Riders to watch
“Even in the twilight of his career he remains a solid bet for a podium at least”
GERAINT THOMAS 36 | Ineos Grenadiers | GBR
Giro starts: 4 Best GC result: 80th, 2012 Best stage result: 2nd, 2012 and 2017
Geraint Thomas is heading back to Italy on not quite a revenge mission, but a personal assignment to prove to himself that his relationship with the year’s first Grand Tour isn’t as cursed as it appears.
Twice the Ineos Grenadier has targeted the maglia rosa, twice he has been foiled by the sort of accidents that he might say only seem to happen to him. First, in 2017, he was caught in a crash provoked by a parked police motorcycle that eventually preceded his early withdrawal. And then, most distressingly, his 2020 hopes evaporated as early as stage three when he was felled by a stray bidon in the neutralised zone. The widespread perception is that he would have steamrolled to the pink jersey eventually won by his team-mate Tao Geoghegan Hart.
Those same assumptions, however, are not being professed by many, if any, this year, largely because of form that has been hampered by an undisclosed infection since December.
But Thomas has faith in the process, encouraged by exhibiting career-best condition to place third at last summer’s Tour de France, and has confidence that his strategy of just focusing on himself, riding his own rhythm, and not responding to attacks he can’t follow will yield another positive result.
His master plan for victory is quite simple: backed by a strong team, he will aim to keep as close as possible to the main contenders and will be ready to pounce and supersede them in the standings should they fail. The 73.2 kilometres of time trialling work in his favour as much as anyone else’s, especially the final mountain time trial. At a time when Ineos Grenadiers are struggling to compete for general classifications like never before, Thomas remains crucial to the British outfit; so much so, the 2018 Tour de France champion will almost certainly delay a possible retirement and extend his career into next season. Last year’s Tour was a reminder that even in the twilight of his career, he remains a solid bet for a podium spot at the very least.
The last time the Londoner began the Giro as the main understudy to Geraint Thomas, he walked away with pink on his shoulders. Given his recent spectacular return to form, not only might he be the main player once again, but he could even spring a surprise and walk away with a second maglia rosa.
The sometimes grumpy, sometimes cheery Geoghegan Hart had struggled for form since that unfancied victory in the autumn of 2020, but the 28-year-old has looked as strong as he ever has done in the opening months of this season.
First he broke a 27-month drought with triumph on a stage at the Volta a Valenciana, and then he finished third at Tirreno-adriatico. Best, however, was reserved for the recent Tour of the Alps where he won the opening two stages to prove he really has returned to the form that brought him that unexpected pink jersey.
The stand-out sprinting name is Britain’s Mark Cavendish, who has always won at least one stage in each of the previous six times he has started the Giro. In fact, the Manx Missile’s 16 career stage wins at the Giro is seven more than the combined tally of the other sprinters lining up at the start.
A dearth of world-class fastmen opens up the door to Cavendish to really get his season off the ground, the 37-year-old having been mostly off the pace in his first few months racing for Astanaqazaqstan. Then at the Tour of Romandie last week he pulled out with illness. He and the team are using the Giro as part of their preparation for the Tour de France.
Cavendish will turn 38 in the Giro’s last week, but time and time again he has demonstrated that class is permanent and that he can always recuperate his best form.