Carapaz favourite to continue Ineos’ success at Giro d’Italia

MILAN

Ineos Grenadiers hopes to win a hat trick at the Giro d’Italia with Richard Carapaz as the favourite at this grand tour in Italy.

The first of the year’s three grand tours will be without the two Slovenians who have dominated cycling in recent years: Primoz Rogli─ì and Tadej Poga─ìar.

Egan Bernal and Tao Geoghegan Hart were the Giro champions in previous years. Both Ineos riders are currently recovering from illness and injury. The powerhouse team is backed by Carapaz, the 2019 winner.

Carapaz was competing for Movistar when he became the first Ecuadorian winner of a grand tour. It was also the only edition in the past four years where Ineos, or as it used to be known, Team Sky, did not win the Italian edition.

Carapaz, 28, also won the road race at the 2012 rescheduled Olympic Games. She finished third in the Tour de France and second in 2020 Spanish Vuelta.

Carapaz, however, hasn’t raced in March. Instead, he is training altitude in Ecuador. There are also two other riders who have won the maglia rosea (winner’s jersey): Vincenzo Nibali (2013) and 2016 and Tom Dumoulin (2018).

Carapaz said Wednesday. It’s a great goal and I have thought about it a lot. Now we’re close to the first great opportunity.

“We came here with hopes that everything will go well, and I think my preparations have been very good. Now we are facing the first grand tour in a very positive mentality and, above all, believing we can do it in the best way possible.

These are some facts about the Giro this year, which begins Friday with the first stage in Hungary and ends May 29th in Verona.

MAIN CONTENDERS

Carapaz is the favourite, but he is not expected be the dominant player. There are many rivals who will challenge him all the route to Verona.

Joao Almeida was a revelation on his grand tour debut 2020. He led the Giro for 15 consecutive days, lost the maglia rosa just three days before the finish and finished fourth.

Almeida, who placed sixth last year in the Giro, is now moving to Pogacar UAE Team Emirates, with the hopes of winning on his third attempt and becoming the first Portuguese grand tour winner.

“Richard is one the most skilled riders. He is our main favorite. We have to watch Richard, Almeida said. said.

He continued, “I’m confident but not too confident.” “I have been doing well this season. My training has been great. I don’t feel under pressure. I feel responsible. I have seven other guys working with me for the same goal. And I’m going all out to achieve it.”

Simon Yates will be also trying to overcome Giro disappointment. After leading the Giro for 13 consecutive days in 2018, the British rider then took to the mountains and finished 21st. He was third last year, which was a nice reprieve.

Dumoulin is not to be missed, and Mikel Landa Jai Hindley, Miguel Angel Lopez, and Mikel Landa are also on the radar.

FOREIGN START

The first three stages in the Giro’s first stage will be in Hungary two years later than planned.

The Italian grand tour of Italy was originally scheduled to begin in Hungary in 2020. However, the pandemic forced organizers into a rescheduling and moving the start to Sicily.

The original plan was for the 2020 race to begin with a time trial at Budapest. However, it has been moved to the second day of a revised Grande Partenza (Big Start), schedule. Instead, the 2022 Giro will begin with a 195-km road stage from Budapest towards Visegrad.

On May 9, the Giro will be at its first rest day as the riders move to Italy.

ROUTE

The 2022 Giro will only include two time trials, which total just over 26 kilometres (16 mile), the lowest number since 1962.

In the three-week race, there are seven stages for sprinters. There are six mountain finishes and six other hilly stages. The climbs total 51,000m.

There are several signature summits and passes where the race classification will be shaken up. These include Mount Etna (stage four) and Blockhaus (stage nine). Santa Cristina, the Mortirolo, and Santa Cristina, which is one of the toughest days of the race, on stage 16.

The race’s penultimate leg could decide the winner. It has been awarded the maximum difficulty rating, five stars, and includes three tough climbs: Passo San Pellegrino and Passo Pordoi, which are the highest points of the race, and the Passo Fedaia that leads to the Marmolada glacier.