Cycling: At Giro d'Italia 2018 some drivers are in focus. But even apart from the top stars, it's worth taking a closer look. We have selected five pros who are less of a focus in the pre-reporting, but who could certainly be in the limelight during the Tour of Italy.
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Jan Hirt: noble helper for Miguel Angel Lopez
At last year's Giro d'Italia, a man in orange was seen several times: Jan Hirt. At that time, the Czech was still wearing the colors of the CCC Sprandi Polkowice team. This season he drives for Astana. This has certainly changed his earnings for the better, but he also needs to be able to handle a whole new role. At this year's Giro d'Italia, Jan Hirt will mainly have to help out. With Miguel Angel Lopez, Team Astana has a co-favorite for overall victory in its own ranks. The Kazakh team is known for showing an offensive driving style. So if we don't see Jan Hirt leading the peloton, he might be in a breakaway this year as well. Either way, the 27-year-old could become an important man for Astana on the mountain stages.
Giulio Ciccone: Wildcard stage hunt
What have Fausto Coppi, Julius Ciccone and Luigi Marchisio in common? All three cyclists won a stage at the Giro d'Italia at a young age. In 2016, Ciccone won the tenth stage of the Giro d'Italia, becoming the third youngest stage winner of the Tour of Italy. The mountaineer, who was born in Chieti, is now 23 years old and ready for higher tasks. So it could well be that the professional of the Bardiani-CSF team is fighting for a good place in the overall standings. A bit more likely, however, is the attack on the mountain jersey with the automatically associated hunt for stage wins. Everything is geared towards that in the Bardiani-CSF team – with eight Italians. In any case, Giulio Ciccone's form seems to be right. It wasn't until April 22 that he won the Giro dell'Appennino.
Gianluca Brambilla: Looking for top form
No one is unknown in the cycling scene Gianluca Brambilla. His best year was 2016 when he won a stage at the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana. After that it went downhill. Injuries and bad results alternated before joining Team Trek-Segafredo this season. Now it is time to build on old achievements. It seems unlikely that Brambilla will make it into the general classification. The 30-year-old is much more likely to concentrate on individual stages and possibly also target the mountain jersey. In any case, the team change seems to have done him good, because Brambilla presented himself in much better shape at the Tour of Croatia. If he can continue to improve by the third week of the Giro, he is a prime candidate for a stage win.
Richard Carapaz: Ready for the breakthrough?
The Movistar team features a number of top climbers, including Mikel Landa, Alejandro Valverde, Marc Soler and Nairo Quintana. is still relatively unknown Richard Carapaz. However, that could change at the 2018 Giro d'Italia. The man from Ecuador seems to have a bombastic talent. After contesting the Vuelta a Espana last year, he finished Paris-Nice 2018 in eleventh place. At the Vuelta a Asturias he won the second stage and the general classification. With the great captains of the Movistar team concentrating on the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana, Richard Carapaz will probably be able to ride free at the Giro d'Italia. If captain Carlos Betancur does not perform, he could surprisingly move up the line of succession. Either way, his breakthrough seems to be just a matter of time. Perhaps now is his time.
Sam Oomen: Important for Dumoulin's title defense
Is only 24 years old Sam Oomen. The Dutchman is one of the youngest starters of the 101st Giro d'Italia. However, he cannot really be described as inexperienced. After all, he has been a professional for several years and has already contested a Grand Tour with the Vuelta a Espana. Sam Oomen was also there when the German team Sunweb became world champions in the team time trial in 2017. He has attracted attention in recent months by coming eleventh in the Tour of Lombardy and 15th in the Tour Down Under. His performances at Paris-Nice (13th) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (12th) were also strong. Despite his still very young age, the necessary racing toughness cannot be denied. So Sam Oomen could become Tom Dumoulin's most important helper. Should this surprisingly weaken and Sam Oomen get a free ride, he would also be able to win a stage.
