory
Best performances: Mollema opened the season with a bang with overall victory at the Tour de San Juan. He hasn’t raced since abandoning Catalunya with a stomach bug, but has been training at altitude in Tenerife.
Key teammates: Peter Stetina, who helped Ryder Hesjedal win in 2012, knows what it takes to win the Giro, and will bring solid support in the mountains. Laurent Didier, Eugenio Alafaci, and Mads Pedersen will also go deep. Giacomo Nizzolo, winner of last year’s points competition, will hunt for an elusive stage win.
Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing): Pressure to deliver
After twice finishing fifth at the Tour de France, van Garderen is taking on the challenge of the Giro d’Italia with a positive attitude. Richie Porte was handed team leadership for July, and van Garderen said he sees the Giro as a new challenge and opportunity. The pressure will be on to deliver a consistent, three-week performance.
Van Garderen, who is racing this week at the Tour de Romandie, has had a solid but less-than-spectacular approach to the Giro. Of the top pre-Giro favorites, he’s the only one who hasn’t won a race (not counting team time trials). Despite holding the lead early in the Volta a Catalunya, he couldn’t respond to attacks from Valverde. Van Garderen prefers the long, steady climbs of the grand tours compared to the shorter, explosive summits typical of early season, one-week stage races, so everyone at BMC Racing is hoping he can be a factor in the Giro’s decisive third week.
Race days: 20 days and counting (currently at Tour de Romandie)
Best performances: Van Garderen was part of two team time trial victories this spring (Tirreno-Adriatico and Catalunya), and held on to finish fifth overall at Catalunya.
Key teammates: Italian veterans Manuel Quinziato and Daniel Oss will control things during the transition stages, with Ben Hermans and Alessandro Di Marchi to help in the mountains. Rohan Dennis, who’s won four times this spring, including the overall at the Tour La Provence in France, will also have freedom to ride for GC. On paper, van Garderen is better in the longer climbs, but Rohan will also be looking to confirm his leadership abilities during this Giro.
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