“Trek-Segafredo” aiming for individual stage victories in Giro d’Italia 2021

The “Trek – Segafredo” team will also aim for individual stage victories in the continuation of the tour. In the individual races, of which there are three in the Giro d’Italia this year, it will be more difficult to fight for victories, because none of the eight “Trek – Segafredo” in the Tour of Italy is an individual race specialist.

“In the hilly stages, the overall favorites will also fight for victory, so it will be more difficult to surprise. There are also enough sprint stages in which Mads Pedersen will be our leader. There are also enough moderately hilly stages like today, in which you can win by a breakaway. There are certainly several more possibilities,” said Skujinš about the continuation of the tour.

Dānis Pedersen is the team’s favorite in the fight for victory in the sprinters’ competition and his colleagues will invest their efforts to achieve the goal. On Monday, in the third stage, Skujiņš finished ninth and contributed to Pedersen’s second place.

“The first sprint stage was quite unfortunate for the team, because one of our guys fell, while the rest of us were in the group after the fall and lost a lot. Of course, it’s only the beginning. There are still enough stages left to recover and hopefully in Rome Pedersen will have polka dot shirt,” emphasized Skujiņš.

The functions of the team captain in this cycling race are performed by Luxembourg cyclist Alex Kirsch. “Since Pedersen is the leader of the team, most of us are here to help him. Alex knows Pedersen very well and has raced with him in many competitions, so he also takes the initiative as the team captain,” Skujins revealed.

In April, Skujiņa’s teammate Giulio Cicone fell ill with Covid-19, thus the Italian mountain specialist’s cycling trip in his homeland is going to end. “He would certainly have been a great help in the stages, trying to win them as well. Covid-19 is still spreading all over the world, no one is protected from diseases. If you are sick, it is not wise to even start such a competition,” noted Skujiņš.

The Norwegian Andreas Leknesunn, who finished second on Tuesday, took the lead in the tour, while Skujiņš moved up to the eighth place, losing one and a half minutes to the leader.

This year’s tour has 21 stages, with the bike ride ending on May 28 in Rome.