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sport">Anyone who regularly visits the Belgian newspaper sites and then takes a look at the sports pages will know by now: Remco Evenepoel is one of the candidates to take over the pink from Filippo Ganna. The pages are full of the most diverse and sometimes insignificant topics that can be related in one way or another to the child prodigy on wheels. However, he will first have to put the world champion time trial behind.
sport">Ganna, who convincingly won the opening time trial in Turin on Saturday, has a lead of 20 seconds and can cycle quite a bit, but is normally too hard to ride on the Colle Passerino (4.3 kilometers with an average gradient of 9.5 percent ) to survive. The Italian was impressed by the Belgian on Monday. “Remco is a super cyclist. Today he seemed to have very good, even fantastic legs, as he rode up on one of the last climbs on the big plate. I don’t know where he got that energy from. ”
‘You shouldn’t expect anything from Evenepoel’
sport">Telegraaf columnist Erik Breukink, who wore the pink jersey for eight days during his career, is careful when it comes to Evenepoel. “Remco is riding his first race after a long rehabilitation. Actually, you should therefore expect nothing from the 21-year-old debutant. But if he gets through the first week well and grows in the round, then you never know with this super talent. ”
sport">What speaks to the disadvantage of Evenepoel and other possible refugees is that a headwind is expected on the climb. Breukink is thinking of another Deceuninck-Quick-Step rider, who is able to win the sprint of a small group. „João Almeida rode a great Giro last year. For more than two weeks he cycled in the pink leader’s jersey, but then came up just a little short in the high mountains. If he is going to be able to survive there this year, he will compete for the podium. ”
Sluwe Foss
sport">But it could also just be that Jumbo-Visma may wear the pink after the fourth stage. Tobias Foss is currently second in the general classification after an impressive time trial. The 23-year-old Norwegian proved in 2019 with the Tour de l’Avenir’s overall victory that he was already able to handle the mountains very well. Still, he shouldn’t be too busy with the pink. “Our focus is entirely on George Bennett,” says sports director Arthur van Dongen. “We are here to ride a GC with him. That Tobias is now second in the standings is nice, but of secondary importance. He’s here to help George. ”
Rosette bearer Filippo Ganna (center) with Tobias Foss to his right.
Ⓒ ANP / HH
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sport">Should greater differences arise anyway, then Simon Yates is a candidate to strike. This stage is made for him, although he will probably not throw too emphatically with his energy, so early in the Giro. Three years ago, as a rosette-bearer, he experienced a monumental breakdown during one of the last stages on the Colle delle Finestre. In any case, he will not open all the ball directly at the foot. “We have to be calm, careful and alert. The Giro is often decided in the second and third week. I know that from personal experience. ”
sport">Alexandr Vlasov, Egan Bernal, Hugh Carty and home riders Davide Formolo and Domenico Pozzovivo are also candidates after their decent time trial to take over the pink if they get a small lead over the competition. And who knows – motivated by the stunt of fellow countryman Taco van der Hoorn on Monday – Bauke Mollema has forged a nefarious plan. It will be fireworks anyway. Fireworks to look forward to.
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