Cycling: The Tour de France was exciting - the Giro d'Italia 2020 will be too. This promises the well-known start list. We look at the 6 top favorites for overall victory.
Jakob Fuglsang: The Dane finally wants to be on the podium
It's hard to believe, though Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) has never been on the podium in a Grand Tour. His best finish was seventh in the 2013 Tour de France. In his only start so far at Tour of Italy he was twelfth overall in 2016. But now the Dane wants more. Now that he's 35, he won't get many more chances. And in 2020 he can build on a really strong team. Miguel Angel Lopez and Aleksandr Vlasov will be there as noble helpers. Astana is probably the strongest team at the Giro d'Italia.
Strong: After the Corona break, Jakob Fuglsang won the Lombardy tour.
Geraint Thomas: The Giro is not a consolation prize
Sure became Geraint Thomas (Ineos) surprised by the team leadership's decision. The Briton was not allowed to be nominated for the Tour de France, although he finished second overall last year and even won the year before. Instead, he should Tour of Italy ensure overall victory. After struggling at the beginning of the restart he got better and better in the end. Second place at Tirreno – Adriatico and fourth place in the time trial at the World Championships not only show that he has already acclimatized in Italy, but also that the form curve is pointing strongly upwards. With his qualities in time trials and in the high mountains, he will be a very hot candidate for the Maglia Rosa.
After missing out on the Tour de France, Geraint Thomas is dying to win the Giro.
Simon Yates: He still has a score to settle
2018 dominated Simon yates (Mitchelton – Scott) the Giro d'Italia – at least up to the 19th stage. Driving in the Maglia Rosa, the Brit finally broke and fell squarely out of the top 10. A few months later he did better and won the Vuelta a Espana. After a mixed transition year in 2019, the project is finally to be completed at the Giro d'Italia 2020. However, he will have to improve in the time trial for this. There he recently lost a lot of quality. However, he needs this to survive against Geraint Thomas and Co.
At Tirreno – Adriatico, Simon Yates presented himself in top form.
Steven Kruijswijk: There is no threat of snow this time
Similar to Simon Yates in 2018, it ran for Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo – Visma) two years earlier. The Dutchman also wore the Maglia Rosa up to the 19th stage. Then came the Colle dell'Agnello. On the descent, he somersaulted into a snow bank – and the dream was over. At the end of the three weeks he even missed the podium. On this he jumped in the previous year of the Tour de France. From that moment at the latest, he must be regarded as a top ranking driver who no longer makes such mistakes. He also has a score to settle with the Giro d'Italia - and he wants to settle it in 2020.
It's been four years: Steven Kruijswijk was close to winning the Giro.
Vincenzo Nibali: can he do it again?
With four victories in major state tours and a total of 14 top 10 places in the same applies Vincenzo Nibali (Trek – Segafredo) as one of the most successful class riders of all time. The Italian is rightly listed as one of the favourites. The only question is whether the now 35-year-old still has what it takes. The results are getting a little worse, even if his second place last year strongly contradicts this statement. In the time trial he will hardly leave a competitor standing and his start in the high mountains has lost some of its explosiveness. But experience speaks for him.
Vincenzo Nibali has been one of the top class riders in the peloton for years.
Rafal Majka: The reinvigorated classification driver
In fact, it was assumed that Rafal Mayka (Bora – hansgrohe) has buried his ambitions as a classification driver. But this year the Pole has regained his strength. Already at the beginning of the year he was fifth on the UAE Tour. After the Corona pandemic, he finished the Tour of Poland in fourth place and Tirreno – Adriatico in third place. He certainly won't be able to win the Giro d'Italia 2020, but he's certainly capable of a leap onto the podium. Provided that Rafal Majka looks at the general classification at all. If he doesn't do that, he has a good chance of victories in 2-3 stages and the mountain jersey. What excites him more?
Rafal Majka has already won stages and the mountain jersey in the Tour de France. Can he prove himself again as a classification rider at the Giro d'Italia 2020?