Cycling: The Giro d'Italia 2022 has arrived in Italy. And things get straight to the point. The professionals must conquer Etna. Who will win the pink jersey?
The first day for the climbers
After three days in Hungary and the first rest day, the Giro d'Italia convoy has finally arrived in Italy. Instead of a comfortable flat stage to get in, everything is at stake right away. Anyone who catches a bad day on Tuesday can tick off the overall classification in week one. The 172-kilometer section leads from Avola to Mount Etna - the volcano. With a length of 23,3 kilometers and an average gradient of 5,9 percent, the final ascent may not be the steepest, but it is enormously long. Precisely because this challenge is already on the program for the fourth stage, we can be curious to see how good the class riders are in shape.
Velomotion forecast: Simon Yates climbs into the pink
Actually applied Richard Carapaz as a relatively clear favorite before the start of this year's Giro d'Italia. With a strong squad behind him and the experience of a Giro winner, he's tough to beat. But since the time trial in Budapest at the latest, he has had a serious competitor who, according to expert opinion, is now at least equal: Simon Yachts. The Brit has already proven several times that he is one of the best in the mountains. Tactically, he has grown enormously in recent years. In the shape he is now it will be hard to beat him uphill. Hard to beat in the sprint uphill anyway. But beware: in addition to the two top favorites, we can't have the Portuguese Joao almeida forget. For many he is considered a secret favorite - and he has to show that on Mount Etna.
☆☆☆ Simon Yates (BikeExchange – Jayco)
☆☆ Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), Joao Almeida (UAE)
☆ Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain - Victorious), Romain Bardet (Ag2r - Citröen)
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