Cycling: A major state tour is all about stage victories and jerseys for the best sprinters and climbers. Of course, overall victory is of the greatest importance. Who are the Giro d'Italia 2018 favorites for the Maglia Rosa?
Chris Froome: Now it should also be the Giro d'Italia
Although Chris Froome in 2018 has not had any successes at all, his name determines the newspapers. The Brit won the Tour de France for the fourth time last year and the Vuelta a Espana for the first time. But then the shock: During the Tour of Spain, Froome gave a conspicuous test. The Salbutamol case has not yet been resolved. This makes cycling fans angry. Most want a ban on the Sky professional. However, he will be at the start of the 2018 Giro d'Italia. There isn't much to say about his abilities. If Froome is in top form, he will win the Tour of Italy. But so far he has only ridden the Giro twice - and that in 2009 and 2010, well before his heyday. He will take a strong team with him to Italy and last week's extremely tough week suits him as a strong climber. Whether he is in top form remains questionable until the first mountain stage. If we list the Giro d'Italia 2018 favourites, Froome should of course not be missing.
Best placement: 36. (2009)
Team: Sky
Strengthen: Mountains, time trials, team
Weaknesses: -
Velomotion Forecast: It's hard to beat Froome in a three-week tour if he wants to win it and starts in top form. With his professional preparation, the same can be assumed for the Giro d'Italia 2018. Tip: 1st place (possibly with subsequent withdrawal due to the Salbutamol affair).
Tom Dumoulin: The defending champion accepts the challenge
De Vlinder van Maastricht was the high flyer at the Giro d'Italia last year. Tom Dumoulin won his first Grand Tour in Italy, despite an unplanned bathroom break. He has thus successfully completed his development from a pure time trialist to a great tour driver. Now the Dutchman wants more, although his profile this season is anything but accommodating. There are only two time trials with a total of only 44,2 kilometers. He will probably be far ahead of his competitors in this discipline, but it seems unlikely that he will be able to defend this lead in the mountains with these well-known opponents. But maybe Tom Dumoulin will surprise us once more. After all, he defeated Nairo Quintana time and time again last year in the mountains. However, Dumoulin will have to live with one problem: the Dutchman has a balanced team around him in Team Sunweb, but he cannot rely on great support in the high mountains.
Best placement: 1. (2017)
Team: Sunweb
Strengthen: Time trial
Weaknesses: Steep mountains, team
Velomotion Forecast: Last year's winner opted for the Giro over the Tour again this year. a mistake? Yes! At least if you look at the course. Although Dumoulin proved last year that he can climb too, defending the title with this profile seems almost impossible against so many strong climbers. Tip: 5th place!
Fabio Aru: The Tifosi's only hope
Not infrequently, the Giro d'Italia was an all-Italian affair. Since 1997, only six times has an Italian not finished at the top of the podium. But the probability is high that it will happen for the seventh time this season. Finally, the Italians send along Fabio Arau actually only one real candidate for victory in the race. The UAE Team Emirates pro impressed at last year's Tour de France when he captured the yellow jersey and was able to make life difficult for Chris Froome for a long time. His weakness is time trials, which makes the 2018 Giro d'Italia profile particularly interesting for Aru. The few time trial kilometers and the many mountain finishes suit him. He will be in demand especially in the last week, because normally he should then have to catch up from a deficit on Froome and Dumoulin. Whether he succeeds in this will depend solely on his form, because he has already been able to prove several times that Aru has the skills. Therefore, the Italian is not only one of the Giro d'Italia 2018 favorites for the Tifosi.
Best placement: 2. (2015)
Team: UAE Team Emirates
Strengthen: Bergen
Weaknesses: Time trial
Velomotion Forecast: After two years without the Giro d'Italia, Fabio Aru wants to finally win the domestic tour with his new team. So far, however, he has not been able to demonstrate good form. Tip: 4th place!
Thibaut Pinot: It should work on the second try
2014 drove Thibaut Pinot third place in the Tour de France. He completed the podium in Paris behind Vincenzo Nibali and Jean-Christophe Peraud. After the failures of Contador and Froome, however, the Frenchman had hoped for much more. Since then he has not been able to achieve a podium finish in a Grand Tour. Last year, however, he came close in fourth place in the Giro d'Italia. Now he will tackle the Tour of Italy for the second time. It is also convenient for him that only a few time trial kilometers have to be completed. He will also benefit from the fact that there are many mountain finishes and therefore fewer stages where the races are decided downhill. Pinot's weaknesses are in the time trial and in the downhill. If things go uphill, the Frenchman from Team Groupama-FDJ is to be expected.
Best placement: 4. (2017)
Team: Groupama-FDJ
Strengthen: Bergen
Weaknesses: Time trials, descents
Velomotion Forecast: Pinot will be riding his tenth Grand Tour at the Giro, making him one of the more experienced pros. He is in the prime of cycling age and must now finally put this into practice at Grand Tours. This time he manages the podium at the Giro. Tip: 3rd place!
Miguel Angel Lopez: More than a stage hunter at the Giro premiere
Team Astana also has a trump card in the fight for overall victory, although the captain, Fabio Aru, has left the team. Because now stands Miguel Angel Lopez at the top - and this one chose the Giro d'Italia. No wonder, because the profile suits strong climbers, who undoubtedly have their weaknesses in time trials. The Colombian will use the steep climbs in particular to gain the necessary time for the competition. In 2018 he will be at the start of the Tour of Italy for the first time and will also be aiming for the overall ranking of a Grand Tour for the first time. Lopez has previously driven the Vuelta a Espana twice, where he won two stages last year and ended up in the overall ranking Eighth place ended up, although he had to put up with a big deficit early on. The Giro d'Italia 2018 should be better from the start.
Best placement: -
Team: Astana
Strengthen: Bergen
Weaknesses: Time trial
Velomotion Forecast: If Lopez manages to consistently deliver his top performance for three weeks, he is a hot candidate for overall victory. The podium definitely has to be the goal on this course. Tip: 2nd place!
