Cycling: 3,518.5 kilometers apply to the Giro d'Italia 2019 to put back. On Saturday, 22 teams and 176 riders start the three-week Grand Tour through Italy in Bologna. There are some well-known ones World-class drivers. But some still relatively unknown professionals were also nominated by their team bosses. We look at five riders who could cause a sensation at the 2019 Giro d'Italia.
Ben O'Connor: The top 10 is possible
The palmarès of Ben O'Connor is manageable. In addition to the New Zealand Cycle Classic 2016, the Australian won a stage of the Tour of Austria in 2017 and a section of the Tour of the Alps in 2018. Nevertheless, the Dimension Data team pro is considered a highly talented classification driver. He showed this for the first time last year. In the overall standings of the Giro d'Italia he was in twelfth place until the 19th stage, before a fall threw him out of the tour. The 23-year-old broke his collarbone. Since then he hasn't really found his way. However, this could change at the Giro d'Italia 2019. Especially the difficult last week suits him very well. In the time trial, too, he is one step ahead of many of his competitors for a place in the top ten. In his team, he should also enjoy all the freedom in the mountains. So we should reckon with Ben O'Connor.
.@ben_oconnor95 keeping it aero.
🌬️🚲🚴♂️ pic.twitter.com/sZ2gRqW6iQ
— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) 12 April 2019
Ivan Sosa: Immediately captain in the first Grand Tour?
At only 21 years old Ivan Sosa at the Giro d'Italia 2019. The Colombian joined Team Sky ahead of the season. Because his teammates Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas are preparing for the Tour de France, the team bosses have nominated a very young squad. The Ineos team will only boast the second guard at the Giro d'Italia. Ivan Sosa forms a trio with Tao Geoghegan Hart and Pavel Sivakov. Only in the course of the tour will it become clear which of them is the strongest. Either way, the experts agree: Ivan Sosa is a huge talent! Last year he clinched ten impressive victories, albeit at a much lower level. He first attracted attention in Team Sky in mid-February when he finished second overall at the Tour Colombia. Now he should drive into the top ten in the colors of Ineos - or help a teammate with it.
Nuevos colors pero el mismo sentimiento y fuerzo.
Vamos a darlo todo ahora con el @TeamINEOS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/b5ooKYbkzq— Ivansosacuervo (@ivansosacuervo) 1 Maj 2019
Sepp Kuss: Primoz Roglic's secret noble helper
Primoz Roglic from Team Jumbo - Visma is going into the next three weeks as one of the big Giro d'Italia favorites. At his side, most fans will probably discover rather unknown names. Three athletes in particular will support the Slovenian in the high mountains: Antwan Tolhoeck, Laurens De Plus and Sep kiss. The last-named American in particular is an exciting personality. The 24-year-old was only called up at short notice because Robert Gesink was injured. Seeing him only as a stopgap could cost the competition dearly. Still active in mountain biking as a junior, he switched to the Rally Cycling team on the road in 2016, where he was able to achieve numerous top results in his home country. In 2018, Dutch team LottoNL – Jumbo secured his services. In their colors he shone right away. At the Tour of Utah he won three stages, the mountains classification and the general classification.
Fausto Masnada: A stage win at the Giro d'Italia 2019 is booked
Fausto Masnada is 25 years old and started his career as a trainee at Lampre – Merida. However, in 2016 he was not found to be good enough. The following year he signed a contract with the Androni - Sidermec team, where he still works today. The unassuming Italian is a fighter. In 2018 he made his breakthrough with a strong Giro d'Italia and some Italian one-day races, as well as overall victory at the Tour of Hainan. But that was far from the end of his development, as he shows us in 2019. In April he was third in the Giro di Sicilia, won two stages of the Tour of the Alps and finished second in the difficult Giro dell'Appennino. If he doesn't finish in the overall standings at the Giro d'Italia 2019, a stage win is actually the logical consequence. The form fits, he enjoys every freedom in the team and he knows Italy like the back of his hand.
Matteo Moschetti: Young Italian is looking for a sprint train
The 22-year-old Italian Matteo Moschetti Alberto Contador owes his contract in the Trek – Segafredo team. Last year he drove for the lower-class Kometa Cycling Team, the team of just that Alberto Contador. Identified as a top sprinter, he used his good contacts with his former team. Just a few months later, Matteo Moschetti was allowed to pedal at the Giro d'Italia 2019 as the number one sprinter at Trek - Segafredo. However, it will not be easy for him, since a real sprint train does not exist. But as a lone fighter he might be able to cause a surprise. Last year he won the ZLM Tour and a stage in the Tour of Burgos. Experts agree that the next strong Italian sprinter is growing up here. But thanks to the strong sprinter competition, it's probably still too early to win a stage.